Slovenia may not have the high-mileage prestige of the big Alpine ski domains of France or Austria, but if your tastes run to the intimate and cosier, or if you and your family are looking for a friendly, less pressured place to learn, it's a good-value destination. And Cerkno Ski Centre is right up there as a family-friendly choice - it's an award-winning destination renowned for the quality of its teaching - it's a go-to for Slovenian schoolchildren - and its ultra-modern facilities..
Sitting on the border between Gorenjska, Central Slovenia, and Primorska, on the slopes of the 1,291m high Črni vrh, and just 51km from the Slovenian capital Ljubljana, the Cerkno ski centre is renowned as a top destination for families. Blessed with great scenery, it boasts 18km of pistes for beginners and experienced skiers and has some of the most modern, safest and fastest ski facilities in the country.
Like many Slovenian ski resorts, Cerkno is a year-round tourist centre, and a great base for hiking and biking holidays in the summer.
And with the Ski Pass Slovenia you can ski every day in a different resort, so experienced skiers can still rack up some mileage by ski-hopping from resort to resort.
Cerkno - Ski Map & Pistes:
Unusually, the skiing at Cerkno is all downhill from the resort centre - literally. The resort hub sits on a plateau at 1,291m and the runs - mostly blue and red, with one black run - fan out down the mountain. In particular there's a lovely 1.9km long scenic tree-lined blue run down one flank to the Počivalo chair.
The rest of the runs are a mix of open and tree-lined, with the Brdo II red run the next longest at 1.8km. The Brdo and Davča four-person chairlifts and the Lom six-person chairlift were upgraded as recently as winter 2023/24. Cerkno is a good choice for families and beginners: there is a highly-rated ski school, children’s snow playground and ski kindergarten available.
You get around 100 ski days at Cerkno during the winter season, and a network of more than 100 snow cannons ensure the natural snowfall is supplemented with artificial snow when needed.
Cross-country skiers can enjoy their sport at altitude, too, as there is a cross-country circuit on the plateau.
Cerkno - Off-Piste, Backcountry & Ski Touring:
Not a lot to speak of, but there are private lessons available where instructors will venture away from the pistes.
Cerkno - Restaurants, Bars & The Town:
You can stay in the thermal Hotel Cerkno in the city centre or at the top of the ski slope in the middle of unspoilt nature in the Alpska Perla (Alpine Pearl) apartments, where you can watch the star-lit Julian Alps before going to sleep.
A perfect skiing day can end with a culinary indulgence in the Alpska Perla restaurant which serves a mix of traditional local dishes and a wide range of dishes such as pizza, pasta, Viennese steak and fries, pies and soups. Alternatively, grab a quick snack in the Apres Ski Bar Počivalo, where you can enjoy a wide range of traditional local dishes and modern menus.
Cerkno - Ski Hire:
If you don't have your ski or snowboard equipment yet, you can borrow it from the resort. Skis and snowboards are available to hire, and Cerkno Ski Centre is also happy to advise you before choosing equipment. You can choose from equipment for all skill levels.
Cerkno - Ski School:
Lessons are available through the Cerkno Ski School based at the ski centre.
