Slovenia

1) Maribor Pohorje

Maribor has more to it that just the scariest gondola ride in Europe, the trails will get your adrenaline going too.  The ski resort of Pohorje, set around the Pohorje mountain, is a five minute drive outside Maribor, the second largest town in Slovenia. 

Maribor gained town rights in the 13th Century, and in the late Middle  Ages the town had to protect itself with strong wall to ward off the  invading Turkish army.  The remains are still well preserved in Lent,  the old town by the Drava.  Slovenia seceded from the former Yugoslaviarnin 1991 and modern Maribor is a city devloping high quality tourism.   This relies primarily on good wine, good cuisine and the well preserved  streets and squares in the town centre. 

Nearest airport: Maribor (25km).

What does Maribor Pohorje have to offer?

The main Pohorje Gondola (one of the highest in the world) and the Radvanje chairlift, combined, take the rider to about 2/3rds up the mountain. One of the classic downhill tracks with good long runs from the top of the hill, with decent sections and without lift queues.

Maribor has been synonymous with the World Cup series since 1999, when it  started hosting races and has remained a favourite due to its friendly locals and great courses.  There is never much traffic on the trails, so there are no queues, just plenty of riding down any of the many singletracks that add up to over 4 km.  The trails range from forest tracks and pistes to super - technical singletrack and, depending on which trails you go for, you can expect to see plenty of roots and rocks on the more testing trails.  It can be quite slick in the wet but on the whole Maribor enjoys a favourable climate, and the potential riding area here is huge with the hill running for 80 km across.

There are plenty of paths and singletracks on the Pohorjernmountain which can make for some good Cross Country riding, though most of the marked trails are less interesting as they are on wide paths and roads.  The World Cup Cross Country course is a great example of how good the riding can be but is not marked out.  

The GT bikepark is geared around the Downhill runs, with the World Cup trailrnbeing one of the best downhills on the UCI calendar.  Unfortunately this is not an official trail outside competition so it should not be ridden.  Aside from this thre is a range of steep technical trails cutting through rooty undulating woodland and down fast, open pistes.  Some are official marked trails and others are unmarked routes used by local riders.  Most of the riding is suited to intermediate to advanced riders.

There are a number of obstacles on the one Freeride/Downhill style run through the park, with tabletops, hips, drops and nice wooden step up/step down.  But don't be expecting a Whistler style bike park;  the 30 features are all covered in a short period of time and it is the technical riding through the woods that is the bike park's main attraction.

Currently there are not any easy runs in the park with the trails being steep and rough for beginners. 

Directory:
Tourist office: T+386 220 8843
Website: pohorje.org

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