Mežica
A Slovenian Carinthian ski area whose 1961 Štalekarca chairlift was one of only two in the country at the time; a revival attempt with a second-hand Italian chairlift foundered on permits and erosion, and everything has since gone.
- Region
- Koroška
- Country
- Slovenia
- Status
- closed
- Year opened
- 1961
- Year closed
- early 2000s
- Reason for closure
- The area ceased operating in the early 2000s. An attempt to revive it failed when the operator Jože Skudnik bought a used three-seat chairlift from Italy, ran into permit problems, and found that water erosion from the disturbed slopes was damaging the ground around them. The municipality abandoned the project.
History
Mežica lies in the Mežica valley in Slovenian Carinthia, near the Austrian border and better known for its lead and zinc mine. Its ski area began in 1961 with the Štalekarca chairlift - one of only two chairlifts in Slovenia at that date - and a tow lift at Jesenikovo followed in 1972, giving an uphill capacity of around 2,000 skiers an hour. It was popular with Croatian visitors as well as locals. Operations ended in the early 2000s. A revival was attempted when Jože Skudnik bought a used three-seat chairlift from Italy, but the permits could not be resolved and water running off the disturbed slopes began eroding the ground and damaging the surroundings, so the municipality gave the project up. The ski infrastructure has disappeared entirely and the area now serves only as local recreation ground. Piste names and the lift specifications are not documented in accessible sources.
Lifts
| Name | Type | Manufacturer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Štalekarca | Chairlift | Opened in 1961 and at the time one of only two chairlifts in the whole of Slovenia. Now gone | |
| Jesenikovo | Surface lift | A tow lift added in 1972 | |
| Unnamed lift | Surface lift | The second of the two tow lifts; together with the chairlift the area could move about 2,000 skiers an hour |
Sources and further reading
More in Slovenia
Location
46.5204, 14.8500