As a TU student from France discovered, there’s no need to travel all the way to the France to ski when the Dutch Alps are just a bike ride away…in a building, in Den Haag.
“Want to go skiing?” a friend asked me. Snow, in Holland? I replied. I thought the oceanic climate here meant it never got cold enough to snow? And ski slopes? Where the heck did you see any mountains around here? I thought heights were only measured in negatives in Holland? “Artificial snow and ski slopes in a building in Den Haag!” my friend said. “At the UitenHof’, SnowDome…” Ok, ok, now I get it! I replied. Sure, let’s go!
It was my first time skiing indoors and I can only describe the experience as strange…fun, but strange! When you enter the Uithof it feels like you’re going ice-skating. But then you buy your ticket, they ask your shoe-size, you get your skis, and voila, the next thing you know you’re on your skis on top of a 210 meter long ski slope! Once you’re on the snowy slope, there are skiers, lifts, but also a strange light and a roof over your head. And I was skiing at 10 o’clock at night, when it’s dark outside. But I guess that’s one advantage over the French Alps, you can ski at night! Snowdome skiing is fun, although if you’re already a good skier it does get boring after a while, having to always slow down and ski the same ‘blue’ slope. But there are also snow mounds on the slope for jumping over, which the snowboarders were really good at. The night I spent in Den Haag skiing was good fun, but the day after I couldn’t believe that it was real: yesterday morning at school, skiing that night, today at school again! It all happened to fast! In the end, it’s really great to be able to go and ski so easily. But it’ll never be the same as when you go on a real winter sports vacation: no driving on narrow mountain roads risking your life at every corner, no beautiful landscapes and no fondue savoyarde après ski at Den Haag’s Snowdome. So, if you really want to enjoy the total wonderful skiing experience, you still have to go to France.
Snowdome hours/prices: weekdays: 10-13:00, 12.50 euros; 13:30-18:00, 15.50 euros; 18:30-23:00, 16.50 euros; weekends: 9-13:00 or 18:30-23:00, 16.50 euros; 13:30-18:00, 17.50; entire day weekday, 10:00-18:00, 25 euros; entire day weekends, 9-18:00, 30 euros. Ski rental available. http://www.deuithof.nl/
“Want to go skiing?” a friend asked me. Snow, in Holland? I replied. I thought the oceanic climate here meant it never got cold enough to snow? And ski slopes? Where the heck did you see any mountains around here? I thought heights were only measured in negatives in Holland? “Artificial snow and ski slopes in a building in Den Haag!” my friend said. “At the UitenHof’, SnowDome…” Ok, ok, now I get it! I replied. Sure, let’s go!
It was my first time skiing indoors and I can only describe the experience as strange…fun, but strange! When you enter the Uithof it feels like you’re going ice-skating. But then you buy your ticket, they ask your shoe-size, you get your skis, and voila, the next thing you know you’re on your skis on top of a 210 meter long ski slope! Once you’re on the snowy slope, there are skiers, lifts, but also a strange light and a roof over your head. And I was skiing at 10 o’clock at night, when it’s dark outside. But I guess that’s one advantage over the French Alps, you can ski at night! Snowdome skiing is fun, although if you’re already a good skier it does get boring after a while, having to always slow down and ski the same ‘blue’ slope. But there are also snow mounds on the slope for jumping over, which the snowboarders were really good at. The night I spent in Den Haag skiing was good fun, but the day after I couldn’t believe that it was real: yesterday morning at school, skiing that night, today at school again! It all happened to fast! In the end, it’s really great to be able to go and ski so easily. But it’ll never be the same as when you go on a real winter sports vacation: no driving on narrow mountain roads risking your life at every corner, no beautiful landscapes and no fondue savoyarde après ski at Den Haag’s Snowdome. So, if you really want to enjoy the total wonderful skiing experience, you still have to go to France.
Snowdome hours/prices: weekdays: 10-13:00, 12.50 euros; 13:30-18:00, 15.50 euros; 18:30-23:00, 16.50 euros; weekends: 9-13:00 or 18:30-23:00, 16.50 euros; 13:30-18:00, 17.50; entire day weekday, 10:00-18:00, 25 euros; entire day weekends, 9-18:00, 30 euros. Ski rental available. http://www.deuithof.nl/
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