January 27, 2023 - The cold and snow have finally arrived, and fans of winter sports will be delighted by the news that four Croatian ski resorts are opening this weekend: Sljeme, Platak, Čelimbaša near Mrkoplje and the ski resort in Ogulin.

As 24Sata writes, after an unusually warm December and beginning of January, real winter finally appeared in the last two weeks and snow fell all over Croatia.

After enough snow finally fell, four Croatian ski resorts decided to open their slopes for the public.

On Saturday, January 28, 2023, the skiing season will begin at the Sljeme Ski Resort, with the slopes open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Owners of axess ski tickets from last year and the year before can refill them on the website. Daily ticket prices on weekdays are 9.29 euros for adults, 5.31 euros for children up to 15 years old, and 6.64 euros for skiers over 65 years old. On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, prices are 13.27 euros for adults, 6.64 euros for children up to 15 years old, and 9.29 euros for skiers over 65 years old.

On Platak near Rijeka, the Radeševo 1, Tourist and Baby trails are open, while all remaining trails should also be open for the weekend: Radeševo 1, Radeševo 2, Zavoj 19, Tourist, Pribeniš, Tešnje and Baby trail as well as the sledding grounds.

As in previous years, night skiing will be possible on Tuesdays and Fridays from 19:00 to 22:00, and day-night skiing on Thursdays from 12:00 to 20:00, whenever the weather conditions permit. Daily skiing and the working hours of the cable cars, cable cars and ropeways are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day. The ticket office opens at 8 a.m., and for night skiing on Tuesdays and Fridays at 6 p.m. See ticket prices HERE.

Furthermore, the Čelimbaša ski resort near Mrkopalj will open this Saturday. Opening hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and ticket prices are as follows: half-day €10, full-day €15.

Finally the Ogulin ski resort in Ogulin will also be ready for the weekend, with free entry as well.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated News section.

January 21, 2023 - Platak is one of Croatia's famous ski resorts, located near Rijeka, not too far from Zagreb either. It is perfect for a little winter family getaway or just a weekend in the snow. After a slightly longer wait, the 2023 ski season seems to finally be here. Platak is being prepared and will be welcoming visitors from Tuesday, 24 January.

As Index reports, after the much-needed cold weather arrived, the snowmaking system was started on Platak. If everything goes according to plan, the ski resort will be open on Tuesday, January 24, according to the regional sports centre.

There is 25 to 30 cm of natural snow on Platak

The director of the Regional (Goranski) sports centre, Alen Udovič, told Hina that the snowmaking system was started last night to prepare a high-quality snow surface in time and enable as many skiing days as possible, and it will work until Monday.

There is now 25 to 30 centimeters of natural snow on Platak, which, he added, had first fallen on the wet and warm ground, but now, after cooling down, it is slowly compacting. Udovič said that, according to the weather forecast, Platak can expect several cold and windy days and that additional amounts of natural snow are possible.

He announced that even during this weekend, skiers and ski schools would be able to use a baby trail on Platak, while sledders would use the baby lift to take them to the lower part of the Pribeniš trail.

Next week, depending on the weather, night skiing on Tuesdays and Fridays will be possible in addition to day skiing every day. Udovič also announced that from January 27 to 29, the 2^nd edition of the international race European Skibike Cup would be held on Platak for the second time, expecting 40 competitors from 11 countries.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Lifestyle section.

October the 3rd, 2022 - Croatian ski holidays are still very much on the radar for many skiers hoping to hit the slopes despite inflationary pressures and rising prices putting a dampener on most other things.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, Croatian ski holidays are at the forefront of the minds of those who ski annually. The skiing season is more or less just around the corner and will now finally not have any coronavirus and demand issues, but a new big challenge has arrived at the doors of European ski resorts, the high cost of energy, which is a significant resource in this segment of tourism.

The result is an average 10 to 20 percent increase in prices for skiing holidays, with certain savings measures that will be applied at many ski resorts across Europe, and those that have invested in sustainable technologies and alternative energy sources in previous years will fare best.

Croatian agencies are already recording a significant increase in bookings for skiing holidays compared to the previous two pandemic-dominated years, and for some, the number of bookings so far has even exceeded those from back in pre-pandemic 2019.

Boris Zgomba from Uniline explained that they have as many as three times more bookings for Croatian ski holidays than they had back during this period in 2019.

"This, of course, doesn't mean that we'll actually manage to achieve three times more traffic, that remains to be seen, but we have noticed that, as was the case with the summer, people are tired of waiting around and procrastinating, and they can't wait to get back to the snow and engage in what they've been creating and enjoying for years now. They're also ready for the fact that there will be higher prices, which have risen even less than, say, the prices of hotel services in Croatia this summer. This desire to return to skiing may have resulted in them booking earlier," says Boris Zgomba.

At the same time, Uniline has an offer at the level of 2019, that is, there are no indications that there are fewer service providers active than before the pandemic, despite challenges with a lack of workers, inflation and continually rising costs.

Dalibor Canaglic from the Palma agency also stated that the interest in Croatian ski holidays is very good, that it is at the level of 2019, with prices higher by an average of 10-20 percent. Families with children mostly opt for the week of January 7-14, when the prices are significantly cheaper than the week before and in February, when all of Croatia's neighbouring countries also have school holidays.

Canaglic noted that ski tickets have become more expensive, and it happens that partners send them ticket price changes due to the increase in energy costs. The price of energy is also a very hot topic in all European ski resorts as it regards everything, from starting ski lifts to producing artificial snow, managing the slopes and heating all of the buildings at sub-zero temperatures, these are all essential items for ski resorts and they all consume enormous amounts of energy.

Therefore, various savings measures are being considered, from limiting snow production, reducing cable car traffic in less busy parts of the day, and limiting the number of gondolas and their working hours. Some have even announced the introduction of only cold water in toilets, lower heating temperatures in closed spaces, and turning off advertising lights and heaters. This will reduce costs, but could also reduce the level of comfort for tourists.

The situation differs somewhat depending on the destination. Although Austrian operators are thinking about appropriate savings measures, their cable cars don't really consume a lot of electricity, and they hardly need gas at all because they have been investing in energy-efficient systems for years. Resorts in Tyrol have revealed to PlanetSki magazine that they will be able to reduce their energy consumption by 10 percent by operating fewer lifts and eliminating night skiing that requires searchlights.

An increase in the price of ski passes is also expected. The example of the ski resort Ski Welt in Tirol is worth noting, as it is the first ski resort whose ski lift has been powered 100 percent by solar energy since back in 2008. While French ski resorts are worried about the rise in electricity prices, there is an example of the Serre Chevalier ski resort in the southern French Alps, which set itself the goal of producing 30 percent of its own energy consumption by 2023 back in 2006. Now that goal has been achieved and it is the first and only ski resort in the world that simultaneously uses three alternative energy sources, hydroelectric power, solar panels and small wind turbines. During the winter and summer season, when the ski resort is open, the generated electricity is consumed immediately, and during the off-season, the surplus is sold back to the national grid.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

February 28th, 2022 - Due to great interest in night skiing on Sljeme, ZET has extended the working hours of the cable car on Tuesdays and Thursdays

Night skiing on Sljeme is back! Last week, the ski resort on Medvednica mountain brought back the popular evening slots on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 PM to 10 PM.

On Tuesday, March 1st, Sljeme will also host a costumed ski night to mark the last day of the carnival season.

A competition for the best costumes will be held, with the ski resort staff tasked with selecting the winners in two categories (children and adults).

The best costumes in both categories will win three days of free skiing on Sljeme, those who rank second will get two day passes, and the third place will be rewarded with a one day pass. The winners will be announced at 9:45 PM at the top exit from the Trosjed triple chairlift.

Two ski runs are open for night skiing: Crveni (Red) slope with a triple lift, and the Bijela Livada (White meadow) slope equipped with a T-bar ski lift.

Tickets for night skiing cost 70 kuna for adults, 40 kuna for children aged 15 or less, and 50 kuna for persons over the age of 65. Visitors are kindly reminded to adhere to all epidemiological measures that are in effect. 

Given the great interest in night skiing on Sljeme, ZET has adjusted the operating schedule of the Sljeme cable car. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the cable car will be running from 9 AM to 9:30 PM. Along with the bus line 140 (Mihaljevac - Sljeme), citizens will now also have the cable car at their disposal, which can take them from Gračanski dol to the top of Sljeme in about 20 minutes.

Even though the slopes are open until 10 PM for night skiing, the last cable car gondola must depart from the upper station on Sljeme no later than 9:30 PM, in accordance with the work permit.

Sljeme Ski Lifts and Slopes Facebook

A wonderful story comes our way from Ogulin, a town in north-western Croatia where a group of skiing enthusiasts run what’s arguably the most welcoming skiing resort in the country

Located in Vučić Selo, only 1.5 kilometres from the centre of Ogulin, the ski trail Vučići and all its facilities are completely free to use, reports Novi list/Danijela Bauk.

‘Resort’ is a bit of a stretch, actually, as the piste is only 450 metres long with a 100-metre sledding slope nearby. Small in size, perhaps, but larger than life, given the enthusiasm of Ogulin Ski Club members who run the show. 

Eleven years ago, some 50 lovers of skiing formed a ski-club in Ogulin and decided to spruce up a slope where locals were known to ski even back in the mid-20th century. Their call to action was an unfortunate event in 2011: a fire that destroyed the Olympic centre Bjelolasica, a skiing resort where many residents of Ogulin had first learned how to ski.

Wanting to ensure the youngest generations in Ogulin have somewhere to learn skiing or simply have fun sledding while Bjelolasica was undergoing renovation works, they reached an agreement with local landowners to turn parts of their land into a ski run at no cost. In return, the ski club members vouched to maintain the grounds all year round.

Bit by bit, what was supposed to be a little local project turned into a well-equipped facility attracting visitors from all over the country. Members of Ogulin Ski Club gradually upgraded the trail with drag lifts and lighting, and borrowed a snow gun from Vrbovsko in Gorski kotar.

These days, the ski club counts 150 members, about half of which are children. Some 60-70 people are active members and spend their free time volunteering at the Vučići ski run, explained head of Ogulin Ski Club Darko Vučić.

‘Whenever we are open and if the weather conditions allow, the slopes can be used from 5 PM to 9 PM on workdays, and from 10 AM to 9 PM on weekends. There are always at least four members on site, we care for safety, supervise drag lifts, and since the pandemic started, we’ve been checking Covid certificates at the entrance. In the pre-Covid era, there was no one at the entrance, because entry is free, we don’t charge and we never will. That’s what we decided at the beginning, that’s how it’ll always be. We wish for people to come to us, to ski and sled, and if they’re satisfied, to leave a donation, whatever one can afford’, said Vučić.

They also run a skiing school for children and adults, but can only accept locals at the moment as the weekend crowds don’t leave space for any additional lessons. They certainly don’t lack interest: there are inquiries from Karlovac, Rijeka, Zagreb, Slavonia, Dalmatia… Owing to the Vučići ski trail, Ogulin is turning into a proper winter destination; there’s been an uptick in accommodation bookings in the area on the days when the trail is open, especially on weekends and during school leave.

According to Vučić, they get about twenty days of skiing a year given the current conditions. ‘We’re not that high, we’re at an altitude of some 300 metres above sea level, but now that we’ve borrowed a snow gun from Vrbovsko, we’re hoping for the season to last a bit longer’, he said, adding that the skiing season in Vučići would likely extend to a full two months if they had another snow gun to maintain the trail.

Novi list also talked to Marko Polić, a skiing instructor from Ogulin and a member of the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service.

‘You know what makes this ski trail so special? There’s no anger, no aggravation, no stress. When you go to Sljeme or Platak and pay for the ticket, you’re annoyed by every bump on the trail, by the queue for the lift… Those who come here don’t stress over anything, they’re relaxed, they don’t mind the crowd, the mud, or an occasional bump on the trail. Energy is what counts, and there are only positive vibes here. Yes, we’re donation-based, but if you can’t spare [a donation], it’s okay. We’ll treat you to a cup of tea or mulled wine, treat the kids to some biscuits; our faces are smiling and that’s what people are drawn to’, said Polić.

January 17, 2021 – To the delight of many Zagreb citizens, but also people from other parts of Croatia, the ski season on Sljeme ski resort begins on Tuesday, January 19, 2021.

As reported from Sljeme, recreational skiing will be possible every day from 9 am to 4 pm. The ski season will be organized according to the given epidemiological framework, as follows:

- the maximum number of people allowed on the ski slope is 1,000,

- only daily tickets will be on sale to control and monitor the number of users,

- masks or face covers are obligatory on the ski resort, and it is required to keep the prescribed distance of 1.5 m,

- cable cars and lifts are used according to the instructions of the Ski Resort staff,

- the Sljeme Ski Resort employees will be present at the facility to supervise the implementation of epidemiological measures, and intervention police officers will also be present to implement the rules of conduct at the Sljeme Ski Resort.

More detailed information will be released earlier this week.

Sljeme was closed to the public after the Snow Queen Trophy. Currently, only training of athletes is approved on the Sljeme ski slopes, which have been approved by the Decision of the Civil Protection Headquarters. Since last weekend, it has been allowed to use the bottom of Činovnička meadow for sledding, and many visitors seized that opportunity to enjoy the winter, especially with children.

Two days ago, the situation on Sljeme was clarified for the Jutarnji list by Igor Žiljak, the ski resort manager.

"The slopes are ready. We will use this weekend, during which there will be temperatures below zero, to make additional artificial snow and snow the Red, White, Green, and Blue descent. We've been working hard since October, and we're ready for skiing. But we are waiting for the decision of the Zagreb headquarters. The headquarters in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County allowed Platak and Čelimbaša to ski, we hope that this will happen to us as soon as possible," said Žiljak two days before the news of the opening of Sljeme.

There it is, to the joy of many Zagreb residents but also visitors from other parts of Croatia. From Tuesday, they will be able to enjoy the winter on Sljeme.

January 6, 2021 – The ski season is finally open. Platak ski resort, a popular excursion and winter site on the Snježnik mountain slopes, has opened its ski and sledding tracks.

This popular ski resort located in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County is only 30 minutes away from Rijeka and about two hours from Zagreb. Also, it is only about ten kilometers away from the sea, so in the winter months, you have the opportunity to ski and sled on Platak on the same day, and then go down to the sea for lunch and a walk.

Platak is the only Croatian ski resort with a sea view, which allows visitors to enjoy two Croatian beauties at the same time – the mountains and the sea.

Platak on December 14, 2020. The sea can be seen in the background. / Source: Platak Facebook

As National Croatian Tourist Board reports, thanks to the new snowmaking system that the Platak Regional Sports and Recreation Center received last season, the Platak ski resort opened its doors on Saturday, January 2, 2021. Skiers can ski from 9 am to 4 pm on ski slopes Radeševo 1, Turistička staza (tourist track), and on a previously open track along the conveyor belt at the foot of Radeševo. Sledders can sled on one of several sledding tracks.

The ski season is finally open, and skiing and sledding enthusiasts have already occupied Platak. According to reports from the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, a total of 522 tickets were sold yesterday by noon, and a large number of visitors came to enjoy sledding and walking. Also, about 40 centimeters of snow fell last night, so visitors enjoy a real snow idyll.

Platak ski resort / Source: Platak Facebook

You can also ride ski bikes (snow bikes) and snowmobiles on Platak's trails and forests. In order to ensure skiing for up to 50-60 days a year, a new snowmaking system worth HRK 23 million has been introduced. It includes 14 snow cannons, a new accumulation lake with 50,000 cubic meters of water, an engine room, and cooling towers.

In its unique wooded environment, the Platak Regional Sports and Recreation Center offers a handful of other facilities that can be enjoyed throughout the year. Among those are hiking trails, promenades, bike routes, unexplored paths, barbecues for rent, sports fields such as disc golf courses, bowling alleys, football fields, basketball, beach volleyball, and badminton.

There are also nine bike trails, a bike park with two trails (downhill and flowhill), and the possibility of a panoramic cable car ride.

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ZAGREB, Dec 18, 2020 - The FIS international ski federation and National Civil Protection Authority have officially approved the 2021 Snow Queen Trophy, FIS World Cup Ski race on Mount Sljeme in compliance with the most stringent epidemiological measures and without any spectators, FIS announced on Friday.

In accordance with current anti-COVID measures in Croatia, the Sljeme race will be held  on 3 and 6 January without spectators and guests and according to FIS rules for this season there will not be any public draw of starting numbers that was traditionally held in Zagreb's main square.

This will be the first time that the race will be held without audience and in an effort to limit contact between competitors, additional protective mechanisms have been introduced with "balloons" separating teams, the media, organisation teams without mutual mixing between balloons.

All participants have to produce a negative COVID-19 test no older than 72 hours and monitor their health on a daily basis in their FIS COVID-19 passports.

All the competitors and their teams arriving in Zagreb will be previously tested and accommodated in The Westin Zagreb which will closed to other visitors. Hotel staff will also be tested while reporters will be accommodated in another hotel.

This is the 15th edition of the Women's Slalom race with the winner being proclaimed as the Snow Queen. The Women's Slalom race is scheduled for Sunday 3 January 2021 with the 1st run starting at 12.30 pm and the 2nd run starting at 4 pm.

The 12th Men's Slalom on Sljeme will start at 12.15 on Wednesday 6 January and the second run will start at 3.30 pm.

November the 30th, 2020 - The European Union might be closing down in the face of the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, but neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina, which isn't a member of the bloc, is hoping for Croatian skiers as their skiing season kicks off.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the ski season opened on Jahorina near Sarajevo on Sunday after the use of the artificial snow system enabled the "Poljice" trail to fall into function, which should be available to skiers for both day and night skiing. Ohher trails will open gradually, depending on the level of snowfall in the area.

The management of the Jahorina Olympic Centre hopes that this year it will manage to attract a large number of winter sport lovers, particularly Croatian skiers, especially after the announcement that popular ski resorts across Europe will remain closed at least until January the 10th, 2021, according to SibenikIN.

"Ski resorts in France have announced that they will be closed. It's the first time that people who have skied so far in France, Italy and Austria are booking their accommodation in Jahorina and that isn't a small number of people. According to the information we have now, booking is better this year than it was last year,'' Sanja Ceremidzic, a spokeswoman for OC Jahorina told Hina.

The company believes that they will be helped to fill all their capacities by offering a "coronavirus guarantee" for purchased tickets for their ski resorts. This means that in case Bosnia and Herzegovina closes its borders or a guest becomes infected with SARS-CoV-2, they will be able to cancel the use of their purchased ski pass and transfer it to the 2021/22 season or get a refund of 80 percent of the amount paid instead.

Otherwise, a daily ski pass on Jahorina for adults in the height of the season is around 200 kuna and 900 kuna for the week.

Authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina have decided not to impose additional restrictive measures to control the spread of the pandemic, given that the existing ones are yielding results, so they are counting on popular ski destinations in the country to attract more visitors from neighbouring countries, with Croatian skiers high on the list.

The prices of ski passes on Vlasic in central Bosnia are even lower, and this area was previously an attractive destination for many Croatian skiers and other tourists, especially those from Dalmatia.

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ZAGREB, November 9, 2020 - Slovenian ski resorts are preparing for a full season in conditions of the coronavirus pandemic, counting on foreign tourists, including those from Croatia, in the wake of announcements that the epidemiological situation will calm down within a month.

Last week, the association of operators of ski resort transport devices sent epidemiologists a proposal on how to ensure safety for domestic and foreign skiers on ski slopes and in their facilities at a somewhat smaller capacity than in normal seasons.

Besides the standard recommendations, they suggest increasing the speed of ski lifts and cable cars in order to avoid crowds and lines which would increase the risk of infection. They also plan to ensure a sufficient distance between visitors inside their facilities and on terraces.

The gondola lift at Kranjska Gora can transport 2,400 persons to the top of the ski slopes in one hour at 3.4 metres per second, and if the number of passengers allowed per gondola is halved and the speed increased to 5 m/s, we would still be profitable, Blaz Veber of the Kranjska Gora ski resort has told Slovenian Television.

He is counting on Croatian tourists as usual. "We hope that, by adhering to all the recommendations, our winter season can start in mid-December. We are counting firstly on our domestic guests and skiers from Croatia."

Due to the situation in the UK, this year Kranjska Gora cannot count on UK tourists, who have been among the more numerous visitors, or on skiers from many European countries which have many coronavirus cases and are therefore warning against risky travel abroad.

However, Slovenian ski resorts are confident the strict lockdown in Slovenia will be lifted in about a month and that they will be open, although barely at a profit and with far fewer tourists, notably from abroad.

"Until now, Croats have been the third most numerous visitors during the winter season and thanks to them we have always been full from Christmas to January 10. If the health situation develops as we expect, I believe they will remain faithful, like Slovenians were faithful to Croatian destinations on the Adriatic this summer," Veber said.