Ski slopes will be open every day from 9 AM until 4 PM with night skiing every Tuesday and Thursday
Even though the FIS VIP Snow Queen Trophy was cancelled due to lack of snow, skiing enthusiasts in Zagreb and Croatia will have the opportunity to enjoy their favourite sport. As announced by Zagreb major Milan Bandić, skiing season on Sljeme will start today, on January 5, 2016, and to commemorate the occasion, night skiing will be free from 7 PM until 10 PM tonight.
Bandić once again stated that he was very sorry the Snow Queen Trophy races were cancelled and added “Free skiing is a gift to our citizens and it will take place on January 5, on the day when the Snow Queen Race was supposed to be held”.
Bandić admits he still doesn’t know why the International skiing federation decided to cancel both races, but then again, given that only 5 days ago there was absolutely no sign of snow, decision was not exactly surprising. City of Zagreb invested approximately 8 million kuna in the Snow Queen Trophy race, and the revenue would have been double or triple the initial investment if the races were actually held.
According to Ivan Žiljak, director of Sljeme ski trails, citizens will be able to ski on Sljeme every day from 9 AM until 4 PM while night skiing will be organized every Tuesday and Thursday from 7 PM until 10 PM. All trails are covered with around 70 cm of snow and if the temperatures remain low, additional trails will be prepared on Činovnička livada, and after that the Green and Blue slopes will also be added.
Ski slopes and ski lifts are situated on the peak ridge and on the north slopes of mountain Medvednica, 20 minutes drive from Zagreb, making the Croatian capital one of very few cities in the world with a ski resort at the palm of your hand.