Romania has 189km of ski slopes, as much as one resort in France or Switzerland

Romania’s 218 ski slopes have a total skiable area of 189 kilometers. By comparison, only one mid-sized resort in France or Switzerland has a similar length, Ziarul Financiar reported.

Sinaia is the resort that has the largest number of kilometers of ski slopes in Romania - about 23km. The mountain town in Prahova Valley is followed by Poiana Braşov, which has 15km of ski slopes. By comparison, the biggest ski resort worldwide, Les 3 Vallées – Val Thorens/Les Menuires/Méribel/Courchevel in France, has a total slope length of 600km. The next largest ski slopes are in Switzerland, Italy, and Austria. Even Park City in Utah, US, has a skiable area of 250km.

Thirteen new ski slopes were approved this year in Romania, adding a slope length of almost 14km to the total, according to data from the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Tourism cited by Ziarul Financiar.

Poiana Braşov, however, remains one of the most sought-after mountain resorts during the winter, along with Sinaia, Buşteni, and Predeal, but also one of the most expensive. Braşov City Hall plans to expand the ski area in Poiana Braşov, by adding another 30 hectares, which means increasing the slopes by another 10km. Still, that is not nearly enough to attract skiing enthusiasts in Europe.

Romania does not have a developed infrastructure that would allow it to become a ski destination. Small slopes, high prices, and the lack of collaboration between hotel owners, ski slope managers, and local and central authorities make Romania a country to avoid for ski enthusiasts. Moreover, the local infrastructure does not allow for practicing too many other winter sports.

Large investments are needed in order to increase the number of ski slopes, implicitly the number of kilometers of slopes. Such investments are not likely to happen, as the skiing season in Romania is only several months long. The country does not have a tradition when it comes to winter sports, and many Romanians would rather go abroad to practice them.

(Photo source: Remus Cucu | Dreamstime.com)