When's the best time to fly? Yes.
Every season has its own kind of good flight. Here's what each one brings.
You can go tandem paragliding in Slovenia all year, and every season is good for something different. Spring brings strong thermals and the longest flights. Summer is good all round. Autumn has the calmest air and the clearest views. Winter brings snowy peaks, early sunsets and calm flights.
Spring: the sky wakes up
The sun gets stronger while the air is still cool, and that mix makes the best thermals of the year. Thermals are columns of rising warm air, a free lift for paragliders. This is when flights get long and cross-country (XC) flights become possible. Below you: fresh green valleys. Around you: peaks still wearing snow.
Best for: long flights, XC, and anyone who wants to see how far a wing can go.
Summer: the all-rounder
Long days, warm takeoffs, and flights from morning to evening. Afternoons can bring thunderstorms, so we fly early, or late for a golden sunset flight after 8 pm. A summer hike & fly means T-shirt hiking, a breeze at the top, and maybe a swim in a lake afterwards.
Best for: everyone, sunset flights, and fitting a flight into a holiday day.
Autumn: calm and clear
The air settles down. Flights get smooth, and the views reach further than at any other time of year. The forests turn gold and red, and the larches on the high slopes glow. In the Vipava Valley it's grape harvest time, so a flight from Kovk pairs well with a glass afterwards. For you, not the pilot.
Best for: first-timers and nervous flyers, photographers, colour lovers.
Winter: above the fog
On many winter days Ljubljana sits under a lid of fog while the mountains are in the sun. We go up out of the grey and fly over a sea of clouds. Winter air is calm, the peaks are white, and the sun sets before half past four, so a sunset flight doesn't mean a late night.
Best for: snow lovers, sunset flights, calm flights, and anyone with the winter blues. Dress warm: gloves, a hat under the helmet and a warm layer.
At a glance
| Season | The air | Typical flight | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | Strong thermals | Longest flights, XC | Flyers who want more |
| Summer | Good all day, storms possible later | Morning or sunset flights | Everyone |
| Autumn | Calm and smooth | Gentle flights, long views | First-timers |
| Winter | Calm, often sunny above the fog | Calm and sunset flights | Snow and sunset lovers |
Can you paraglide in winter?
Yes. Winter air is calm, and we often fly above the fog with snowy peaks around us.
When are the longest flights?
In spring and summer, when thermals keep us up. That's also when cross-country (XC) flights are possible.
What is the calmest season?
Autumn and winter. Good news for first-timers and nervous flyers.