THE JASNA SKI RESORT HAS WORLD CLASS SKIING AND OUTSTANDING AMENITIES FOR FAMILIES
Map Demänovská Dolina, Slovakia
Table of Contents
When it comes to skiing, you have certainly heard of the Alps. But have you heard of the Jasna Ski Resort in the Low Tatras mountains? Part of the Carpathian mountain chain, the Low Tatras run along the border between northern Slovakia and Poland. The highest peak of the Low Tatras is Dumbier at 2,043 meters (6,810 feet). Dumbier competes with Chopok, the second-highest peak at 2,024 meters (6,746 feet). During a sunny day, you can see Hungary and all of Slovakia from Dumbier, which is accessible by cable car. When it comes to skiing, the Jasna Ski Resort is world-class having previously served as the site for the Women’s Downhill Skiing World Cup Championships. In fact, a large portion of the Jasna Ski Resort is brand new. Almost all lodging is ski-in/out and at a fraction of the cost of other major resorts. This off-the-beaten path ski resort, although not well known, is wonderful for families.
A ticket at the Jasna Ski Resort includes two mountains — Dumbier and Chopok. Dumbier has a variety of groomed trails while Chopok offers incredible off-piste options with freestyle skiing above the tree line. Overall, both mountains have 50 km of trails and 41 runs. If purchased more than three days in advance, an adult ski pass is as low as EUR 21.00. That’s correct, EUR 21.00. These are 1980’s prices.
Accommodations are modern, clean, contemporary and comfortable and were 25 meters from the slopes. For larger families, there were ski in/ski out chalets that could accommodate 10 people. The Jasna Ski Resort is self-contained and as such, guests are a bit removed from the neighboring towns. The concierge coordinates a free shuttle to transport visitors throughout the resort. Pick up the phone and dial and a heated van will collect you within minutes. Additionally, a full breakfast was delivered to our door each morning. Fresh and delicious, it contained fruit juice, bread, fruit and pastries. Lastly, most of the lodging facilities were dog friendly. You really owe it to yourself to try something new, and check out the Jasna Ski Resort. It is exactly four hours door-to-door from Vienna, Austria.
OUR EXPERIENCE AT THE JASNA SKI RESORT
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Initially, we weren’t quite sure what to think since we had never tried skiing in Slovakia. We were nervous. How would it measure up to the Austrian Alps? Should we try something new? Bottom line — we ABSOLUTELY LOVED the Jasna Ski Resort.
CHALETS
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The chalet we stayed in was amazing — modern, comfortable and complete with amenities. Five star accommodation for half the price of Austria or Germany. Our chalet was only 25 meters from the slopes. The skiing was equally as amazing. There were well groomed trails for all ski levels.
SKI OFF PISTE
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The entire back side of the mountain was off piste — the entire mountain. This is completely unheard of in Austria. Once you exited the gondola, you were free to carve a path anywhere you liked. At 2,000 meters the snow was high quality. Compared to other popular well known resorts, the Jasna Ski Resort had one third the people.
DINNER
We ate at the Angus Restaurant which was an enjoyable dining experience. We also had a casual meal at the Hotel Sorea (which was only minutes away via the complimentary concierge shuttle service). The pizza and risotto were tasty and reasonably priced. The dessert, a chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream hidden inside a massive hollow ball of chocolate, was… INCREDIBLE.
FAMILIES
We would definitely recommend the Jasna ski resort to families — it is a super place where all age groups can find their niche and make some great memories together. We cannot wait to return to Jasna!
PRO TIPS FOR VISITING THE JASNA SKI RESORT
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PRO TIP 1. Driving from Vienna to Jasna took exactly four hours by car. As such, Jasna makes a great alternative to the congested Alps. We stayed in an incredible chalet that was truly ski-in/out. This is not/not the depressing concrete jungle eastern Europe of the Cold War. If you want to expand your horizons, then try skiing here.
PRO TIP 2. The off-piste skiing was superb as was the snow quality. Look for the awesome funicular that connected the lifts.
PRO TIP 3. Everything you need is located in the Resort. The restaurants were high quality and reasonable and the service was solid.
PRO TIP 4. There are several trails around the mountains that are worth exploring on those days when you are looking to do something different.
PRO TIP 5. For lodging, we recommend the Jasna Chalet Collection or Hotel Posta. Although both facilities were listed as having four stars, these were five-star lodgings at three-star prices. (We paid EUR 200.00 per night for a two-bedroom ski-in/out Chalet.) As there were no grocery stores for miles, I would recommend bringing adult beverages and food/snacks as the chalets have full kitchens. For American guests at the resort, the central European way of doing things can take some getting used to; however, this was not a major factor. The majority of the staff spoke fluent English and also had an affinity for Americans.
PRO TIP 6. PARKING. There is ample parking available throughout the ski resort. There was also a FREE concierge shuttle that you could call. They would collect you in a van at your chalet and transport you anywhere in the resort. We hardly used our vehicle during our stay.
PRO TIP 7. ADMISSION. Purchased same day, an Adult 1-Day Ski Pass is EUR 37.00.
NEAR THIS PLACE
TRAVEL GUIDE | THE VILLAGE OF VLKOLÍNEC. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Vlkolínec is an incredibly preserved 18th-century village nestled in the mountains, approximately thirty minutes to the west of the Jasna ski resort. Finding the village is an adventure within itself. The road to Vlkolínec snakes through a small modern town and then traverses through several forests and meadows before finally winding up the mountainside.
BEST PLACES TO STAY
HOTEL ROTUNDA. This amazing hotel is the highest located in Central Europe at 2,005 meters (6578 feet) above the sea level and offers ski-in/ski-out access to the slopes as well as direct access to hiking trails in summer. Modern rooms with balconies and some of the best mountain views on the planet. Spacious terrace with panoramic views, free private parking. Accessible only by funicular. ADDRESS: Chopok, 031 01 Belá, Slovakia.
CHALETS JASNA COLLECTION – APARTMENTS. Modern and spacious, family-friendly apartments with ski-in/ski-out access, free WiFi and a terrace and grill. Buffet or American breakfast delivered to the door. Hot tub and sauna. ADDRESS: Jasná, 031 01 Belá, Slovakia.
CHALETS JASNA COLLECTION – ZAHRADKY. Modern and spacious homes with ski-in/ski-out access to the slopes. Private garden, free private parking, FREE Wifi, and BBQ facilities. Hot tub and sauna, buffet breakfast available each morning at the resort. ADDRESS: Demänovská Dolina 69, 031 01 Belá, Slovakia.
CHALETS JASNA COLLECTION – CENTRUM. Two-bedroom apartments just meters away from the ski lifts. Spacious living room with fireplace and breakfast served to your door. Finnish sauna and hot tub. ADDRESS: Demänovská Dolina 69, 03101 Belá, Slovakia.
HOTEL GRAND JASNA. Located in the center of the ski resort, this lodging is meters away from the slopes. A modern wellness center, outdoor hot tubs, Finnish and various saunas, and an indoor pool. ADDRESS; Demanovska Dolina 71, 032 51 Belá, Slovakia.
HOTEL POSTA. Modern one and two bedroom apartments located meters from the cable car. Demanovska Dolina 72, 032 51 Belá, Slovakia.
RESOURCES
Jasna – Chopok Ski Resort Tourist Information
