The Pohorje plateau begins almost at the edge of Maribor and offers the city's best outdoor recreation. In winter it is a ski area of reasonable size — not comparable to the big Alpine resorts, but perfectly good, and unusual in having a ski lift (the Pohorje cable car) that starts within the city boundaries. Several runs are suitable for beginners and intermediates, and the facilities are solid. The FIS World Cup slalom at Maribor, held each January, consistently draws huge crowds to the so-called Golden Fox race.
In summer the Pohorje becomes hiking and cycling country. The plateau is thickly forested with beech and spruce, and a network of marked paths crosses it. The Pohorje Transversale is a multi-day walking route across the full length of the plateau. Day hikes from the cable car station at the top are plentiful and not demanding. Mountain bikers have a bike park with trails of varying difficulty.