In Slovenia, sports activities are extremely enjoyed by the people of the country. Writings and other sources of history show that Slovenia has a long history of sporting activities, beginning from the Middle Ages. Shooting, hunting, boating, fishing and a host of other activities were the common sports in Slovenia during the Middle Ages.National Slovenia sport is skiing. The skiing tradition in Slovenia is a long one, as the oldest skis in Central Europe originate from these parts. Slovenian skiers became legends; the most famous is Bojan Križaj. But skiing is not the only popular sport. Many Slovenes are traditionally very keen on mountain hiking and climbing.
Gymnastics in Slovenia
The first great achievements by Slovenes were in gymnastics before the Second World War (WWII). Particularly famous was Leon Štukelj who, between 1922 and 1936, won eight gold, four silver, and five bronze medals in three Olympic games and three world championships. Miro Cerar, carried the reputation of Slovenian gymnastics forward after WWII, with two gold medals and one bronze medal at the Olympic games in Tokyo and Cuidad de Mexico.
Football, or better known to Americans as soccer, is very popular in Slovenia. Slovenia was only admitted to football’s world governing body in 1992, a year after declaring its independence from Yugoslavia. The Slovenian football team qualified for the first time in 2000 for the European Championship and World Cup in 2002.
Above the adrenaline-inducing Soca River rises Slovenia ‘s highest ski resort on Mount Kanin, and everywhere there countless possibilities for hiking, mountaineering, bicycling, horseback riding, paragliding, fishing and other sporting pleasures.
Apart from trekking and hiking the rolling hills and mountains of Slovenia offers many other more adrenaline pumper Slovenia sport like mountain boarding. If you’re a fanatic snowboarder but can’t wait for winter to come you can practice your boarding skills even in summer.
The best spots for ice climbing are in the northern part of the Julian Alps nearby Kranjska Gora resort where several hidden icefalls await the brave climbers:
- Planica Valley-Tamar,
- the Vrsic Pass.
Watersports
Rivers Soca, Sava, and Krka are the three major Slovene rivers visited by rafters and kayakers all over the world. Canyoning is another way of exploring the fast flowing rivers and streams of Slovenia. During canyoning, you discover the canyons and caverns carved in the rock by the water without a boat. To really pump your adrenaline go on hydrospeeding which is perhaps the most extreme of all water sports. You hold onto a riverboard with your hands and wear flippers on your feet while combating the gushing water e.g on River Sava Bohinjka. For many, the emerald Soca River is the most wonderful place in the world for water sports, Kranjska Gora, Planica and Pokljuka rank highly in the list of world-renowned winter sports competitions.
Slovenia is considered to be an excellent organizer of world competitions. The capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana, hosted the gymnastics world cup in 1992 and 1970, the table tennis world championships in 1965, and figure skating and men’s basketball world championships took place there in 1970. Weightlifters competed for the title of world champion in Ljubljana in 1932, and the world bowling championships took place in 1984.
Slovenia sports also includes skiing, volleyball, dance sport, ski jumping, handball, rowing, paragliding, and basketball. The Slovene rowers have won gold and silver at the Olympics as well as at the World Rowing Championships. Slovenia sport also features world famous mountaineers and athletes.