A world record gets broken almost every year at Planica

Published: 4.12.2020

Back to news

A world record gets broken almost every year at Planica

The picturesque valley under the Ponce Mountains is known for the largest ski flying hill in the world, which will host the Ski Flying World Championship in a few days.

A world record gets broken almost every year at Planica

Planicathe sports paradise under the Ponce Mountains, which every year rallies sports enthusiasts from all over the world under the legendary Bloudek Giant hill for the finals of the Ski Jumping World Cup, will soon host the Ski Flying World Championship. This time, a bit differently due to several reasons. The competition will be held in December for the first time, with all the events taking place in the afternoon. This means that ski flyers will fly under the lights. The event will also be special due to the extraordinary situation the whole world has found itself in. The organisers have faced new challenges, but after months of sleepless nights and a decision allowing such a top-level competition to be held, everybody believes that Planica will be exceptional and unrepeatable yet again this year. What they regret the most is that they will not be able to welcome all the loyal fans, who have been coming to Planica for decades.

The Bloudek Giant is named after Stanko Bloudek, a pioneer of many sports in Slovenia and designer and constructor of many sport facilities. He designed the ski flying hill at Planica, made plans for 100 other ski jumping hills and made a significant contribution in the promotion of ski flying as a new competitive discipline. His plans also served as an inspiration to builders of ski jumping hills in Germany and Austria. The Bloudek Giant serves well and feels like home, especially for the "Slovenian eagles", who are in the running for the top positions in ski flying every year. It is the ski flying hill at Planica were Primož Roglič, today the best cyclist in the world, took his first steps as an athlete.

Slovenia is a country of active people and sport heroes

Motion is ingrained in the people living between the Alps and the Mediterranean, and it is difficult to find a Slovenian without hiking boots ready to venture up a nearby hill. Towns are embraced by green forests and surrounded by outdoor recreation trails. A wide variety of sport is available practically to everybody in Slovenia. It is no wonder then that Slovenia has been able to produce many sport heroes who are setting new global milestones. Standing out in recent years among the Slovenian eagles is Peter Prevc, who set and exceeded all milestones in the 2015/16 season. He won the Ski Flying World Cup event in Vikersund with a new world record of 250 m, won the Four Hills Tournament, took the gold medal in the Ski Flying World Championships in Kulm and finished the season with a record number of points scored in a single season to win the large Crystal Globe trophy.

World championships in winter sports keep coming to Slovenia

Pokljuka will host next February the Biathlon World Championships. The competition thus continues the rich tradition of biathlon events on Slovenian soil. The best Slovenian biathlete Jakov Fak, who has so far earned eight wins in the World Cup and participated in the last three Winter Olympic Games, is in excellent shape heading into the world championships. Cross-country skiing is one of the most popular winter sports among Slovenians. The numerous cross-country skiing tracks offer pleasant experiences to all fans of this sport. Pokljuka, a spruce tree-covered plateau located in the Julian Alps, offers a beautiful landscape and views and has many cross-country skiing tracks. If you descend from Pokljuka towards Bohinj, another cross-country skiing paradise opens up in front of you in the Bohinj Valley. The Rogla cross-country skiing centre in the Zreče area of the Pohorje Hills offers tracks of various levels of difficulty and a start and finish arena suitable for learning and training. You can also experience the abundance of cross-country skiing tracks in the Logar Valley. On these tracks, you can enjoy the beautiful vistas of one of the most picturesque Alpine valleys.

 

Slovenia is a paradise for joys in the snow

Planica also offers the state-of-the-art Nordic Centre, a truly delightful experience both for athletes and sport enthusiasts who like to enjoy themselves outdoors. It is an ideal spot for training camps, recuperation and other outdoor activities. In the winter, it boasts 8 km of cross-country skiing tracks. You can also enjoy the winter idyll on the way from the Nordic Centre to the Tamar Valley, on the road that leads through Rateče and all the way to neighbouring Italy, or on the way to Kranjska Gora, where a ski resort awaits you in the embrace of the Julian Alps. Slovenia in general is a country of ski resorts which are family friendly and suitable both for beginners and experienced skiers. There are many other unforgettable experiences in Slovenia that bring joy in the snow. With snowshoes on your feet, you can embark on a walk through the pristine whiteness and get to know the untouched snowy corners. You can also experience the winter with a rush of adrenaline and take a ride on snow-covered forest paths with a snowmobile or a dog sleigh. Sleighing is one of the most popular activities in the snow for all generations and in Slovenia you will get an opportunity to sleigh down a hill almost everywhere. You can also tackle a slope in a snow raft or on an air mattress.

Back to news

Contacts

Global public relations and Marketing
e-mail address: press(at)slovenia.info

Sign up for the Trade News

Be up to date about what’s happening in Slovenian tourism. By subscribing to our newsletter you will receive the latest trade news in the field of tourism and other current information on a monthly basis.

Share with friends