November 18, 2004 -- It's that time of the year and you are planning your annual ski trip. You're looking online, reminiscing about that favorite season in Aspen in the 90's or that romantic interlude on the Italian Alps. This year, why not try something different. Sick of using Euros, US or Canadian dollars to buy your $100 lift tickets, $50 dinners and $10 beers? How about using Roubles, Tolar, Lei or Koruny to buy a $5 gourmet meal and a 50¢ vodka instead?
There is a whole new world of largely undiscovered ski resorts (almost 500 in total) waiting for you in Eastern Europe. These former playgrounds of czars, dictators and despots are now accessible to all and for a fraction of the price you would pay to visit their Western European or North American counterparts. Sure you may have some fun adapting to ski signs in foreign alphabets, or finding people that speak English, but if it's pure unadulterated skiing and après ski that you are after, defect and go East!
With the introduction of capitalism and extended tourism came an end to archaic ski lifts and minimalist accommodations. Eastern European ski resorts now boast modern lifts, groomed ski areas, high-tech rental equipment, chalet or maybe castle accommodation, bars, restaurants, happy-hours and even the occasional fur-clad ski bunny to keep the trip interesting.
Czech Republic
The main Czech resort is Spindleruv Mlyn in the Krkonose Mountains near the Polish border, about two hours' drive (or just over an hour by direct train) from Prague.
There are two main skiing areas, Medvedin and Svaty Petr, which lie on either side of this picturesque village. Combined, the two areas, which are linked by bus, have 23 ski lifts and a combination of intermediate and advanced runs. Apart from downhill, there are also excellent trails for cross-country and off piste as well as a bobsled track. From here you can also ski across to another Czech resort area, Horní Mísecky.
Spindleruv Mlyn's English language website is quite helpful at www.spindleruv-mlyn.cz. It lists accommodations and specials like their "Extended Weekend in the Mountains" package that includes three-nights accommodation, breakfasts, three dinners, ski passes for two days, entrance into the aquacenter and sauna, parking and recreation charge. This offer is available until December 19, 2004 and from March 31 until the end of the ski season for any days of the week for only $125 per person or $83 if the snow isn't its usual perfection. Compare that with the 2005 price for a two-day lift pass in Aspen/Snowmass for $148.
Getting to Prague from the US is super cheap during the winter months. Austrian Airlines (www.book.aua.com/an/leisure/US/framesnew/e_specials.htm) has some incredibly low fares as part of its website's e-specials. Until November 30, 2004, the roundtrip airfare to Prague from New York is almost the same price as the tax -- $195 airfare plus $192 tax. For December departures, Airline Consolidator (tel. 888/468-5385; www.airlineconsolidator.com) has roundtrip fares from New York starting at $287 + tax on Austrian Airlines or $289 + tax on United Airlines. Airfare Planet (tel. 888/204-8869; www.airfareplanet.com) has the same roundtrip flight on offer for departures until March 31, 2005 for $340 + tax.
For more information about transport and accommodations for ski day trips and resorts accessible from Prague, visit www.allpraha.com/?page=cat&category=100072.
Romania
If it is affordability you are after, Romania is your destination. Ski Resorts Romania (www.skiresorts.ro) is a comprehensive resource for Romanian ski information. It features more than 35 resorts and ski locations, accommodations offers, maps, extreme skiing options, city guides, ski and snowboard events, nightlife and equipment rental.
Pioana Brasov is one of the better known ski resorts in Romania set among the pine forests of the Carpathian Mountains of Transylvania. It has an altitude of 5,900 feet with 17 marked runs and 22 miles of unmarked runs off the groomed areas. It has separate areas for all standards, discouraging the advanced from using beginners' runs and vice versa. The slopes are divided into 25% for beginners, 42% for intermediate and for those black-run bandits, 33% of the mountain is your own. Dracula's Castle is only 13 miles away so you can combine your skiing vacation with indulging your horror fantasies. Just to make the picture complete, wolves are quite common here ,and their nightly howls will surely lend themselves to a few great stories to tell upon your return.
A six-day ski pass costs under $140 and to make your ski vacation complete, a three-course meal costs around $7 and beer a measly 30¢.
Pioana Brasov is accessible by bus or taxi from Brasov (eight miles away), which is reached by train (a two- to three-hour trip) from the capital Bucharest. Like most Eastern European destinations in winter, airfares are relatively inexpensive. Try Cheapflights (www.cheapflights.com) for a number of low-priced roundtrip options from December 2004 to March 2005. From New York or Boston, prices range from $295 to $586 + taxes on airlines such as Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Delta, KLM and Air France.
For more information about Pioana Brasov, visit www.romaniatourism.com or www.brasovtravelguide.com.
Russia
If you'd like to boast that you've skied the highest mountain in Europe (no, it's not Mount Blanc), then head to Russia and take in the volcanic cone of Mount Elbrus in the Caucasus. You may not need breathing apparatus at this altitude, but at 18,500 feet, you'll certainly need a very warm ski suit, some time to acclimatize and lots of vodka après skiing. The region was once a high altitude training area for Russian athletes and astronauts and the ski retreat of the Soviet elite, but now it is opening up as a destination for the Russian nouveau riche and international skiers alike.
The village of Terskol, which services Mount Elbrus, only has three ski lifts, but they provide access to over 14 miles of slopes, and the highest lift point is aptly named Mir (just like the space station) at a sky-high 12,500 feet up. Alternatively the village of Cheget is another option for reaching Elbrus's lofty peak. The snow is plentiful to say the least and this challenge will give new meaning to the concept of skiing on top of the world.
Accommodation is generally in the nearby valley town of Prielbrusye. Visit www.elbrustourservice.com/hotels.htm for options, or companies like Eco Tours (www.ecotours-intourist.ru/tour.asp?tour=90) can arrange heli-skiing packages including accommodations for you.
Like all great adventures, getting there can be half the fun or half the battle depending on which way you look at it. The nearest airport that services the Mount Elbrus area is Mineralnye Vody and there are several flights a day from Moscow. From there buses will transport you to Prielbrusye (another three hours). Just to make things more confusing, there are actually seven airports in Moscow. Generally international flights from the US arrive at Sheremetievo Terminal 2 and luckily flights to Mineralnye Vody leave from Sheremetievo Terminal 1. The following airlines service the route from Moscow to Mineralnye Vody: Siberia Airlines (www.s7.ru/en/home.html), Aeroflot www.aeroflot.ru/eng, Kavminvodyavia (www.kmvavia.ru/engl/index.html) and Pulkovo Airlines (www.pulkovo.ru). For the best winter season flight deals to Moscow (in the range of $420-$560), visit www.cheapflights.com.
Slovenia
Conveniently located between the border of Austria and Italy, Kranjska Gora is a unique resort in that it combines all the benefits of Eastern Europe (small resort, no crowds, low prices, great food etc.) with proximity to Western European resorts like Treviso, Italy (30-minute drive) and Nassfeld, Austria (60-minute drive). Its location also means that cuisine-wise, you get to enjoy the best of all worlds.
With a compact ski area separated in two by Mount Vitranic, there are 20 lifts accessing dozens of downhill runs. As the site of a skiing World Cup event, it has old-world charm mixed with excellent facilities and the glamour that goes with an international event. Lift tickets are $22 per day with discounts for multi-day and weekly passes and $16 for night-skiing. Apart from skiing, the area had great mountaineering and ice-climbing if you're feeling adventurous. If you're in the market to purchase new ski equipment, the Elan factory is close by and offers massive discounts.
Kranjska Gora is extremely accessible from major cities in Northern Italy and Southern Austria. It is also less than an hour's drive to the Ljubljana International Airport.
For further information, visit the resort's English language website at www.kranjska-gora.si/index.php?l=3. It provides links to purchase lift tickets, accommodations listings and additional events and activities.
Other great ski opportunities exist throughout the former eastern bloc, including dozens of resorts in Bulgaria, Slovakia and Poland. Some of the best include Zakopane (Poland), Borovets, Bansko and Pamporovo (Bulgaria) and Jasna and Strbske Pleso (Slovakia). All boast excellent ski conditions at varying altitudes, smaller crowds, Eastern European hospitality, unique qualities and above all, low prices that make a ski trip in Eastern Europe accessible for all.
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