Slovenia is a country of sport, recreation and extraordinary challenges

Avtor: Mateja Tomin Vučkovič
Datum: 14. 09. 2005
41st Golden Fox Trophy, Maribor Pohorje

At home and abroad, Slovenia is not only famous for its rich cultural heritage and numerous cultural, historical and social events, but our country is also host to many sports events. One of the most important ones is the Golden Fox Trophy, which takes place in Maribor Pohorje and every January hosts two World Cup Women’s competitions.

Even if one is not acquainted with Slovenia, one of the youngest members of the European Union, one has surely heard of its sportsmen. Victorious ambassadors of our country, which, at a mere 20,000 square kilometres, unites the Alps, Adriatic, Karst and the Panonian Plain, have won so many awards at international sports competitions that Slovenia ranks among the world’s top countries based on the number of medals per inhabitant.

Slovenia is a country that encourages individual as well as group sport exploits, and numerous Slovenian sportsmen boast Olympic medals. Among the individual sportsmen and women, the following are among the best: Slovenian female athletes (Jolanda Čeplak, Brigita Bukovec, Marlene Ottey), male mountaineers (Tomaž Humar), female judoists (Urška žolnir, Raša Sraka), male gymnasts (Aljaž Pegan, Mitja Petkovšek), marksmen (Rajmond Debevec) and others. Among the group sportsmen the male handball players are among the best, and the classification of the Slovenian national football team to the World Cup is worth mentioning as well.

Despite its small geographic area and number of inhabitants, Slovenia can boast a large number of Slovenian athletes' top-level results, and Slovenians are generally great sports lovers. Visitors can feel the Slovenian spirit of sports in all parts of the country: in the sunny Alps one encounters dozens of ski trails, at the green mediterranean there are numerous opportunities for nautical and water sports, which Slovenian rivers and lakes are also famous for, and on smiling Pohorje and other hills spread thousands of kilometres of marked hiking, mountain and walking trails. Energizing thermal centres complement their sevices with fitness gyms and tennis courts as well as facilities for other sports, and there are golf courses all around our country. The mysterious Karst, with more than 8000 Karst caves, attracts speleologists and divers. Numerous mountain peaks are excellent starting points for paragliding, and some hills suitable for mountain bikers. The world-renowned Lipica with its noble white Lipizzaner horses is the most famous of the numerous equestrian centres in Slovenia. Besides general sports activities, encouraged by lively towns and cities with their halls, stadiums and other facilities, Slovenia offers countless adrenalin experiences. The emerald Soča Valley has been a paradise for rafters, canyoners, canoeists, kayakers and others who enjoy challenging wild waters. Slovenia, with its variety and rich recreational offering, invigorates the world of sports.

Slovenia is a renewed host of numerous great sports events, especially winter ones. The reputation of Slovenia as the country of winter activities has been strengthened especially by our alpine skiers (Bojan Križaj, Mateja Svet, Jure Košir, Tina Maze…) and ski jumpers (Primož Peterka). In Kranjska gora Slovenia hosts the best alpine skiers at the World Cup competitions, and on Maribor Pohorje the best alpine women skiers in the world compete at the Golden Fox Trophy. Planica is a famous stage for subduing record lengths in ski flights, and on Pokljuka there is the World Cup Biathlon.

One of the most famous traditional sports events is the World Cup competition in alpine skiing – women slalom and giant slalom, known under the name of the Golden Fox Trophy at home and abroad. This year at the largest Slovenian skiing trail, the Golden Fox Trophy will take place on Saturday 22nd and on Sunday, 23rd January 2005. The excellent organisation of the event and up to 20,000 visitors, which is the largest number in women World Cup skiing, contribute to the reputation of that skiing centre and Slovenia in the world.

The organisers of the 41st Golden Fox Trophy managed to snow up the whole ski trail although there was practically no snowfall. The whole trail is from 36 to 40 metres, with the snow 50 centimetres deep. The snow is compact, and as told by the organisers – close to ideal. The training trail for the competitors is prepared near Areh by the Cojzerica ski lift.


The skiing tradition in the surroundings of Maribor is enviable and began long before the first Gold Fox that took place in 1964. Recently discovered sources
show the first skiing competitions in the surroundings of Maribor took place as early as in 1891.

Slovenia can be compared with many of the largest countries considering its abundance of possibilities for recreation, sports facilities and competitions. Our tourist promise is that Slovenia invigorates and that is reflected in numerous sports events as well. Slovenia with its variety and rich recreational offer invigorates the world of sports!

In the year 2005 Slovenia invigorates the international world of sport with numerous events:

January:

• 41st Golden Fox Trophy Competition: the World Cup women's slalom and giant slalom alpine skiing races; Maribor Pohorje

February:

• 44th Vitranc Trophy: the Would men's slalom and giant slalom alpine skiing races; Kranjska gora

• the World Cup Biathlon; Pokljuka

• International Ballooning Festival; Bohinj

March:

• Finals of the World Cup Ski Flying; Planica

April:

• International Youth Table Tennis Championship of Slovenia; Ljubljana

May

• Graduation Parade - the largest synchronized dance in the world; cities across Slovenia




• Internautica, International Nautics Fair; Portorož







June

• International Competition International Dressage Competition; Lipica

• International Competition in Downhill Biking; Črna na Koroškem

• International Mountain Biking Competition for the Alpe Adria Trophy

• International Rowing Regatta; Bled

July

• International Handball Festival Eurofest; Izola



August

• International Beach Volleyball Championship; Portorož

• European Championship in Acrobat Paragliding; Bohinj




For more information:

Slovenian Tourist Board
Mateja Tomin Vučkovič, Head of Public Relations and Advertising
WTC, Dunajska 156, SI–1000 Ljubljana
Phone: + 386 1 589–1845
Fax: + 386 1 589–1841
E-mail: mateja.vuckovic@slovenia.info
www.slovenia.info