Interesting article on skiing in Eastern Europe

I'm interested and have been researching a few of the places mentioned. My main concerns, none of them directly skiing-related, are:
-- Finding a place not crawling with British tour buses, i.e. Bulgaria.
-- I hate going places where I don't speak the language.
-- I don't eat meat.
-- I have such a long list of places I want to visit in the Alps, I'm not sure I need to cast a wider net at this point.
 
rfarren":2sjofj43 said:
:lol: :roll:
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If I'm going to Europe on a ski trip, part of the fun is eating well, right?

I lived in Berlin in the 80s and spent a lot of time in the former East Germany. I'm sure things have changed since then, but it's safe to say that Eastern Europe in the middle of winter is not the place to be for non-carnivores.
 
Tony Crocker":18fikhhw said:
-- I have such a long list of places I want to visit in the Alps, I'm not sure I need to cast a wider net at this point.
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My sentiments exactly.
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You can either do like Admin and have the same excellent menu in Utah day-in and day-out or you can mix it with some variety and some exotic favour (talking about skiing). I'd loved to travel to lesser-known ski destination even if it isn't the best of what the World/Alps/country has to offer. Example: I would like to ski le Massif Central or Pyrénées in France (although the best skiing is in the Alps).

That is why I've moved around to the different Andes ski areas and elsewhere (Snowking in Jackson).
:wink:
 
I've been skiing around western North America for 30 years, so I'll often look for an excuse to mix in some more obscure places along with recurring favorites. But as Patrick has noted my European resume is sparse, and given the cost/inconvenience of getting over there I'll be lucky to get to a decent number of the bigger and more famous places.

jamesdeluxe":3jl46pst said:
it's safe to say that Eastern Europe in the middle of winter is not the place to be for non-carnivores.
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Patrick had better leave Morgane home for this one. :lol:

There is also opportunity cost. When we take off for the Southern Hemisphere, we're not giving up much if anything in the way of skiing at home. For most off-the-beaten track northern destinations, they typically have decent snow only in a small window around the February peak season. If you spend 3 weeks in prime season at these kind of places, you're also missing the best skiing at the major resorts and/or on your home turf. I think this is why some of us will take our chances with the "TISA factor" in Las Lenas but would be less willing to risk lengthy shutdowns in prime season in India or Russia for example.
 
jamesdeluxe":36f3y9hm said:
rfarren":36f3y9hm said:
:lol: :roll:
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If I'm going to Europe on a ski trip, part of the fun is eating well, right?
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Exactly, but how can you really explore the culinary traditions of any culture if you don't eat what they eat. Anyhow, you probably have your reasons, and that's fine by me, but by that logic Austria and Switzerland in the winter aren't probably any better.
 
rfarren":27mpv7lf said:
by that logic Austria and Switzerland in the winter aren't probably any better.
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Yes, Austria is historically is a vegetarian's worst nightmare, but if you go to any region that attracts tourists, they provide plenty of non-meat cuisine and will go to great lengths to accommodate you.
 
Having lived in Bulgaria for a few years and skied there a bit I would say for anyone above an intermediate skier it is not worth it. No longer that cheap. Resorts ruined by over development. Most tacky and geared to Brits. Snow record not great. Lifts not great. Unless you get a really cheap package deal there, would stick to France, Italy, Austria etc.
 
I guess it depends on just how "vegetarian" you decide you are...
... if you're happy with diary, then half the alpine economy is built on the various nationalities incarnations of cheese gorging

Maybe it's worth simply aiming to do the famous spots?
Zermatt for the Matterhorn
Chamonix for the Mont Blanc and Vallee Blanche
St moritz for the money
St Anton for the apres ski
3 Vallees for the mileage
La Grave for the sheer legendary off-piste landscape-of-the-Gods-ness
...
actually, I could just go on and on...
... its all famous for something or other
 
Yes, it makes sense to hit the big places that appeal most first. Once you've been over there a few times it makes more sense to range farther afield, as with destinations here.
 
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