Steep slopes, views of mountain peaks and an unforgettable drive – many people ski and snowboard for this. However, not every resort is suitable if you are just getting acquainted with these sports. First impressions can be ruined by overly difficult trails and other people rushing past you at high speed. We have made a selection of resorts in different regions of Russia that are suitable for beginners.
Moscow region
Residents of the capital can arrange a snow retreat for one day: several ski resorts are located a maximum of an hour and a half drive from the city. In all There is equipment and equipment rental.
One of the most popular centers near Moscow has been opened near the village of Kurovo – “Sorochany”. There are 10 trails of different difficulty levels, the longest of which is 1,050 meters long. This is a record for the Moscow region. There is also a separate slope for tubing and a slope for beginners: Sorochan instructors will put even the youngest visitors on skis or snowboards. Modern Austrian and Italian lifts are installed here: double and four-seater chairlifts, three rope tows and two baby lifts for snow tubing enthusiasts. There is a cafe and a hotel complex on the territory of the park. The slopes are illuminated in the evening.
Large sports park “Volen”, located on the slopes of the Yakhroma hills, is often called Switzerland near Moscow because of the chalet houses that make up the hotel complex. There are 15 slopes of varying difficulty, a tubing and border cross track, children’s and training slopes, a sauna complex, a swimming pool, a cafe, a karaoke club, an ice skating rink, snowmobile rental and five restaurants: you can come for the day, for the weekend, or even for all week – you won’t be bored. The resort has eleven towing and unsupported lifts. On the territory of “Volena” a children’s club “Bobo” has been opened, where mini-skiers aged three years and over are taught to ski according to the Austrian method.
Another large and well-equipped ski park in the Dmitrovsky district – Yakhroma: four elephants of varying difficulty, a skating rink, a tubing track and a toboggan (a rail track on which carts are accelerated along steep turns – such an attraction can often be found in the Swiss and Italian Alps). Towing lifts with T-shaped yokes are installed here. The slopes of Yakhroma are not steep, so professional athletes will find it a bit boring here, but this park is perfect for beginners and families with children. You can relax after skiing in the Bear bath house or in one of four restaurants.
Where to stay in the Dmitrovsky district:
In the guest house “Territory of the World” (score 10) – from 1,600 rubles per day*.
In the three-star Maxima Park Hotel (rating 9.9) – from 5,000 rubles per night*.
In the Volen sports park (rating 8.7) – from 11,000 rubles per day*.
Leningrad region
Not far from The northern capital also has many places where you can learn the wisdom of winter skiing. Pukhtolova Gora Park is located near the city, in the village of Reshetnikova. It consists of four slopes for skiers and snowboarders, two cheesecake slopes, a snowmobiling area and a large skating rink. On the territory there are guest houses, a cafe, a bathhouse, a restaurant, a tennis court, a volleyball court and a small pond where you can go fishing in the summer.
“Okhta Park” is located on the Okhta River in the Vsevolozhsk region, near the village of Mistolovo, in a dense pine forest, which is especially beautiful in snowy times. This is a landscape park, so skiing here will be interesting for both beginners and experienced skiers: there are as many as ten trails of varying degrees of difficulty. The location is also famous for its skating rink: flooded paths wind between pine trees, and its length is as much as 1.5 kilometers. A children’s ski school has been opened at Okhta Park, and instructors also teach everyone the basics of ice skating.
Recreation center “Golden Valley” appeared in the village of Korobitsyno in the 1960s: it was then that slopes were opened here for training students of sports schools. Today, on Mount Zalesnaya there is a ski center that meets all European standards. These are 12 trails of varying difficulty with a height difference from 10 to 105 meters, the length of which varies from 80 to 1,100 meters. Both adults and children can study here. In the summer, on the territory of the “Golden Valley” you can play tennis, football and volleyball or take a walk near the waterfalls.
Where to stay in the Leningrad region:
In the mini-hotel Le Chalet in Reshetnikovo (rating 8.9) – from 3,500 rubles per day*.
At the Zolotaya Dolina park hotel (rating 8.8) – from 3,700 rubles per night*.
In the four-star hotel “Repino Cronwell Park” (rating 9.9) – from 10,100 rubles per night*.
Vladimir region
Ski resort “Puzhalova Gora”was opened in 2005. It consists of a 550-meter main slope for everyone, a 250-meter sports slope for training athletes, a 100-meter training slope for beginners and a 20-meter children’s slope. Here you can also go tubing, cross-country skiing and Austrian sledding, and snowboarders will find a park with jibbing figures.
Near the town of Kovrov there is a ski complex “Red Mountain” with two easy slopes suitable for training, one sports track and a snow tubing slope. Young visitors will love the local petting zoo with lambs. There is also an après-ski bar on site, and a hotel is planned to open in the near future.
Where to stay in the Vladimir region:
In the country park “Rancho 636” (score 9.9) – from 3,600 rubles per day*.
In the four-star hotel “Aquarius” (rating 9.0) – from 4,400 rubles per day*.
In the country hotel “VKS-Country” (score 10) – from 8,400 rubles per night*.
Chelyabinsk region
Ski resort “Sunny Valley”located in the vicinity of the city of Miass. It was opened 20 years ago in one of the most picturesque corners of the Ural mountain range at the intersection of Europe and Asia. Today there are 12 ski slopes here, including unique halfpipe, slopestyle and cross-country trails for our country, and one of the best snow parks in Russia. “Sunny Valley” has a very developed infrastructure: three hotel complexes, several restaurants, an equestrian center, barbecue areas and a husky park. In the summer, this resort also welcomes guests: there is an extreme ropes park, a beach on Solnechny Lake with a wake station and sup-surf rental.
Where to stay in the Chelyabinsk region:
In the three-star hotel “Family Resort Cliff” (rating 9.7) – from 6,000 rubles per day*.
In the guest house “Chalet Turgoyak” (rating 9.7) – from 7,700 rubles per night*.
In the apart-hotel “Solnechnaya Dolina” (rating 9.9) – from 13,600 rubles per night*.
Volgograd region
Right next to Volgograd – on the opposite bank of the Volga – a park club was opened in 2018 “Beavers”, which is ideal for beginner skiers and snowboarders. This is a man-made mound with an artificial snow cover (winters in the region are usually warm). In addition to a slope with lifts, the park includes a skating rink, a hockey rink, a cafe and an equestrian club, where you can not only ride a horse, but also undergo full-fledged horse riding training. Of course, for experienced skiers the slope in “Beavers” will be a bit boring, however, if you are just starting your journey on snow-covered slopes, it is better to practice here with an instructor before going to the real mountains.
The most popular ski resort in the region has been opened in the Kamyshinsky district near the village of Elshanka – “Shikhany”. The only “but” is that skiing, snowboarding and tubing are only possible here with natural snow cover, so the start date of the season is not easy to predict: for example, last year the slopes opened at the end of December, but were closed for most of January. However, it is a well-equipped resort with modern ski lifts, equipment rentals and snowcats.
Near the “provincial capital” of Uryupinsk, next to the Dyakonovsky farm and Lake Ilmen, a ski slope was opened several years ago “Khopyorsky Snow”. It is equipped with a rope tow lift and mast lighting for work in the evening. You can rent adult and children’s snowboards and inflatable cheesecakes. The operation of the slope also depends on weather conditions.
Where to stay in the Volgograd region:
In the Kamyshin hotel “Volga” (rating 8.8) – from 2,300 rubles per night*.
At the four-star Hilton Garden Inn (rating 10) – from 5,800 rubles per day*.
In the historical hotel “Volgograd” (score 10) – from 6,200 rubles per night*.
Tatarstan
Not far from the village of Savino there is a real resort town “Sviyazhsk Hills”, which is called the sports heart of Tatarstan. In winter, there are ski slopes (both difficult and accessible for beginners) with chair lifts. At the resort you can pay to be accompanied by professional instructors specially trained to work with children (here you can start snowboarding or skiing from the age of six). 4 hotel complexes, 10 restaurants and cafes, and a spa center are open. Around the “Hills” are the picturesque forests of the Middle Zone. It’s also nice to come here in the summer, when the 18-hole golf club is open.
Ski complex “Cascade” in the village of Dubyazy is located only 40 km from Kazan. This is a 300-meter slope with a height difference of 60 meters and an area for inexperienced skiers, as well as a route for cheesecakes. This resort is usually not crowded, so it is perfect for children and inexperienced skiers, since a common problem for beginners is the fear of colliding with someone who is rushing at high speed.
Where to stay in Tatarstan:
In the four-star hotel “Cosmos Kazan” (score 10) – from 5,600 rubles per day*.
In the four-star hotel NEO Kazan Palace by Tasigo (rating 10) – from 9,000 rubles per day*.
In the country club “Utrau by Russian Seasons” near Sviyazhsk (rating 9.6) – from 17,000 rubles per night*.
Mari El
Tourist base “Nargiz”located on the high bank of the Volga, six kilometers from the city of Kozmodemyansk, an hour’s drive from Yoshkar-Ola. In winter there is a small slope with lifts and an ice skating rink. The route is easy and suitable for skiers and snowboarders of any age, and the views here are magnificent. Vacationers can enjoy a café, a bar, a living corner, a wood-fired sauna, saunas, a stable and a paintball area.
Where to stay in Mari El:
In the apartment “Petrova 20” (rating 9.3) – from 1,900 rubles per day*.
At the First Train Hotel (rating 9.9) – from 2,000 rubles per night*.
At the Virginia Hotel (rating 9.9) – from 2,400 rubles per night*.
Vologda region
Ski complex of the recreation center “Y.E.S. Striznevo” boasts 13 tracks ranging from 250 to 450 meters with a height difference of up to 90 meters, as well as a 360-meter tubing track. Several slopes with a gradual and smooth descent are suitable for beginners; for more advanced skiers, there are cross-country trails (there are no black slopes at the resort, but their opening is planned in the future). There is a children’s club at the base, where games and quests are held: you can leave your child there if winter sports do not impress him, and continue skiing without him.
In the Kirillovsky district there is a ski resort “Tsipina Gora”, opened on the territory of a real natural monument – the Russian North park. Two slopes accept beginner snowboarders and skiers; there is a separate slope for snowmobiles and cheesecakes. A bathhouse, a restaurant and a café-refectory are open on site. This resort is still little known, so you won’t have to share the slopes with a large number of vacationers.
Where to stay in the Vologda region:
In the two-star hotel “Nord House” (rating 8.,6) – from 2,700 rubles per day*.
At the Nikolaevsky Hotel (score 9.9) – from 3,300 rubles per day*.
At the Gubernia Hotel (rating 9.5) – from 4,000 rubles per night*.
*Prices are current at the time of publication.
