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Bulgaria became a fast-growing skiing destination and the country's three major ski resorts - Bansko, Borovets and Pamporovo have been improved to a great extend as a result of a large amount of investments in recent years.
Natural resources in Bulgaria are excellent for skiing. The diverse relief - different mountains with different features, and the specific climate conditions, together with well developed infrastructure turned Bulgaria into a paradise for skiers from beginners and early-intermediates to advanced.
The winter resorts have always had a reputation for low prices, virgin ecologically pure nature, plenty of snow and sun, modern hotels and facilities, good lift network and apres-ski to suit all tastes.
BANSKO
Resort summary Housing the best and the most modern ski centre of all Bulgarian ski resorts, Bansko is Bulgaria's no doubt number 1 ski resort. Bansko has the best snow record and the longest ski season (15 Dec - 15 May) of all Bulgarian ski resorts. During the last few years the area has been highly developed as a result of a massive investment process, expressed by building of many new hotels and resort facilities, restaurants, clubs for entertainment etc. Location Bansko enjoys a picturesque situation in a valley surrounded by Pirin, Rila and the Rhodopi Mountains in the South-West of Bulgaria. It is situated at 925 m. a.s.l. at the North-eastern foothills of Pirin Mountains beneath the highest and the most beautiful Karst part of the mountain. The town of Bansko (population: about 12 000) is just 160 km South from Sofia and 6 km South-east from Razlog. Bansko is one of the most important gates for routes, heading to Pirin Mountains and its giant Mount Vihren (2914 m. a.s.l.). How to get there · from Sofia There is a public transport to Bansko from “Ovcha Kupel” Bus Station and from the Central Bus Station (by the Central Train Station) also. Depending on the traffic and the road conditions it takes about 3,15-4,00 hours to get there (2-2,45 with a car). However during the high season it is hard to get a ticket without purchasing it a few days earlier. · from Plovdiv You can take again public transport to Bansko from “Iug” Bus Station (meaning “South”). The duration of the trip is about 4,00 hours. Buses are not numerous and problems with finding tickets could also occur.
BOROVETS
Resort summary Borovets is the oldest Bulgarian winter resort with a history dating back to the year of 1896! Established at the end of the 19-th century as a hunting place for the Bulgarian kings, Borovets gradually developed into a modern ski resort of high-class and luxury hotels, haute-cuisine restaurants and an excellent network of ski runs and lifts along the slopes of Rila Mountains, providing excellent opportunities for the whole range of winter sports — from Alpine to cross-country skiing, ski jumps and biathlon. The resort twice hosted World Cup Alpine skiing rounds, while the biathlon track is one of the best in the world. Location At 1350 m. a.s.l. on the Northern slopes of Rila Mountains, among age-old pine woods, Borovets is located at the foot of Moussala Peak (2925 m a.s.l.) — the highest on the Balkan Peninsula. The resort itself lies some 12 km South-east from the town of Samokov, 73 km in the same direction from Sofia and 126 km westwards from Plovdiv. How to get there Borovets is easily accessible both from Samokov and Sofia and more difficult – from Plovdiv. There is a regular bus transport while during the high season there are many vans starting from “Iug” Bus Station in Sofia or from the bus station in Samokov (every 30-60 minutes). From Sofia it takes about 1:45 h to get to Borovets (20-30 min from Samokov). Another option is to get to Borovets by car. In order to make your travel independent it is always better to hire a car rather than using cabs with unpredictable rates. There are many guarded parkings in Borovets since almost every hotel has a parking area of its own.
PAMPOROVO
Resort summary Known as the sunniest and the southernmost ski resort in Europe, Pamporovo enjoys mild winters with a lot of snow and number of sunny days during the season from December to May exceeding 120 days. It is placed in the Rodopi Mountains, famous for being the birth place of the mythical singer Orpheus. It received its name from the convoys of mules of the Raicho Belev, a man from the town of Smolyan, which followed one another as the wagons of a train (from the Turkish word for “train” - pampor) carrying goods. Location Pamporovo is situated on 1650 m a.s.l. at the foot of Mount Snezhanka (1926 m a.s.l.). It is 240 km far from Sofia, 85 km from Plovdiv, 16 km from Smolyan, 12 km from Chepelare and some 35 away from Devin. How to get there The basic starting point for Pamporovo is the town of Plovdiv. It takes about 1:30 h to get there. Buses and minibuses start from “Rodopi” Bus Station in Plovdiv. If you start from Sofia, you will have to take a bus for the town of Smolyan, passing through the resort before reaching the town itself. Buses in Sofia start from the Central Bus Station. It is also possible to get to Plovdiv from Sofia by bus/train and to take another bus to Smolyan/Pamporovo.
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