DISCOVER EUROPE’S NEW SKI FRONTIER

Dreaming of pristine white powder under bright winter sunshine

The Iron Curtain has been drawn back to reveal a whole new frontier for skiers and snowboarders looking for that next big slope to ride. Welcome to Eastern Europe the former playground of czars, dictators, and royalty.

The resorts may not be as pretentious as those in the west, but the outstanding hills of Eastern Europe are real bargains. You'll have fun adapting to ski signs in foreign languages, and sharing your grasp of the English language with the locals, but if pure unadulterated skiing and après ski is what you are after, than defect and go east!

The skiing destinations on offer read like a drunken tour director who has taken a wrong turn in Prague and has headed north to Spindleruv Mlyn in the heart of the 'Giant Mountains', Czech Republic's largest ski resort and then crossed the border into Poland and onto Zakopane, situated on the edge of the famous Tatra Mountains. This town has a long history and features every stage of the past century on its well-trodden streets, from old haunts of Polish intellectuals to the more recent addition of Western Society – Burger King. You'll then backtrack into Slovakia, a winter wonderland, where ski slopes are found virtually everywhere. If there's a hill, there's a good chance you'll find people skiing down it. Your tour director will then decide to completely bypass Hungary and move onto Romania and into Poiana Brasov.

Internationally renowned and highly regarded as Romania's most popular ski resort, it is here where you will find great skiing in a beautiful area stepped in legend. Open spaces alternate with pine woods and the well appointed hotels offer wonderful hospitality and warmth, all of which makes holidaying here in Poiana a real pleasure. The excellent layout of the ski runs allows advanced skiers and snowboarders to "let go" without fear of interfering with beginners and intermediates, and to master the more advanced techniques in a spectacular environment. If you can pull yourself away from the uncluttered, scenic pistes of the compact ski area, a visit to Bran Castle, home of the legendary Count Dracula is a must! It's mystique and the snow-covered slopes will throw you back in time to an era immersed in legend, where wolves hunt at night and their howls can be heard, as you lie snuggled up in bed at night in the heart of Transylvania.

All aboard, for the next stop on the itinerary of the drunken tour director, Bulgaria. Set amid the majestic Rila Mountains, Borovets is Bulgaria's number one ski resort, only 70 kilometres from Sofia this famous skiing destination has hosted the Alpine World Cup competition twice. There are two main ski areas, which are ideal for beginners and intermediate while advanced skiers can test their skills on the World Cup Competition run. Pamporovo is also a favourite, but the immerging jewel in Bulgaria's crown is Bansko in the Pirin Mountains. Its atmospheric old centre and colourful local customs have long charmed holidaymakers, but following impressive and substantial investment to its piste area, ski lifts and winter infrastructure, Bansko can now combine old charisma with superb modern ski facilities to great affect. With a respectable height of 2580 metres, it has one of the best snow records in Bulgaria, and boasts the only half-pipe in Eastern Europe.

Take a hop-skip and a jump into Slovenia. The well-equipped ski resorts in the Julian Alps offer impressive ski runs and amazing scenery. 40% of the runs are beginner, 45% are intermediate and 15% of the runs are for advanced skiers. Combined with a range of non-skiing activities such as frozen waterfall climbing, snow shoeing and tobogganing, the friendliness of the Slovenian people and excellent value for money all add up to make Kranjska Gora Slovenia's leading ski resort. While you are there you can visit beautiful Lake Bled, Lake Bohinj and the spectacular Postojna caves, a lifetime experience you'll not forget.

Completely off the beaten track, nestled between France and Spain is the tiny mountain kingdom of Andorra. It is one of the smallest countries in the world, but its privileged location proves to be a great advantage because Andorra is blessed with reasonably consistent snowfalls as well as numerous sunny days and if it's not dumping you can pretty much guarantee it's bluebird.

Over the last several years, about $200 million has been poured into Andorra, turning it into one of the hippest spots this side of the Alps. There are cool new lifts, new hotels with spas and fancy restaurants, and the addition of high-tech grooming and snowmaking facilities.

Once a caterpillar, Andorra has now merged into a butterfly, consisting of two big "ski stations," linked by a high-speed network of 106 lifts and spanning 7,600 acres of skiable terrain, more than Aspen and Vail combined.

Whether you are a party of two, a family of six or a group of 500 avid skiers looking for a new frontier or a totally new skiing experience you'll find it with SkiTheWorld.net.au, your expert skiing operator.

Call them today on (07) 5526 2855 or Toll free on 1800 156 856 FREE.

Your skiing indulgence is their challenge!