Zieleniec Ski Resort, Poland: Affordable Family Skiing Made Easy
If you’re looking for an affordable, beginner-friendly ski resort for your family, Zieleniec Ski Arena in Poland is a true hidden gem that many haven’t yet discovered. Perfect for those new to skiing, or for families looking for a relaxed, intermediate ski holiday. It’s a place that certainly keeps us coming back!
You won’t find much information about Zieleniec ski resort in English, so we’re sharing everything families need to know about this hidden gem.
We’ve visited Zieleniec three times now and love how well it works for families. The slopes are gentle enough for children to build confidence, yet varied enough to progress to more challenging red runs.
Even though prices have risen since our first visit, we were still able to plan a recent four-day ski holiday for our family of five for under £2,000. That included flights, accommodation, transport, ski lessons, lift passes, and equipment hire.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to plan a successful trip to Zieleniec ski resort in Poland. From booking your holiday and travelling from Wrocław to choosing the right accommodation, hiring ski equipment, and getting started on the slopes.
By the end, you’ll have all the practical information needed to enjoy a stress-free family ski holiday at Zieleniec ski resort in Poland. We’re confident you’ll love it as much as we do and be able to plan a memorable ski holiday for incredible value.
Quick Links to Plan Your Skiing Trip
Here are the tools we used to plan and book our Zieleniec skiing trip in Poland:
🛏️ Our Accommodation: Słoneczny Apartament
🚗 Car Hire: Discover Cars
✈️ Flights: We always use Skyscanner for the best deals
💸 Flight Tips: Follow our guide on How to Find Cheap Flights
🧳 Packing Tips: Use our Family Ski Holiday Packing List
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Why Zieleniec Ski Resort is Perfect for Families
Zieleniec is a beautiful ski resort set high in the Orlické Mountains, with its own unique Alpine-style microclimate that’s known for its clean, fresh air and beneficial effects on health. This special climate also helps keep snow on the slopes for longer, meaning the ski season often runs from as early as late October through to mid-April. This is particularly useful for families trying to plan around school holidays.
Ski slopes and lifts for all abilities
For beginners, Zieleniec Ski Arena is an ideal place to learn. There are plenty of nursery and gentle blue slopes, with magic carpets and drag lifts perfect for beginners and children. At the same time, the resort is big enough for more intermediate skiers, with over 23km of groomed pistes and a good selection of red runs for those ready to progress and explore more of the mountain.
One of our favourite things about Zieleniec is how scenic and manageable it feels as a family resort. The kids love the gentle 2.8km route that winds through the snowy forest, as well as the small jumps at the top of the mountain that add a bit of fun – for some reason kids have little fear.
It’s also much quieter than many of the bigger European resorts. After seeing the queues at more popular ski destinations on social media, it’s so nice to be able to spend most of our time skiing straight onto the lifts, with very little waiting around (this makes a huge difference when you’re skiing with children).
Ski schools with English speaking instructors
There are plenty of ski schools to choose from, many with English-speaking instructors. Lessons are easy to arrange, and we were amazed at how quickly our nine and five-year old progressed just after two lessons.
Affordable for families
Compared to more well-known European ski resorts, Zieleniec is significantly more affordable, from lift passes and lessons to food and drink on the mountain. You’ll find lots of casual mountain bars and restaurants serving pizza and burgers, as well as hearty Polish dishes such as goulash and warming soups. And when you need something to warm you up, there’s no shortage of hot chocolates for the kids, and for the grown-ups, mulled wine, beer, or even a glass of traditional Miodula (Polish honey liqueur).
All of this makes Zieleniec a genuinely family-friendly ski resort which is relaxed, good value, easy to navigate, and perfect for children to learn, progress, and enjoy being on the snow.
How to Get to Zieleniec Ski Resort
✈️ Flying to Wrocław
The closest airport to Zieleniec Ski Arena is Wrocław, and you can often find really cheap flights from the UK, especially if you’re flexible with dates or book in advance. Flight time is usually around two hours, which makes this a really manageable journey with children.
🚗 Driving from Wrocław to Zieleniec
The most convenient and often most affordable way to reach Zieleniec from Wrocław is to hire a car. I know what you’re probably thinking – driving in a different country, in winter, up to a ski resort sounds scary! But honestly, it’s not as scary as it sounds. The roads are well maintained, winter tyres and/or snow chains can be added to the booking, and having your own car gives you so much flexibility when travelling with kids.
Car hire can be incredibly affordable (we’ve found options for less than £10 per day), and it makes everything easier including airport transfers, supermarket stops, getting to ski school on time, and exploring the area. We always use Discover Cars to book our hire cars for ski trips and family holidays – they have the best choice, cheapest options and the website is simple to use.
The drive itself takes just under two hours from Wrocław Airport, with some really lovely scenery as you head towards the mountains.
🚌 Getting the Intercity Bus or Zieleniec Ski Bus
If you’d prefer not to drive, the bus is a reasonably budget-friendly option. You can take a FlixBus from Wrocław to the nearby spa towns of Duszniki-Zdrój or Polanica-Zdrój, which are both close to Zieleniec. Tickets can be booked easily online in advance at FlixBus.co.uk and are very reasonably priced. You will then have to make your way to Zieleniec Ski Arena from either one of these towns, with Duszniki-Zdrój being the closest.
There is also a direct Zieleniec Ski Bus that runs from Wrocław to Zieleniec Ski Area, which you can book via the resort’s website. Just be aware that the booking process can be a little less straightforward due to language translation on the site, so FlixBus is often the simpler option for English speaking families.
Both buses take between 2-3 hours and usually cost from less than £10 per person. Given all of this though, personally we’d recommend the train over bus.
🚆 Taking the Train
In our opinion, the train can actually be a better option than the bus for families, and really affordable. You’ll have more space, onboard toilets, and you don’t have to worry about travel sickness if your children are prone to it (like ours are). The train journey is easy to book online at Koleo or at the station, making it a really comfortable and stress-free way to travel.
We’ve used the train a few years ago when we visited Zieleniec ski resort as a family of four. Whilst the prices have definitely increased when we travelled more recently, it’s still an affordable way to travel with tickets costing around £6 per person.
Top Tip: If booking online, select Standard as the ticket type for all passengers, including children (unless under 4 years old). Enter the details for each passenger first, then make sure everyone is selected before you search for your journey.
When you pay and receive your ticket invoice, don’t worry if you see fewer tickets and barcodes than travellers. You may only receive one or two barcoded tickets, but your confirmation will show the total number of passengers next to an “N” or “U.” When the ticket is scanned, the conductor will see how many people are included in the booking.
🚕 Private Transfers and Taxis
A final option is to book a private transfer or taxi from Wrocław Airport. On our last visit, we landed very late at night and used Bolt, which is incredibly easy to book via the app once we’d gone through border control and collected our bags.
This is the most expensive option, but it’s very convenient if you don’t want to drive and would prefer a direct, door-to-door transfer. If you download the Bolt app before you travel, you can check the expected fare in advance. We paid around £120 for a 7-seater, which worked well for our family due to the time we landed (and an error on my part with the car hire – I booked it for the wrong date!) but we wouldn’t use this option normally.
Where to Stay in Zieleniec with Kids
Ski-in / Ski-out Accommodation in Zieleniec
If convenience is your priority, staying in Zieleniec itself is hard to beat. Many of the guest houses and hotels offer direct access to the slopes, with a number of ski-in / ski-out options. This makes it easy to take frequent breaks, which is always handy with children.
However, these accommodations are more expensive and availability can be limited, especially for larger families needing more space.
During our previous visit, we stayed at Absolwent, which we loved and was easy to access all the slopes at this beginner ski resort. The hotel included breakfast and dinner, had an amazing indoor play area with a ball pit, and offered free afternoon childcare.
This allowed us to explore some of the more advanced slopes while the kids were happily entertained. You can read more about our stay at Absolwent and our earlier visit to Zieleniec ski resort here.
As the resort has grown in popularity, more hotels are being built. While this is helpful in terms of increasing options, it’s also a shame as it impacts the natural beauty of the area.
For families planning a longer stay, restaurant and supermarket options within Zieleniec are limited and more expensive, so staying right on the slopes may be better for shorter breaks.
Staying in Duszniki-Zdrój
If you’re looking for more space, variety, or a budget-friendly option, the nearby spa town of Duszniki-Zdrój is an excellent choice. Just a ten-minute drive from Zieleniec Ski Arena, Duszniki-Zdrój offers a wider range of accommodation, often larger apartments that can comfortably host families, and more options for eating out and supermarkets.
On a recent visit, we stayed in Słoneczny Apartament – a lovely two-bedroom apartment that comfortably accommodated our family of five with a double bed, two single beds, and a double sofa bed.
It was roughly a third of the cost of staying in Zieleniec itself. The apartment location was perfect and if you stay at Słoneczny Apartament, we’d highly recommend: Eden Restaurant just 200 metres away, Dino supermarket 500 metres, and Piekarnia bakery 250 metres.
The train station is a 15-minute walk from Słoneczny Apartament, and the ski bus stop to Zieleniec Ski Arena is just 200 metres, making it very easy to get to the slopes without a car if needed.
Staying in Polanica-Zdrój
For families planning a longer stay or wanting a livelier atmosphere, the neighbouring spa town of Polanica-Zdrój is another excellent option.
Around a 40-minute drive from Zieleniec, Polanica offers a wide variety of accommodation and even more choices when it comes to restaurants and shops. It’s a pretty spa town that’s very accessible from Wrocław by train, bus, or car, making it a practical base for skiing at Zieleniec.
Getting to the Slopes in Zieleniec
From Zieleniec Resort
If you’re staying in Zieleniec itself, getting to the slopes couldn’t be easier. Many accommodations are ski-in / ski-out, and even if yours isn’t, you’ll usually only have a short walk to the nearest lift. This makes a big difference with children, as it’s easy to pop back for breaks, snacks, or warm-ups during the day.
Driving to the Slopes from Duszniki-Zdrój
If you’re staying in Duszniki-Zdrój and have a hire car, the drive to Zieleniec Ski Arena takes around 10 minutes. The roads up to the resort are well maintained and regularly ploughed in winter, and there is plenty of free parking available at the ski area.
Catching the Ski Bus from Duszniki-Zdrój
If you don’t have a car, the ski bus is a really simple and affordable option. There are several stops throughout Duszniki-Zdrój, and two different routes run to and from Zieleniec three times a day. The stops are easy to spot, just look for the “SKIBUS” signs.
For tourists, the cost is PLN 15 (about £3) per person each way.
Top Tip: You’ll usually pay a small tourist tax at your accommodation. This may also entitle you to guest ski bus pass which reduces the fare to the local rate of PLN 5 (about £1) per person each way.
Travelling from Polanica-Zdrój
If you’re staying in Polanica-Zdrój and have a car, the drive to Zieleniec takes around 40 minutes.
There are also ski bus options available from Polanica-Zdrój, although routes and timings can vary, so it’s best to check with your hotel or accommodation host for the most up-to-date information.
Ski Equipment Hire in Zieleniec
Unless you bring some of your own ski gear, one of the first things you’ll need to do when you arrive is get everyone kitted out. Don’t underestimate this part with kids, it can take a little time. We recommend arriving early on your first morning to get everything sorted before heading onto the slopes.
Before your holiday and to make the process smoother, make a note of everybody’s details:
- Height (in metres)
- Weight (in kg)
- Shoe size
The rental shops use this information to choose the correct ski length, boot size, and to set the correct release tension on the skis, which is really important for safety.
There are plenty of ski rental shops in Zieleniec Ski Arena and all fairly similar in both price and quality. Unless your accommodation offers a specific discount, there’s no need to spend time shopping around. We’d recommend choosing one that’s closest to the ski lift you plan to use most often.
As a rough guide, you can expect to pay around PLN 75 (approximately £15) per day for a standard ski set, with slightly lower prices for children and discounts if you’re renting for multiple days.
Some rental shops accept card, but quite a few are still cash only, so it’s a good idea to bring some Polish złoty with you just in case.
Ski Lessons in Zieleniec
We always recommend ski lessons for all beginners, and they’re also a great idea for anyone looking to improve their technique. Lessons give children confidence on the slopes, help them learn safely, and make the whole holiday far less stressful for parents.
You can choose between group lessons or one-on-one sessions, depending on your budget, and how quickly you want them to progress. Lesson prices vary between providers, but you can usually find all the details by clicking the links directly to each ski school’s website from the Zieleniec resort’s information pages. Some websites have English options, and for others you may need to use an online translator.
We used Gryglówka Sports Academy and booked one-hour, one-to-one lessons for our two youngest children, aged five and nine. Each lesson cost PLN 160 / £33 and was with English speaking instructors. Make sure you an English-speaking instructor when booking.
We booked the day before and contacted the ski schools either by email, phone, text, or WhatsApp. Lessons can be booked on the day but it’s best to book in advance, especially during school holidays. We were amazed at how quickly our girls technique and confidence grew just after a couple of lessons.
Ski Passes in Zieleniec
Buying a ski pass in Zieleniec is really straightforward. You can purchase them at the resort ticket office, from a vending machine, or online in advance. The price is the same whichever option you choose. We personally found it easiest to buy at the ticket office, especially if you’re not 100% sure what type of pass you need. Most staff speak English and are happy to answer questions.
Ski passes can be purchased by the hour, by the day, or by the week, with separate adult and child prices. Prices start from around PLN 95 (£20) for two hours or PLN 160 (£33) per day. Children’s passes are slightly cheaper, and as you’d expect, the longer the pass, the better value it becomes.
Once you’ve got your pass, make sure to keep it safe either in the ski pass pocket on your coat (if you have one) or in a secure pocket. You’ll need to scan it each time you use a lift, so having it easily accessible saves time and avoids any stress on the slopes.
Where to Start on the Slopes in Zieleniec
If you’re new to skiing, the first thing to do is pick a beginner-friendly area. Zieleniec has nursery slopes with magic carpets and gentle blue runs, which are perfect for kids and adults learning the basics. These areas are clearly marked on the resort map, so you can easily see where to start.
If you’re more familiar with skiing, you’ll probably want to find the slopes you know best. The map at the bottom of Zieleniec piste map gives a key to the runs:
- Blue lines = easier slopes
- Red lines = intermediate slopes
- Straight black lines = ski lifts
Look for the magic carpet or drag lifts in the beginner areas idenitified by the image of a person on skis holding onto something. The chair lifts show a person sitting on skis sitting down. For the drag lifts either your skiinstructor or the staff on the drag lifts will help you learn how to use them. And rember everyone falls over so don’t panic if this happens!
Once you’re on the lift, remember that you can ski across the mountain to reach different runs, so you can gradually progress at your own pace.
The 2.8km scenic forest run is a favourite for us, gentle enough for the kids but long enough to give a proper sense of achievement. Starting on the right slope makes all the difference for building confidence, keeping the kids motivated, and having a fun first day on the snow.
Final Thoughts on this Amazing Beginner-Friendly Ski Resort
Zieleniec ski resort really is a hidden gem for families looking for an affordable, beginner-friendly ski resort. Its gentle slopes, compact layout, English-speaking ski schools, and quiet atmosphere make it ideal for children and beginners learning at their own pace.
We hope this guide has given you all the practical information you need to plan and book your holiday with confidence. From getting to the resort, hiring equipment, and booking lessons, to lift passes and choosing where to stay, you now have everything you need to enjoy a stress-free and memorable ski holiday.
And don’t forget to check out our family ski holiday packing list to make sure you have everything ready for your trip!
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