Slovakia for a February 2026 Ski
I’m in Demanovska Dolina, a forested alpine valley that forms part of the Low Tatras National Park in southern Slovakia. We’re up at about 1100 meters near the Jasna ski resort. I was hoping we’d ski the High Tatras, but I guess the low ones are better than none. This country reminds me of Hungary, or perhaps a little like the eastern parts of Germany. It’s been an interesting four days full of skiing and enjoying my friends Stevie and Tim, both frequent travel mates over the years.
Our group is nine, with four women our age from the Denver area and five men from around the country. My friend Tim from Mexico organized the trip.
It’s been a while since I added a new country to my list, and these folks are all experienced skiers and travelers. I have had a lot of fun hanging out; over the past few afternoons, after skiing, we’ve enjoyed watching the Beast Games on TV.
The other night, the men took a cab down into the town of Liptosky Mikulas. We found the Route 66 restaurant and game room, and after some ok cheese steaks, we played as many games as we could, from darts to pool, basketball to knock hockey. Stevie always loves a good competition!
We have had three good days of skiing, no injuries, and pretty good snow with only a few ice patches. The mountain is big, and I tried my best to teach Stevie more skiing techniques. He’s still at the solid novice stage, so plowing down the big mountain yesterday took quite a bit of time. He’s gaining confidence every time!
A few things I noticed about skiing in Jasna. I didn’t see any ski patrols, no one in those red jackets looking out for out-of-control skiers—nobody like that, nor any attendants except one operator at each lift. People ski super fast, and nobody cares if you go off the trails. The lift tickets cost 71 euros, and rentals were around $25 a day.
Today, we’ll push out to another part of Slovakia, Poprob, where we will visit some UNESCO World Heritage sites in the country, including the town of Levoca and some impressive ruins. We have a few more days of touring until Saturday, when its time to return via Vienna to the U.S.
Slovakia might not be on everyone’s bucket list, but this country, with its dramatic mountains, rolling fields and friendly locals, is a place I’d happily return to.
