I spent two very interesting (half)seasons back in 2003 and 2004, working for the Finnish travel company Elamysmatkat.Com, guiding skiers in Jasna, Slovakia. I spent about 11 weeks in Slovakia altogether. Here I will tell you about my experiences skiing in Jasna, Slovakia in a four-post series. I hope this can provide some useful information and maybe even correct some common misinformation. Hopefully it’ll at least stoke you to go skiing and visit new places! So, if you are planning to ski in Jasna, Slovakia, check these four articles first. They might be helpful to you.

In this first post I will just give an introduction with some very general information about skiing in Jasna, Slovakia. The two following posts are about the Jasna ski resort. I will especially pay attention to off-piste possibilities in the Low Tatra range (which are excellent if the snow conditions allow, btw). In the last post of this article series I will give you some more thoughts about the whole Tatra area in general and some tips on culture, natural attractions, other sports, etc.

The western part of the Carpathian Mountains, Tatra, is most likely one of the least-known Central European mountain ranges. The fact nonetheless is that the Tatra Mountains has the highest peaks between the Alps and the Caucasus. The nature in the area is very unique. Often you hear the term “the smallest big mountains in the world” describing these “miniature Alps”. Only glaciers are lacking.

Jasna ski resort in Slovakia is actually located a bit of south of the High Tatras, in a slightly smaller range called the Low Tatras . I generally use the term Tatra when talking about the Low Tatras too. There are some differences between the ranges but the general feel is pretty much the same (for a skier at least). Also, there are other small mountain ranges in Slovakia that are very interesting too, especially for other outdoor activities. I’d even go so far as to say that the country as a whole has a huge, unused (though now growing) potential for tourism and/or outdoor sports. And yes, even though the mountains are not as high as the Alps, the country is very mountaneous!

One might ask why Slovakia for skiing? To be honest, it doesn’t fully compare to the TOP 10 ski resorts if you only look for the figures. But there are factors that make the trip worthwhile: the low price level, the nature, and the culture, just to mention a few. And of course the snow. The amount of snow in Slovakia might vary a lot from year to year, though (duh). But the fact that there’s about a thousand kilometres of distance to any sea coast from the Tatras can make for very dry and enjoyable powder snow – one of the most pleasant suprises that Slovakia offered me.

It’s often pretty cold in the Tatras, which is a fact I love. Yes, I love cold, real winter and the light snow it offers. Skiing the trees in a snowstorm at about -15 degrees celcius while the snow just fluffs everywhere is something you dream about in these days of dreaded climate change…