Experience and take part in the unforgettable atmosphere that comes with the annual Golden Fox event, this January 16 to 17, 2010 at Maribor, Snežni stadion (Snow Stadium, Mariborsko Pohorje). The Golden Fox event is a classical women’s competition wherein the best women skiers around the globe will compete in the slalom and giant slalom races. Branik, a skiing club had organized the Golden Fox competitions since 1963.

This year, 25,000 expected spectators will gather and witness this event at Mariborsko Pohorje, which produces the largest number of skiers in Slovenia, the longest downhill run in Europe, plus the best Slovenian ski center who received the Golden Snowflake Award. In the recent report, Slovenia maintained its top marks in the Freedom according to the Freedom House. A total of 133 women skiers are expected to join the 46^th Golden Fox meet from 28 countries around the globe with Slovenia having 8 representatives. The World Cup giant slalom will take place on January 16 followed by the slalom race on January 17. The first run is planned to start at 11 AM, while thee second run at 2 PM. Sunday’s slalom runs are scheduled for 9.15 AM as well as 12.15 PM.

The said event will feature Slovenia’s best skiers including Tina Maze, the champion in the giant slalom at the Golden Fox last year. She will join together with Ana Drev, Marusa Ferk, Sara Globocnik, Katja Jazbec, Ilka Stuhec, Katarina Lavtar and Ula Hafner. An estimated amount of EUR 1.2 million is the budget of this event has which has been constant for the last four years, and the prices of tickets will remain unchanged: EUR 4 for adults and EUR 2 for children. Approximately 300 Slovenian and foreign reporters as well as 3 TV stations will also be covering the said event.

Secretly located in the alpine meadow in Triglav National Park, Slovenia lies a holiday village built in a conventional style referred to as Pristava Lepena, owned by Milan and Silvia Dolenc. It is located at the picturesque plateau overlooking the valley of Soca River surrounded by wild flowers as well as the soaring peaks of the Julian Alps.

Considered as one of Slovenia’s most attractive tourist spot, Pristava Lepena offers to any tourist not just the peaceful natural ambiance but as well as other facilities such as a tennis court, archery, an outdoor pool, a hot tub, plus a ride to the so called Lipizzaner horses. These horses, believed to originate in this central European country, offers novice riders an unforgettable experience as they go through trails of Slovenia’s magnificent alpine countryside. Not only that, they novices have also the chance to learn about the characteristics, habits, grooming as well as the opportunity to have saddling practices with the lessons on basic riding skills in a calm and reassuring manner. On the other hand, for those experienced riders, fantastic treks in the forests and rivers also await you.

Other amenities of Pristava Lepena includes conventional wooden cottage with a fireplace, a kitchenette, a mini bar with a refrigerator, bathrooms with shower and hair dryer, a direct telephone line plus a television if requested. Guests may also prefer to dine in their Mediterranean inspired restaurants where specialties and local delicacies are served. For outdoor enthusiast, you can choose from a variety of activities such as mountain biking, fishing, kayaking, trail walking, paragliding as well as rafting. The experience you’ll get surely will complete your holidays!

Whitewater rafting or rafting is a challenging leisure activity wherein an inflatable raft is to be utilized to go through a river or other bodies of water. If you are a whitewater rafting enthusiast looking for adventure, excitement, and thrill, you would usually prefer to do it on whitewater or on different degrees of rough water. A lot of people have already been fanatics of whitewater rafting all over the globe, and if you are one of the them, one excellent choice whether gentle river rafting or the most intense rapids, Soca River in Slovenia might be one of your options.

Soca River located in Slovenia is a 140-kilomter river flowing from the Western part of Slovenia to the North Eastern part of Italy. It starts at Trenta Valley located at the Julian Alps and runs through a number of other cities such as Bovec, Nova Gorica, Kobarid, Tolmin, and Gorizia. It finally ends its track at the entrance to the Adriatic Sea. The Soca River has beautiful emerald waters coinciding with the recognition, “The Emerald Beauty”, given to the river valley around it. The Soca River is a paradise for whitewater rafter enthusiast for it has been one of the five most unspoiled rivers in the Alps. During the ride, rafters can see majestic waterfalls, fabulous river pools, exceptional and unique, hidden ravines, inexplicable springs, gorges and canyons, myriads of shapes the water has been carving. With the river’s amazing whitewater as well as rising waves, a rafter can get sufficient chances to utilize his rafting expertise on the waters. Some parts of the river are calm, while other parts have torrent waters but it doesn’t stop from considering Soca River as the best place for both beginners and expert rafters. So where else will you go if you’d like to experience and spend some unforgettable thrilling moments during a weekend? Soca River must be what you opt for, for one to get this once in a lifetime experience.

In Europe, biking tours have been famous for bikers and tourist to explore and see the beautiful tourist attractions around the area. France and Italy were once of the most admired area for biking while Slovenia was kept hidden by a lot of bikers. It was a country with hidden natural beauty with magnificent spots such as the Julian Alps, the Adriatic coastline, as well as the limestone caves. At present, Slovenia is considered as the must-ride bike area in Europe for it offers a wide variety of landscapes and the distances which can be managed through bicycle. Cycling maps of Slovenia are accessible at the information centers in the cities and towns. These maps will guide through regional parks, health resorts as well as interesting areas in the Slovenian countryside. Here are some areas where you can go mountain biking within Slovenia:

1. Kranjska Gora
In Kranjska Gora, mountain bikers can be delighted with the hundreds of kilometers of trails, some reaching into Austria and Italy. A park called the Fun Bike park in the town offers a cableway to the hilltop for downhill riders, with tables, jumps, as well as swings for tricksters. Mountain Biking has been one of the foremost activities in the area and has been developed to become suitable for all levels. It also offers an asphalt bicycle trail for those less adventurous and active.

2. Around the Julian Alps
From Kranjska Gora via Bled, Bohinj, Tolmin, Kobarid, Bovec and Vršic back to Kranjska Gora takes about 232 kilometers cycle trip around the Julian Alps. The tour around the Julian Alps can be completed in five separate days. It became a popular setting for mountain biking for its white limestone peaks which are steep. It also has deep valleys, stream of clear water, with thick forest, plus meadows filled with wild flowers perfect for mountain biking as well as sight seeing.

3. Along the Adriatic Sea
Countries like Italy, Slovenia and Croatia joins the Health and Friendship Trail which is a 27-kilometer bike trail. Mountain Bikers can bike from the former railroad line between Trieste and Porec with panoramic views.

4. Through the Karavanske Mountains
This is where the Mountain Bike Park can be located wherein the track goes underground through the mountain. With the assistance of a guide along with lights, bikers can be able to see the abandoned mine shafts under Mount Peca.

Do you want to experience the thrill and the adrenaline rush? Are you a skier, a snowboarder, or even a tourist? Do you desire a new prospect for excitement, pleasure as well as adventure? Luckily, a number of Slovenia’s ski resort underwent development of their fresh amenities offering both athletes as well as tourists a better access to the country’s slopes. The latest ski resort, the first international ski center in the wider region as well as the first lift to cross the old iron curtain, links between Slovenia and Italy had its official opening on December 23, 2009 and had its official inauguration ceremony on January 5, 2010.

The Kanin-Sella Nevea ski center operates a single ski pass allowing access from the Slovenian Resort of Kanin in Bovec as well as the Italian resort of Sella Nevea. This ski center will allow skiing late in spring because of its high altitude of about 2300 meters. It also offers chairlift linking the Kanin Ski Center with the Bovec and Sella Nevea resorts, with 1600 person an hour capacity and costs at about €28 for adults (€18 for children) daily. Moreover, it gives access to pistes both on the borders of Slovenia and Italy along with a broader option of slopes for winter sports athletes and fanatics. Kanin’s 15 kilometer of slopes plus Sella Nevea’s 12 kilometer of slopes will produce a 27-kilometer of lift-linked pistes. The Doppelmayr Funifor 100P ropeway with two gondolas, appropriate for all levels from beginners to experts, carries the skiers from 1845 meters to 2133 meters in four minutes and 34 seconds.

Aside from this resort located in Slovenia, other resorts all over the country have made developments for this time of year. Kranjska Gora has just opened a free children’s outdoor play area with a new magic carpet lift, free of charge, plus it safely transports young skiers; Cerkno Snow Park suitable for acrobatic skiers, snowboarding, and freestyle skiing instructors willing to teach beginners; and lastly, Slovenia’s largest ski area, Mariborsko Pohorje, which developed a new gondola lift with a double capacity than the previous one.

The World Winter Masters Games 2010, managed by the International Masters Games Association, is an international multi-sport event done every four (4) years. The age of the athletes of the said event should be within 25 to 30 years old. The first World Winter Masters Games will be held between January 25 and January 31, 2010, and the chosen main venue is the splendid place of Bled, Slovenia. Other venues include: Kranjska Gora, a ski resort in the Julian Alps with a 20-minute ride from Bled with a varied terrain which is suitable for beginners as well as expert skiers; Pokljuka, a 20-minute ride from Bled, is a valley with superb mountains along with its unexplored nature; Kranj, a 18-minute ride from Bled, presents a wide variety of cultural events which also has the university town and sports center in Slovenia; and lastly, Jesenice, a 15-minute ride from Bled, is a place hidden in Karavanke Chain Mountains along with the forest of Mezakla plateau. It is said to be the home town of a lot of well known Slovenian hockey players.

The favorite six (6) winter sports included in the Masters Games with their corresponding venues are as follows: Ice hockey (Bled, Jesenice, Kranj), Alpine Skiing (Kranjska Gora), Biathlon, and Cross Country skiing (Pokljuka), Ski Jumping (Kranj, Tržič, Pokljuka), and Indoor Football/Futsal (Bled and surroundings).

This experience is an exceptional opportunity for those athletes who are interested to join. The requirements of this event are as follows: the age criteria according to the national federations, you can have your own team, national team will not be allowed, but only multinational teams. More than 2,000 sportsmen have already registered from 42 countries prepared to take part in the World Winter Masters Games. It will be the biggest winter multi-sport event in the world, with the support of the philosophy of “sport for all” by promoting, enhancing, as well as encouraging established athletes, women and men, giving a concrete good example to the young athletes from all parts of the globe to indulge in sports as well as to join the World Winter Masters Games 2010.