2013 WU Update: Maribor is getting ready for the 26th Winter Universiade

There are three years until the beginning of Winter Universiade 2013 in Maribor, but today Maribor is intensively building the necessary infrastructure. Acquiring of the new Pohorje cable car and cross-country center in Rogla plays a significant role in a quest of achieving the peak of winter tourism in the city of Maribor and Pohorje. The fact that Pohorje eagerly awaits the Universiade in 2013, is shown by the state already implemented, number of existing as well as number of new projects, sporty spirit of colleagues from Maribor and most of all eagerness of organizational work teams. The latter was responsible for the implementation of plans for setting the nomination and the preparation of the venues.

In the last couple of years, the Maribor Pohorje has acquired an important ski infrastructure upgrade. Ski trail Pisker with the six-seat chair lift definitely make excellent attributes of the new infrastructure as well as spatial plan for the new ice hall, which will provide better conditions for training and implementation of sports activities for students and youth. The new circular single lift cable-car takes a special place among all attributes, which Maribor received in late December of last year. Currently, the 32 existing cable-cars can transport up to 1,000 passengers per hour to Pohorje and in full capacity 82 red cable cars with 1,042 m above sea level will carry 2,400 passengers per hour. The new cable-cars can transport eight passengers per cabin.

Before the beginning of this year’s winter, new routes for cross-country skiing have been established which already in mid-December hosted competitors of FIS Cross-Country World Cup Rogla 2009. In three days more than 4,000 spectators watched the stars of ski running disciplines, including the superb Slovenian ski-runner Petra Majdic. New routes and a second-phase ski center will lead to the opening site for runners and biathlon skiers.

Intensive investments are also under way in the installation infrastructure, because the organizers of the Universiade in Maribor want to offer participants modern and well suited capacities. Hotel Arena under Snow stadium has already been upgraded, the built of the Hotel Dras below Pohorje came to end as well, and in addition accommodation can be provided in the newly built hotel Veter in the city of Ruse as well.

The willingness to organize the Pohorje skiing competitions during the Universiade organizers will be tested on the traditional Golden Fox race. Competition of the World Cup Alpine Skiing on the 46th Golden Fox will take place at Maribor Pohorje between 16 and 17 January 2010, when Slovenia and Maribor will have a chance to taste the sweetness of winning success on the ground of Maribor, which will then be able to have an insight into the year 2013, when the city of Maribor shall live its winter fairytale with the 26th Winter Universiade.

In addition to the Golden Fox there will be more university events organized prior to the Universiade in Maribor among which is the General Assembly of the European University Sports Association (EUSA) in 2012.