In the last week of November, the first autumn frost arrived in Nagyvillám, perched atop Visegrád. This is a milestone for winter sports enthusiasts, and whilst it does not necessarily herald a snowy winter, it certainly gives cause for optimism.

The plastic training slopes up there were opened in the last few days of September, and lessons have been taking place continuously ever since. It now looks as though this winter will be cold enough for the snow cannons to start operating very soon, and if all goes well, we won’t have to wait much longer before we can strap on our skis and snowboards.

One of the country’s most popular small ski slopes has been welcoming skiers to the Danube Bend for over 40 years now. It’s not big; it takes less than half an hour to ski down from the top; there are no tricky sections, so none of the runs are obviously a challenge for professional skiers. But that’s not what the Nagyvillám Ski Slope is about. Rather, it’s about the fact that if you work in Budapest or somewhere nearby, you can pop over straight after work for a few runs, then enjoy a nice hot cup of tea and have a chat with friends and old acquaintances. The family-friendly atmosphere here isn’t just a nice-sounding cliché. But you’d know that anyway if you’ve been here before…

There are currently 9 lifts in operation, providing easy access to all 5 slopes, which are fully covered by snow cannons in suitable weather conditions. What’s more, it’s not just skiing and snowboarding that are on offer; there are also opportunities for tobogganing and snow tubing if you fancy it.

Keep an eye on the Nagyvillám Ski Slope website, where regularly updated information will be available to those interested as we get even closer to the start of the season.