Our ultimate guide to Kranjska Gora Ski Resort Slovenia.
Kranjska Gora is an adorable mountain-top town in Slovenia, on the border with Austria.
It is picture perfect with a small pedestrianised old town and a traditional church in the centre. It is surrounded by the Julian Alps and is large enough to have everything you need but small enough that you’ll never get lost.
It’s perfect for families, those learning to ski and those who have mastered the basics and are looking to improve.
*AD / This post contains affiliate links and I may also have been compensated or gifted in this post. To read more please see my Disclosure Policy.
We visited on our ski trip to Kranjska Gora with Crystal Ski and fell in love with this picturesque little town.
Table of Contents
Getting there
Ljubljana airport is approximately an hour away and Salzburg is around two and a half hours.
There is a regular public bus service between Ljubljana and Kranjska Gora. As we travelled with Crystal Ski transfers were included.
What to do with kids
Kranjska Gora has lots going on for the whole family and plenty to keep you in the resort.
Skiing
Skiing is the main activity in Kranjska Gora in the winter and there is some fabulous runs here.
While there is a black ski run, used in the FIS World Cup it would be fair to say that the town is best suited to beginner and intermediate skiers.
With a number of gentle runs all over the Vitranc mountain which dominate the town it’s the ideal place to get your confidence soaring.
Intermediates will love the range of slightly more challenging runs which will help take your skiing to the next level.
Private lessons are available. Or you can join in with the very reasonably priced ski school where the instructors were wonderful. We found them encouraging and positive and our children thrived under their care.
English is spoken all over the resort including by the instructors. Cross-country skiing is also available.
Ice Skating
Just off the ski runs is a small ice rink. This is a great place for the family to enjoy some time together.
Swimming – Kranjska Gora Ski resort
We swam at the Radisson Hotel’s swimming pool which is a wonderful family pool.
Overlooking the ski slopes there is a child’s pool with mini slide into the water and a large free-form pool.
There’s also a large hot tub which all the family can enjoy.
We really loved spending the afternoon here after a morning skiing. It was the perfect place to relax in the warmth, looking out at the skiers outside.
Horse Riding
There are horses available in the centre of Kranjska Gora for guided horse rides.
Walks
We were too busy skiing and swimming but we were told there are some beautiful walks around Kranjska Gora. Including down to a beautiful lake.
There’s a large tourist information in the centre of the town which will give you details on local walks. You can even have a drink and pick up a slice of pizza in the tourist information centre.
Play areas – Kranjska Gora Ski resort
There are some small play areas with swings and climbing frames for kids. There’s also a great sledging area in the town.
Excursions
It’s possible to take day trips and half day trips to Lake Bled, Ljubljana and even Venice from Kranjska Gora.
Where to eat in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia:Â –
Brunarica Kosobrin
Brunarica Kosobrin is a picturesque little log cabin on the outskirts of Kranjska Gora. It is so warm and welcoming.
It’s a great place to try traditional Slovenian food including wonderfully spicy stews, polenta & pear dumplings and blueberry strudel. Along with big mugs of mulled wine.
Find out more here.
Pizzeria Via Napoli
Set inside the Ramada Hotel in the centre of Kranjska Gora, Pizzeria Via Napoli has an authentic wood fired oven. Here they cook up fresh pizzas.
It’s a great spot to sit and relax after time on the slopes and their cakes are pretty special too.
Hot Dogs
This little hot dog restaurant at the bottom of one of the runs looked fab. It served up a variety of hot dogs with different sauces and if they’d had a vegetarian version we would have been all over this.
Other restaurants
There are lots of other restaurants all across Kranjska Gora. From wonderful little Alpine wooden lodges near to the slopes to patisseries and large Slovenian restaurants.
The prices are good, see our guide below, and it’s a great resort if you enjoy dining out.
Where to shop in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia:
Supermarket – Kranjska Gora Ski resort
If you’re self-catering the main supermarket in the town is great. It has a large selection of fruit and vegetables and a deli counter with cheeses, meats and breads and some delicious hot pizza slices.
There’s everything you could need to stock up for a week or more stay.
Bakeries
There are two bakeries in Kranjska Gora. We found the one just down from the supermarket was best for bread and the other near to the church in the pedestrianised old town was great for pastries and cakes.
Kranjska Gora Ski rental
We got kitted out with skis and boots etc. at the ski rental in town. This was really friendly and they sorted us out quickly.
Other shops – Kranjska Gora Ski resort
There’s plenty of other shops including some large ski gear shops with everything you could need from socks and gloves to skis and snowboards.
There are a number of lovely little gift shops selling beautiful Slovenian wares. I loved the red leather patterned hearts and some of the Slovenian pottery.
Market
Finally in the centre of the old town there was a lovely little market when we visited. It’s on at various points through the year.,
It was full of wooden lodges selling everything from hot chocolate and waffles to knitted hats and glass ware. It was a great place to shop for gifts and as with everything in Slovenia, well priced too.
Where to stay in Kranjska Gora ski resort, Slovenia:
Vitranc Apartments
We stayed in these little apartments. The space was good for a family with one large bedroom with a double and single bed in it and then a large lounge with big sofa bed.
We had a bathroom and within the lounge a dining area and a small kitchenette with fridge, two ring hob and a microwave. There was enough for us to cook up fajitas one night and a sausage and lentil casserole another.
The location was great, really close to the supermarket and the rest of the town in one direction and out the back to the slopes for ski lessons the other way.
Find out more here.
Ramada
There are two Ramada hotels in Kranjska Gora which if you are looking for a hotel stay would be perfect. They are both very central and also very comfortable looking and come with swimming pools and all the facilities you would expect from this well-thought of hotel chain.
Find out more here.
Kranjska Gora, Slovenia: Costs –
We found Slovenia to be really well priced, particularly for a ski resort which can be notoriously expensive.
Here are some of the costs around the town for some of the various activities, services and products to give you an idea {correct as of 2017}.
Ski Costs
- Kids Ski Hire – 5-13 year olds (skis, helmet & boots) – £81 for 6 days
- Adult – (Skis, Boots & helmet) – £85 for 6 days
- Kids group ski lessons – 6 days, 2 hours a day – £64
- Adults group ski lessons – 6 days, 2 hours a day – £72
In the shops:
- A slice of pizza from the supermarket – €1.25
- Bread from the bakery – €1.59
- 1 litre of milk – €1
In the restaurants:
- Waffles from the Christmas market – €2.50
- Pizza from Pizzeria via Napoli – €6
- Hot panini from cafe at the bottom of the slope – €3.80
What my children say about skiing with Crystal Ski in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia
This is what my children aged 10, seven and five thought of the trip in their own words.
What did you think of the children’s ski school?
T (7) – It was brilliant. Our teacher showed us lots of things. He showed us how to stop, how to turn using our skis and do zig zags. He was very nice and it was good to go to the ski school in the morning so we did lots of skiing and then had free play time in the afternoon. At the end of the week we skied all the way from the top of the mountain back down to the bottom again. At first I was a bit worried but when I started I knew I could do it. We went up and down lots
N (10) – I loved how we tried different things each time we went in the ski school. I learned different ways to ski like zig zags, jumping and turning. There were around ten people in my group and one or two were from England too. Our instructor was funny, kind and helpful.
What was the best thing about the skiing at Kranjska Gora?
N (10) – I loved going to the top of the mountain. I felt really proud when I got to the bottom of the slope. It was amazing looking down from the top. I liked going on all the lifts and seeing all the skiers.
T (7) – I loved learning to do different things with my skiing. It was good making friends in my skiing group. It was nice skiing in the mornings when all the snow was fresh and it was all really quiet.
What else did you like about Kranjska Gora?
N (10) – It was a really nice place, the teachers were kind and helpful. I liked going in to the little town and seeing the massive snowman in the centre. The swimming pool at the hotel was huge and really fun. I liked going in the lazy river in the pool. We went on the toboggan slope a few times too which was cool and you came down fast.
T (7) – I really enjoyed sledging, it was lots of fun.  I liked the swimming pool which had a fast river in the middle. It was a good place to go when you had finished skiing. I loved going to the bakery and we bought some nice pastries and doughnuts. I also liked going to get pizzas. They were really nice and tasty. I just want to say I really liked having Ora too (the Slovenian version of Fanta).
M (5) – I liked it when I was pulled along in my sledge everywhere. I got to relax and then when we got to the hills we would whiz down them.
What did you think of the Vitranc apartments we stayed in?
N (10) – The apartment had big rooms with views of the mountain. It was good being able to cook there and I liked going out for food too. It was really close to the slopes which was great for getting there and back again for lessons.
T (7) – The apartment was really nice you could see lots from the window and the balcony. It was good having the ski room downstairs (this was the kit room where the ski equipment was kept) but it was hard to walk in the boots along the road.
M (5) – I really liked it, we would walk to get our pizza and bring it back for lunch which was my favourite.
Would you like to stay in that apartment again?
N (10) – Yes, there was lots of space there and it was really nice to have a lounge and bedroom too. I liked the sofa bed which was in the lounge.
T (7) – Yes. I liked that you can have dinner there easily because there was a table and a kitchen.
M (5) – Yes, I liked our bedroom together.
Was there anything you didn’t enjoy about the trip?
N (10) – Hmmm, it took a while to get there from the airport (we had landed in Austria) but it was lots of fun when we got there.
T (7) – When I fell over on my skis! Apart from that it was good fun.
M (5) – No.
What would you say to other children going to Kranjska Gora for the first time?
N (10) – I would say you can go sledging lots and there’s lots of skiing to do too. The ski school was really good fun and I liked skiing later in the day too when you could choose to do your own things.
T (7) –There’s lots to do like going skiing and visiting the town. I liked making friends in the ski school and getting a medal at the end of the week when we had finished ski school. If you don’t want to do skiing all the time there are cafes and ice skating, oh and the really good swimming pool.
Would you like to go skiing again?
N (10) – Definitely, I really want to go skiing again in Slovenia. I liked it a lot, especially going to the top of the mountain.
T (7) – It was really fun going skiing and swimming in Slovenia.
Please let us know if there’s anywhere we’re missing in our round-up, or if our reviews help your plans. We love to hear from you!
Our ultimate guide to skiing with kids
