DUSK IS closing in on the main street. The bars and restaurants are filling up, each establishment with an assortment of skis and boards propped up outside.

The Ski World Cup has come to Kranjska Gora in Slovenia and thousands of people wearing loud jackets and broad smiles are in high spirits after a great day watching the pros or trying their best to emulate them.

It's party time.

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Except for me. Fresh off the plane from England and a 75-minute transfer from Ljubljana airport I am on an equally thrilling mission to ski three countries in a weekend.

Slovenia, then on to Italy and Austria. With no time to waste I'm heading for the ski lifts and night skiing under floodlights.

It's my first time and boy have I missed out. It's a real buzz.

The slopes have been extensively groomed and because the lights show every little contour I can glide down at an extravagant pace. There are only a handful of people too so no queues at the lifts.

AUSTRIA Gerlitzen Gerlitzen Soca Kranjska Gora Kranjska Gora I am halted in my tracks by a spectacular fireworks display put on to celebrate the end of the World Cup meeting, multi-coloured explosions directly overhead.

valley Ljubljana Ljubljana ITALY SLOVENIA With the temperature dropping, heading for a warm taverna suddenly seems like a great idea.

Adriatic sea 0 30 miles Pivos (Slovenian for beers) are ordered and glasses clash together with a hearty cry of "Na zdravje" (in health) from the friendly locals.

This is followed by dinner in an adjacent pizza restaurant where I leave just enough room to try gibanica (a Slovenian speciality containing poppy seeds, walnuts, apples and enough sweetness to satisfy any pudding aficionado).

I'm staying at Villa Planina, a five-minute taxi ride away in the village of Ratece. It's spacious and comfortable with home comforts such as power showers and satellite TV.

Morning reveals the villa's primary asset, rousing views of the Julian Alps through huge windows flooding the rooms with sunlight.

There's time for a quick breakfast on the balcony before we're off to Italy.

Just 300 yards away is the border, now unmanned as Slovenia is part of the EU.

We cross and trace its route to the resort of Sella Nevea which straddles the two countries.

In 2010 a gondola was built linking Sella to Bovec Kanin, Slovenia's highest resort at 2,200m.

Set way above the Soca Valley, the resort is surrounded by jagged peaks and on clear days boasts views of the Adriatic Sea.

The snow is deep, so deep that a church near one of the summits is three-quarters hidden in a drift.

I negotiate these but come a cropper on the Slovenian side where the sun has warmed a patch of snow to slush.

In all we get in seven hours of skiing punctuated by a lunch of steaming pasta and hot chocolate in a mountain hut.

Back in Ratece that evening I take a stroll.

The village has not been troubled too much by progress.

It is more medieval in appearance than 21st century, with quaint wooden buildings, Alpine barns housing cows brought in for the winter and the tiny 14th-century church of St Thomas, one of the oldest in the Sava Valley.

Ratece is blessed with a couple of splendid traditional restaurants.

We dine at Surc among locals (always a good sign).

Portions are huge; I manage just a quarter of my chicken dish.

The staff happily wrap the leftovers, making a great snack for the following day.

Day three and another border to cross. Just 10 minutes after leaving Ratece we pass a "Willkommen in –sterreich" sign. It's amazing how close these borders are.

THERE are half a dozen Austrian resorts nearby and we opt for Gerlitzen, which is accessed by a gondola ride from the shores of Lake Ossiach.

The dome-shaped mountain is only around 2,000m high but it is the only large peak for miles so the views over the plains of Carinthia to distant peaks and lakes are some of the finest in the country.

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The ski area is perfect for novices with excellent nursery slopes and beginner-friendly lifts. There is plenty to satisfy the more experienced too and each piste is immaculately groomed.

I work up an enormous appetite, more than satisfied by a lunch of Wiener schnitzel and my own particular mountain-hut favourite, goulash with bread.

There's just time for two more runs before the 90-minute drive back to the airport and return flight home. Mission accomplished and an adrenalin-packed weekend to treasure.

GETTING THERE

Slovenian Retreats (020 8 123 2898/ slovenianretreats.com) offers three nights in a loft apartment at Villa Planina from £154 (sleeps four), self catering.

easyJet (0843 104 5000/easyjet.com) offers return flights from various UK airports to Ljubljana from £69.

Lift pass at Kranjska Gora from £24 per day.

Lift pass at Sella Nevea from £24 per day. Lift pass at Gerlitzen from £30 per day.

Slovenia Tourist Board: 0870 225 5305/slovenia.info