(source: TASR)
The town of Kremnica in central Slovakia decided to impose a fee for the cross-country tracks at the Skalka resort. The money will be used solely to maintain the tracks that are about 55 kilometres long, said Kremnica Mayor Alexander Ferenčík.
Under the new rules, cross-country skiers pay €2 per day for using the tracks. They can also buy a sticker for €20 as a seasonal ticket.
In previous years, people could voluntarily contribute to maintaining the tracks by buying a sticker for a price varying from €5 to €100. The town collected some €3,000 during the first year after the contribution was introduced, but the collected sum kept decreasing even though the use of the cross-country tracks increased.
“The fact is that the maintenance of the tracks is only paid by the town,” Ferenčík said, as quoted by the TASR newswire, adding the costs amount to €20,000 a year. “This is the reason why we want to have room for increasing the quality and frequency of their maintenance.”
Kremnica also plans to solve the parking problem, he added.
Moreover, the reputation of the tracks in Skalka has improved and they currently belong among the best in Slovakia, both in terms of length and maintenance.
The stickers can be bought at four sites. The skiers will receive a map with tracks, TASR reported.
