Imagine that instead of engaging in the great skiing experience, we spend winter in the city. Any associations? Slob, mud and salt eating through your boots. So how about a trip to mountains?
 

​map by Gazeta Wyborcza Wrocław

The closest ski lift is 65 km far from Wroclaw (Lysa Gora mountain in Bielawa).  Maybe it doesn’t really resemble slopes in Alps, but it takes only an hour drive to get there. If you can add one more hour (230 km), you can get to Szklarska Poreba, where there are 3 car lifts and 6 drag lifts. 2 hours is also the time you need to get to Zieleniec, the so-called “Polish Apls”. The route is shorter (122 km), but more complicated. Still, if you decide to go there, you will be rewarded with many slopes, ski-speedways and lifts. Zieleniec is also the destination of may ski camps. Apart form practicing winter sports, you can also find good restaurants there and enjoy amazing parties till morning in the famous “Piątka”.

Swieradow Zdroj (the travel takes a little over 2 hours) is an interesting health resort.  It is famous not only for its ski slopes, but also multiple SPAs and mineral water pump-rooms.
 

• Lysa Gora Pricelist: http://lysagora.pl/cennik/
• Szklarska Poreba Pricelist: http://sudetylift.com.pl/en/cennik.htm
• Zieleniec Pricelist: http://zieleniec.pl/wyciagi
• Swieradow Zdroj Pricelist: http://skisun.pl/price-list

 

Towards Tatra Mountains

Tatra are our highest mountains. So if you are willing to go 350-400 km from Wroclaw (via speedway), you will find longer ski slopes. Tatra’s longest one is Kasprowy Wierch in Zakopane (app. 5.4 km long) and it’s also the longest slope in Poland. Car lifts and enjoyable slopes are also to be found on Czarna Gora. This mountain is really picturesque when it’s covered with snow. Moreover, you can count on blooming nightlife there.
 

• Tatra Paricelist: http://tatryski.pl/oferta2/cennik/
• Czarna Gora Pricelist:http://czarnagora.pl/oferta/cennik-zimowy/
   

Czech Republic is so close

If you come from a country where you have access to Alps’ ski facilities, we can understand that a 5-kilometer-slope does not meet your expectations. In that case, we recommend Czech Tatra Mountains, where the winter sports infrastructure is very well developed. It is not that far from Wroclaw - form Pec at the foot of Sniezka mountain, it is only a 2-hour-drive (136 km). If you prefer to go to Janske Laznie and Czech Czarna Gora, it will also take you a little over 2 hours. Czech ski resorts are famous for their longer slopes, many car lifts and excellent dining facilities.

For more information on Czech resorts, click: www.skiresort.cz
 

• Pec at the foot of Sniezka mountain: http://www.czeskiegory.pl/osrodek-narciarski/cennik/pec-pod-snezka.html
• Cerna Hora: www.czeskiegory.pl/cernahora
• Janskie Laznie: http://www.czeskiegory.pl/osrodek-narciarski/czarna-gora-janskie-lazne.html
   

Equipment and Training

Due to the fact that the sales season is at its peak, it is worth to purchase the equipment before the trip (the prices are lower than in ski resorts). If you are still a beginner, we recommend you to visit a ski market (so-called ‘gielda’). At giełda on Kosciuszki Street No. 34 (so-called Gielda Palacyk) you can also service your equipment and use their ski travel services. At Gielda on Plac Teatralny you can buy, sell and rent the equipment, as they also operate as a ski commission-shop. If you are a more advanced skier, you will probably be more interested in dedicated sport’s shops (which you can find in any shopping mall) or outlets, e.g. Factory Outlet.

Ski schools and professional ski instructors await you in every resort.
 

• Gielda Palacyk: http://www.gieldapalacyk.pl/
• Gielda Teatralna: http://nartywroclaw.com.pl/index.php
• Factory Outlet: http://wroclaw.factory.pl/en
   

How to get there?

Not everyone has their own car, and car hire prices are quite high (and make it impossible for some people to enjoy mulled wine on the slope). That’s why we recommend organized one-day or longer ski trips. The organizer will tell you what time and where do you depart form, and you show up in that place to be transported in a comfortable bus straight to the winter paradise. One-day trips, the so-called “Ekspress Narty” are very popular. The trip usually takes place at the weekend (Saturday or Sunday), early in the morning, and after the ski slopes are closed, you go back to Wroclaw.

Express Narty:
 

• http://www.podrozowanie.pl/expressnarty.php
• http://ekspresbus.pl/bus/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=35&Itemid=39
• http://www.expressnarty.com.pl/
• http://www.snowbear.pl/

This type of ski travel offers are available in every tourist agency.

Author: Ewa Gumowska