Knee-deep in glittering powder and surrounded by white-capped firs, with the silence weighing heavy as the fresh snow, I feel as if I have stumbled through the back of my wardrobe into Narnia. I'm half expecting a fawn in a jolly red scarf to trot out from among the trees.

I’m standing on the edge of the steel-blue Lake Bohinj, the largest lake in Slovenia. (For those not quite up on their European geography, it’s the country that's sandwiched between Croatia, Hungary, Austria and Italy.)

The lake lies in the Triglav National Park which, I’ve been told rather proudly by several locals, Agatha Christie once visited. When asked if she would ever set one of her books here, she replied that it was “too beautiful for murder”. And while probably her polite way of saying “thanks, but no thanks”, the compliment still stands. With no one else in sight other than the rest of our party, without so much as a footprint to mar the unblemished snow, Lake Bohinj has an extraordinarily ethereal, other-worldly feel to it.

Vogel offers picture-postcard views Credit: slovenia.info

However, delightful as the scenery is, it’s not primarily what I’ve come for. Lake Bohinj is simply a quick stop on our way to nearby Vogel ski resort, also set in the national park and the destination for our afternoon’s skiing.

After a very dry start to Slovenia’s season, there’s been a miraculous half a metre dump just in time for our arrival at the end of January – very courteous of the weather gods. This, combined with glorious hazy winter sunshine, means I can barely contain my excitement for the delights that await.

With local guide Matej by our side, we’re ready to explore the 13 gentle blue and red runs of this family-orientated resort. After warming up on Orlove Glave, a wide, easy blue, we head over to the Kratki Plaz red. With its thick, soft snow, the run is so enjoyable that we do it a few times in a row; but it’s frustratingly short, providing a couple of minutes’ downhill at best. Sensing our disappointment, Matej leads us to the number 10 piste, a long, undulating red that proves far more satisfying. Merging into the 14 piste, it runs from the highest point of the ski area (1,800m) right the way down to the bottom of the Vogel cable car (569m) – an impressive 1,231m of vertical.

Being positioned in a national park means Vogel is privy to picture-postcard views of a truly untouched landscape – thickly wooded peaks surround us, with barely a hint of human development. It’s the kind of vista that encourages a calm, languorous descent, so rather than bombing unseeingly down I take my time, pausing regularly to admire the surrounding Julian Alps.

What next? I’m champing at the bit for more, but for a keen intermediate the whole ski area can be fully explored in half a day, even when done at a more leisurely pace.

Thankfully, Vogel isn’t the only option available to us as we’re staying just 30 minutes’ drive away in the town of Bled. Our Slovenian base is almost equidistant from three very different resorts – as well as small, tranquil Vogel there’s bustling Kranjska Gora, and Krvavec, which has the accolade of being the closest ski resort to any European airport (Brnik airport is a mere 8km away).

Lake Bohinj has an ethereal beauty

Staying in Bled means it’s easy to explore the three resorts – all are covered by the Slovenian Alps lift pass, although we have to forgo Krvavec due to lack of time. The town of Bled is attractive in its own right, set around a lake with unruffled waters that are only disturbed by the occasional swan gliding over the glassy surface. High up on a precipice overlooking the lake sits Bled Castle which, all lit up come nightfall, looks like it fell straight out of Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty. Since we’re in fairy tale territory already, I make a wish (though not quite upon a star – there’s too much cloud cover) that tomorrow will bring even more snow.

Someone’s clearly listening up there, as the next morning brings large, soft flakes swirling all around. After loading up on a breakfast that includes the curious but tasty delicacy of dumplings filled with nutella, we head for the day’s destination – Kranjska Gora.

Though larger and more lively than Vogel, it’s by no means a huge concrete jungle of a resort. We’re completely charmed by the main square complete with old church, Austrian-style buildings in soft pastel colours and a quaint outdoor market with wooden stalls selling glühwein. But we’re also itching to get up the mountain – particularly as it’s been treated to an extra layer of fresh snow. We head up on a fast chair, which is so keen to get going it fetches me a whack on the rear. Once on, I take a moment to enjoy the kind of stillness that only comes when all is muffled in white.

We start by stretching our legs on the busy main red run directly above the resort, before heading further right to the quieter Podkoren sector. Just a minute’s skiing brings us to a cluster of long, virtually deserted red and black pistes, including a World Cup slalom run. Carving through fresh snow on wide, tree-lined slopes with no one else in sight, there is a wonderful feeling of solitude, as if this is our own private winter wonderland.

After working up a sweat and an appetite, lunch in Slovenia turns out to be a pleasurably hearty, artery-clogging affair. We feast on deliciously vinegary sauerkraut and bacon soup fattened up with added buckwheat, and bread that is served with a Slovenian speciality – whipped lard. It sounds nauseating but tastes wonderful, subtly flavoured with bacon. Here, another of Slovenia's attractions becomes apparent – the prices. Kranjska Gora has frequently appeared on "best-value ski resorts" lists for the 2016/17 season, due to its competitively priced food and drink, lift passes, equipment hire and lodgings, which are all much cheaper than in bigger, better-known resorts.

Like Vogel, Kranjska Gora’s terrain is limited, but the length of its runs makes it feel more satisfying to explore. What’s more, without the pressure I’d feel in a bigger ski area to try and get in every run before sundown, I start to really relax and concentrate on my technique.

Kranjska Gora has a charming, Austrian-style village Credit: Matej Vranic

All too soon it’s time to bundle back into the free bus bound for Bled. On the journey, pleasantly sleepy from the combination of exertion and heavy cuisine, I think back to that moment of perfect stillness at the edge of Lake Bohinj.

I’ll admit, Slovenia is never going to be one for mileage-hungry piste bashers, keen to feel like they’ve really covered some distance in a day. And there’s no doubt that the resorts are more antiquated than their Western European counterparts – think lots of creaking chairs and treacherous drag lifts, ski equipment that’s seen better decades, never mind better days.

But, for me, it possesses something that the mega-resorts of the Alps simply can’t offer – an untouched tranquillity. From the sugar-spun allure of Bohinj to the storybook beauty of Bled, visiting Slovenia means truly tripping off the beaten track and discovering a whole new world on the other side of the wardrobe.

Need to know

Crystal Ski (crystalski.co.uk) offers seven night's half board at the three-star Hotel Jelovica in Bled from £385 per person including flights from London Gatwick and transfers.