And in winter Pohorje becomes the greates skiing centre in northeast Slovenia. There are wonderfull skiing areas that are suitable for begginers and skilled skiers, for alpine skiing as well for cross-country skiing. It is very difficult to find a city of such size in Europe, where people can mount their skis some 30 minutes after leaving their homes or offices. As the altitude is relatively low (800 - 1200 m), people of Maribor, regarding skiing as the national sport, built the Ski Stadium at the base of Pohorje and so (with a help from compact-snow machines) the skiing season lasts for at least 120 days of the year.
One of the greatest sport events in Maribor is the Golden Fox - the Wold Cup Race in Alpine Skiing for Women. It is one of the oldest Ski World Cup race (from 1964) and definitely the best visited Ski World Cup contest in the world (there are never less then 10000 people and the record is some 20000 people). The Golden Fox race has its heroines: among some slovene competitors who won their first World Cup victories here (like Mateja Svet, Natasa Bokal, Urska Hrovat) there is the six time winner Vreni Schneider from Switzerland, no doubt one of the best skier in the world for all times.