Link to newsround

Wales to get biggest indoor ski slope in Europe

An artist's impression reveals the plans for the new ski resort: a series of modern buildings with green roofs, set in a large landscaped area, situated among the trees.LDRS

The ski slope complex could look a bit like this when building starts - look at the size of that slope!

You normally find skiers on big mountains in France and Switzerland - but did you know if you head to Wales in a couple of years, you could be slaying the slopes on the longest indoor ski run in Europe!

A brand new snow centre is going to be built in Merthyr Tydfil, near the Brecon Beacon mountains.

The builders claim the slope will be a whopping 400 metres in length and will have training facilities for skiing and snowboarding for GB, Welsh Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

Robin Kellen, boss of Snowsport Cymru Wales, described the ski complex as a "huge step forward in the potential to develop competitions and training of our GB team athletes".

Skiers ski down a long wide ski slops dotted with red crash pads and red fences at the Milton Keynes Snowzone centre.Getty Images

The ski run at Milton Keynes is very popular with pros and beginners.

When it's built, the indoor ski run will take the title of the biggest in Europe.

That title is currently held by the Snow Centre in Manchester, which has has the biggest indoor slope in the UK at 180m (590ft).

The slope will be built as part of a new centre, which will include an indoor tropical water park, with water slides and an artificial beach, indoor and outdoor adventure centres, hotels, woodland cabins and a meeting centre.

Where else do people ski in the UK?

Three kids on skis stand on a snowy mountain. Two of them are smiling with their ski poles held aloft. Getty Images

You don't have to head to Switzerland to get some real snow under your skis - did you know Scotland has several outdoor natural ski slopes?

But there are plenty of indoor slopes too.

The Snowdome in Tamworth has a huge 170 metre main slope and two shorter teaching slopes at 30 metres and 25 metres.

Snowzone in Milton Keynes is the largest "real snow" centre and offers snowboarding and ski lessons.

Other centres use artificial snow slopes, called dry ski slopes.

The are made of small, plastic bristles that are kept wet, allowing skis to slide over them.