Pohorje is the long, forested ridge running south-west of Maribor, and from the apartment it is closer than most guests expect: the gondola base is about 7 km away, roughly 15 minutes by car. The cabin lifts you from the city limits to 1042 m for skiing in winter and walking in summer — Slovenia's only cable car that connects directly to a city.
This is not the Julian Alps. There are no jagged peaks. What Pohorje has instead is 40+ km of skiing, around 200 km of summer walking trails, four mountain huts, and a gentle, family-leaning character that makes it easy to fold a half-day on the mountain into a city stay.
The Quick Answer
Drive 15 minutes (or take city bus 6, about 25 minutes from the centre) to the gondola base on Mladinska ulica. Ride 8 minutes to the top. In winter, ski 40+ km of mostly beginner-and-intermediate pistes; in summer, walk the easy forest loops, lunch at Mariborska koča, or drive round to Rogla for the Lovrenška jezera bog walk. The gondola runs hourly, 7:00–22:00, every day.
The Gondola
The Pohorska vzpenjača climbs from 328 m at the base to 1042 m at the top in 8 minutes — a scenic ride on a clear day, with the red roofs of Maribor falling away beneath you. The base station is at Mladinska ulica 29, about 7 km south of the apartment: 12 to 15 minutes by car, or 25 minutes on bus 6 from the centre.
Cabins run hourly, 7:00–22:00, daily, with one exception — the 18:00 ride is skipped on Mondays for maintenance. Multi-day inspection shutdowns happen in spring, clustering on weekends through May, so check the published schedule before a March-to-May visit. Buy tickets at the base or online; summer 2026 prices were not published in advance at the time of writing, so confirm at the kiosk.
Winter Skiing
Mariborsko Pohorje is the largest interconnected ski resort in Slovenia: 40+ km of pistes, 9 chairlifts, an elevation range of 325 to 1327 m, full snowmaking, and 10 km of floodlit slopes — Europe's longest illuminated piste. It skews beginner and intermediate, with only a few genuinely steep runs, which makes it a forgiving mountain for mixed-ability groups and for children learning.
For the 2025/26 season, a weekday adult day pass is €25 (€22 youth or senior, €15 child); weekend and holiday rates rise to €28 / €24 / €16. The season runs roughly mid-December to late March. Rent gear at the Pohorje Sport Center at the base of the gondola, or at Intersport in central Maribor — same-day rentals are usually fine except over Christmas and New Year. If you only have a winter week in Maribor, a ski week is the right shape for it.
Summer Hiking
From the top of the gondola, two flat loops start at the same point. Rozka's Forest Educational Trail is a 3 km loop, about an hour, with 17 information stations, passing the 14th-century Church of St Bolfenk and the Razglednik viewpoint. The Bolfenk Energy Trail is a shorter 2 km loop, about 70 minutes, gentle enough for grandparents.
The single best lunch-hike on the mountain is Mariborska koča — one of the oldest huts on Pohorje, about a 40-minute walk from the top of the gondola via Bolfenk, through forest. Order goulash, jota (sauerkraut-bean stew), or pohorski pisker, sit with a cold beer, and take in the view across the Drava valley. Fitter walkers can push on from Bolfenk to Mariborska koča, then Areh and Ruška koča — a 12 km, 4-to-5-hour line.
The other summer walk worth a separate drive is Lovrenška jezera (the Lovrenc Lakes), Slovenia's largest high-altitude peat bog at around 1520 m, with up to 22 black-water lakes viewed from a wooden boardwalk. It is still quietly magical in fog. The trail starts from Rogla, on the western side of Pohorje — a separate access point about a 50-minute drive from the apartment — and runs 6 km round trip, about 3 hours, on a low gradient. It needs late April or May to be reliably dry underfoot.
With Kids
Pohorje is one of the easiest mountains anywhere to bring children to. For the youngest, the gondola ride alone holds attention, and there is a play area at the upper station — pack snacks. From age 6, the Pohorje Jet summer luge at the bottom of the gondola is a stainless-steel toboggan run with single-rider sleds and a brake; younger children ride with a parent. Rozka's Forest Educational Trail gives school-age curiosity the right amount of structure, and confident young riders with rentals can take the easier blue trails at Bike Park Pohorje. For more on family days across the city and the mountain, see our guide to Maribor with kids.
Getting There
By car, follow the signs south to the gondola base at Mladinska ulica 29 — about 15 minutes from Koroška cesta 43b, with parking at the base. Without a car, city bus 6 runs from the centre to the gondola in about 25 minutes; a single Marprom ride is around €1.30, easiest paid by tap card. The gondola itself runs hourly from 7:00 to 22:00. For the Rogla side and the Lovrenška jezera walk, you will want a car: it is a separate 50-minute drive west, usually routed via Slovenske Konjice.
Seasons and Gear
The mountain reads differently through the year. In spring, skiing winds down by late March and the gondola runs with scattered weekend maintenance closures into May; the high bog at Lovrenška jezera is not reliably dry until late April. Summer is peak hiking — the huts open daily, the forest air does the work, and an early start beats the July and August heat. Autumn, especially late September, brings turning colour and mushroom foraging on the slopes. Winter is ski season, mid-December to late March, including night sessions on the floodlit runs.
Pack proper shoes even for the easy loops — the trails are forest paths, not pavement — plus a layer for the top, where it is cooler than the city. In winter, dress for the lift queue as much as the slope. For the wider picture of what fills the days around a Pohorje morning, see the full Maribor guide — the old town, wine country, Ptuj, and Graz.
Common Questions
How do you get to Pohorje from central Maribor?
The Pohorje gondola base on Mladinska ulica is about 7 km south of the apartment — roughly 15 minutes by car, or 25 minutes on city bus 6 from the centre. The cabin runs hourly 7:00–22:00 daily, with the 18:00 ride skipped on Mondays for maintenance. The ride to the top takes 8 minutes.
How much does skiing on Pohorje cost in 2026?
For the 2025/26 season, a weekday adult day pass is €25 (€22 youth or senior, €15 child). Weekend and holiday rates are €28 / €24 / €16. The season runs roughly mid-December to late March. Confirm current prices on the Visit Pohorje skiing price list before you go.
Is Pohorje good for hiking with kids?
Yes. From the top of the gondola, Rozka's Forest Educational Trail is a flat 3 km loop, about an hour, with 17 information stations and a 14th-century church along the way. The Bolfenk Energy Trail is a shorter 2 km loop. Both are gentle enough for grandparents, and the gondola ride itself entertains younger children.
What is Mariborska koča and how do you reach it?
Mariborska koča is one of the oldest mountain huts on Pohorje, about a 40-minute forest walk from the top of the gondola via Bolfenk. It serves goulash, jota, and pohorski pisker with a panoramic view across the Drava valley — the easiest lunch-hike payoff on the mountain.
Where are the Lovrenška jezera lakes and how long is the walk?
Lovrenška jezera is a high-altitude peat bog at about 1520 m, with up to 22 black-water lakes viewed from a wooden boardwalk. The trail starts from Rogla, on the western side of Pohorje, about a 50-minute drive from the apartment. It is roughly 6 km round trip, about 3 hours, and best from late April through October.