Premiere Ski School · High Tatras
Ski school for children from age 3
We teach from age 3 and only privately: one instructor per child or per family. The youngest go to the gentle slope with a children's conveyor lift at Jakubkova lúka in Starý Smokovec.
- From age 3
- Helmet included
- From €44 / 60 min
- Private lessons only
Our ski courses
Choose your location and lesson length
Basics and technique
- Free helmet
- Certified APUL instructor
- +17€ each additional person
First turns and a safe stop. An hour is enough for a beginner to feel steadier on the slope.
★ ⭐ Most PopularTechnique improvement
- Free helmet
- Certified APUL instructor
- +17€ each additional person
The most requested length. There is time to warm up, fix your stance and try what you learned on a longer piste.
Complete course
- Free helmet
- Certified APUL instructor
- +17€ each additional person
The most time with your instructor. Enough for the long pistes by the cable car, where progress is fastest.
Child's age
What age a child should start
We take children from 3 years old. That is not a limit below which skiing is impossible. It is the age at which a lesson starts to make sense: the child follows instructions, can concentrate for a short while, and can stand on skis without being put off.
For three- and four-year-olds it is not about technique. The first lesson is about getting used to the equipment, learning to stand, to stop, and not to fear a gentle gradient. At this age it is not about technique but about the child coming away feeling that skis are fun rather than stressful. If they come away thinking it was fun, the rest follows on its own.
At that age we recommend 60 minutes. Attention and legs last about that long, and a longer lesson usually does not add much. Older children who have already stood on skis do well with 90 minutes.
Private lesson
How a lesson with a child works
We teach private lessons only. The instructor works with one child or one family rather than a group of strangers, so your child sets the pace instead of the group average. When they need a break, they take one.
We have more than thirty instructors and all of them are APUL certified. We have been running the school for over 20 years, so a four-year-old on the slope is nothing new to us. We speak Slovak, Czech, Polish and English, so the lesson runs in a language the child actually understands.
With the youngest, the first minutes involve no skiing downhill at all. We walk on the flat so the child feels the skis underfoot, we try a three-metre glide, and the snowplough arrives as a game rather than an exercise. Only once the child can stop on their own do we move to the conveyor lift.
If you want to be on the lesson with your child, that is no problem on a private lesson: we count you as a second person. For multi-day tuition the price drops by 5% from 3 days and by 10% from 6 days.
Learning path
What your child will learn, level by level
We name the levels after piste colours so you can see where your child is now and where they are heading. The instructor confirms the level in the first few metres and runs the lesson from there. The first two levels happen at Jakubkova lúka in Starý Smokovec; from blue onwards we move to Tatranská Lomnica, which has longer runs and a cable car.
If you are unsure, pick the lower level. Moving a child up during the lesson is easier and more pleasant than the other way round.
| Level | What the child can already do | What they will learn | Lessons | Terrain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First time on skis | Nothing. The child is standing on skis for the first time. |
| 1 to 2 | children's conveyor lift, gentle slope |
| Green | The child can stop in a snowplough and make a first turn. |
| 2 to 3 | green runs |
| Blue | The child skis a green run in a snowplough with confidence. |
| 3 to 4 | blue runs |
| Dark blue | The child skis parallel on a blue run. |
| 3 to 5 | blue and easy red runs |
| Red | The child handles a red run in any snow. |
| 4 or more | red runs |
| Black | The child skis the whole resort without worry. |
| depends on the goal | the whole resort |
First time on skis
What the child can already doNothing. The child is standing on skis for the first time.
- •putting skis on and walking in them
- •getting up after a fall unaided
- •first glides on a gentle gradient
- •stopping in a snowplough
Green
What the child can already doThe child can stop in a snowplough and make a first turn.
- •snowplough turns
- •controlling speed
- •skiing a green run unaided
- •getting on and off the lift
Blue
What the child can already doThe child skis a green run in a snowplough with confidence.
- •bringing the skis parallel
- •skiing a blue run
- •riding the cable car safely
Dark blue
What the child can already doThe child skis parallel on a blue run.
- •parallel turns of different radii
- •braking in parallel
- •skiing over bumps
Red
What the child can already doThe child handles a red run in any snow.
- •short turns
- •using the poles
- •first carved turns
- •skiing ungroomed snow
Black
What the child can already doThe child skis the whole resort without worry.
- •carved turns at speed
- •moguls
- •first steps off-piste
Slope for the youngest
Why Jakubkova lúka for the youngest
The slope at Jakubkova lúka in Starý Smokovec is roughly 300 metres long with very little elevation gain, and it has a children's conveyor lift. A child does not have to wrestle with a T-bar or a chairlift, which makes an enormous difference at the start: instead of being afraid of the lift, they get on with skiing.
The slope is open and quiet, so nobody comes past your child at speed. Our base is right beside Hotel Atrium and guests of the hotel pay a reduced €37 for a private lesson.
We teach children in Tatranská Lomnica too. That suits families that also include a stronger skier who wants longer runs and would rather everyone stayed in one place. Lomnica has 12 km of pistes, a cable car and the rental shop on site.
Meeting point
Where we meet the youngest
Jakubkova lúka, Starý Smokovec
Jakubkova lúka, 062 01 Starý Smokovec, next to Hotel Atrium
daily 8:00 to 21:00 in season
- Meet the instructor
- 10 minutes before the lesson
- Lesson starts
- at your booked time, on the slope
- With a child under 6, arrive
- 20 minutes before the lesson
Look for the wooden hut with the Premiere logo right beside Hotel Atrium, at the bottom of the slope. Our instructors wear red suits with PREMIERE across them. If you cannot see us, call and we will come to you.
+421 911 561 561
- We fit the child's helmet on the spot; it is included in the lesson.
- Equipment rental is in Tatranská Lomnica; there is no rental shop on site in Starý Smokovec.
- You can park by Hotel Atrium, and the Tatra Electric Railway also runs to Starý Smokovec.
Price and gear
What the lesson price does and does not cover
Included in the lesson
- an APUL certified instructor for the whole lesson
- a helmet in the right size for the child
- the pace of one child or one family, not a group
- the lesson in Slovak, Czech, Polish or English
- ski storage for school clients
Not included
- skis, boots and poles: rental in Tatranská Lomnica, a full set from €24 per day
- a second person on the same lesson: +€17 in Tatranská Lomnica, +€10 in Starý Smokovec
- lift or cable car tickets
- clothing, gloves and goggles
- food and drink
What to pack for a child
Read this at the hotel. Most of it cannot be sorted out once you are on the slope.
- base layer, fleece, and a waterproof jacket and trousers
- one thin ski sock, not two thick ones
- mittens for the youngest, gloves for older children
- a thin hat or balaclava to wear under the helmet
- goggles or sunglasses
- sunscreen: snow reflects the sun and burns even in winter
- a small snack for the pocket and water
- a fed and watered child, a hungry one learns nothing
- no need to think about a helmet, it comes with the lesson
If your child has never been on snow, expect the first lesson to be a short one. Sixty minutes that end well are a better start than a whole day the child remembers as being cold.
Frequently asked questions
From what age do you teach children to ski?
From 3 years old. For the youngest we use Jakubkova lúka in Starý Smokovec, a gentle slope with a children's conveyor lift where the child does not have to deal with a T-bar or a chairlift.
How much does a lesson for a child cost?
A private lesson costs from €44 for 60 minutes and €63 for 90 minutes. The helmet is included. Guests of Hotel Atrium pay €37 in Starý Smokovec.
Do you run group courses for children?
No, we teach private lessons only: one instructor per child or per family. Your child never waits for five strangers to get their boots on.
How long should a child's lesson be?
For children from 3 to around 6 we recommend 60 minutes; longer than that and concentration usually goes. Older children do well with 90 minutes.
Do we need our own equipment?
No. We rent skis, boots and poles in Tatranská Lomnica including children's sizes, a full set from €24 per day. The helmet comes free with every lesson.
Can I be on the lesson with my child?
Yes, either as a second person on the private lesson or watching from the slope. With small children it is sometimes better to give them space with the instructor; they behave differently in front of a parent.
Booking
Book a lesson for your child
Calling is fastest. Tell us the child's age and your dates and we will recommend the location and lesson length. We are on the phone daily 8:00 to 21:00.
Tatras · Slovakia
Location
Tatranská Lomnica
or Starý Smokovec
Lesson length
60 / 90 / 120 min
private, matched to your level
Price
from €44
helmet included
Booking
Online or by phone
confirmation by e-mail
Experience the Tatrasto the full
Certified instructors
30+ instructors with APUL certification
Two locations
Tatranská Lomnica and Starý Smokovec
Helmet included
With every lesson, no surcharge
Rossignol Test Centre
Try the newest models before buying