Mariborsko Pohorje, the city's own ski resort

Getting up: the cable car from Maribor

The Pohorska vzpenjača cable car, with its red cabins, is one of the resort’s symbols. It has run since 1957, the current one was installed in 2009 and in 2023 it gained a middle station. It climbs from 328 to 1,042 m in about 10 minutes along a 2,505 m route. The lower station has car parks and is served by city bus G6. In October 2026 it closed for several days of maintenance, the last spell from 19 to 23 October, and the bike park closed with it. By road you drive up from Hoče-Slivnica towards Areh, and some of the lodgings at the top, such as the Mariborska koča hut and the Bolfenk flats, are listed by that municipality’s tourist office.

Pistes and lifts

According to the resort itself, Mariborsko Pohorje and Areh have around 35 km of pistes, 13 lifts and 3 magic carpets for beginners. The tourist board gives a different figure, 41.5 km, and calls it the largest ski resort in Slovenia. There are easy, intermediate and difficult runs, and it has a strong reputation with families. In good snow, Mariborsko Pohorje and Areh are linked by pistes, and otherwise a ski bus connects them. Areh also has around 6 km of cross-country trails, sledging and more.

Night skiing down to the city

The highlight is skiing all the way down to the valley on the Čopova run, one of the most popular with recreational skiers according to the resort, and through the Snow Stadium. In winter around 7 km of pistes are floodlit, from the cable car’s top station to the bottom. The resort says they’re among the longest night runs well beyond Slovenia, and the tourist board that it’s the longest night run in the country. The world’s best female alpine skiers race here every winter, the tourist board adds.

For non-skiers there’s tubing, winter trikes and sledging areas at Bellevue and Areh. Funpark Žigart, revamped for the 2025-2026 season, has a beginners’ snowpark with 12 features and four small jumps.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Maribor before prices climb.

In summer: the bike park

Since 1999 Bike Park Pohorje Maribor has had a downhill track used for world championship events, the World Cup, 2 km long with 431 m of descent. For starters there’s the Flow Line, about 5.2 km with 702 m of descent down to the valley. There’s also the PohorJet summer toboggan beside the Snow Stadium, mountain trikes and zorbing at the Bolfenk and Areh centres.

Where to stay and how to plan it

I’d stay in Maribor and ride the cable car up in the morning. For another side of Pohorje, the Lovrenc lakes lie further west and the Rogla treetop walk to the south-west. If you ski, the plan I’d recommend most is ending the day with a floodlit run all the way down to the city.

If you would rather have a local show you round, book a guided tour in Mariborsko Pohorje and choose by the reviews.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Maribor before prices climb.