Pamporovo 2 below Snezhanka peak

24 Hours, 9th August 2007, by Valentin Hadzhiev

Intense construction works are in full swing by the southern slope of Snezhanka peak, and their pace is bound to reach the pace attained to the north and east, where Pamporovo is located. At present nine hotels and apartment complexes are being built amidst the picturesque Smolyan lakes, which the Ecology Ministry declared to be natural landmarks of national importance.

The speed-up of the construction work is yet to come, since the largest number of sites are actually planned to be located just below Snezhanka peak, where is the starting lift-station leading to the peak. It has a capacity of 620 people per hour, and from there one has access to the resort’s entire 28 km ski-track network.

The total beds number, including chalets, rest stations and small hotels is 460. Tens of other properties are currently waiting for the appropriate moment for the obtainment of a construction permit and construction start. Hristo Stoichhkov and the businessman Valentin Zlatev are among the investors.

The football start owns a property next to the chapel “St.Spirit”, some meters away from the lift leading to the Snezhanka peak, where the cataion resort is to be located. He bought 16 decares two years ago. Zlatev intends to build a complex of ultra-modern houses. In order to be sure they would be unique, a international design competition is expected to be announced.

The lots in the area of Smolyan lakes reach 70 Euro per sq.m. Vacation apartments in process of construction are already being offered on the internet, for 1700 Euro per sq.m., which is twice more expensive than in Pamporovo. At least 50% of the apartments sales were “greenfield” sales. The majority of buyers are from England.

“Within a year or two the price per square meter will hit 2000 euro", says the mayor of Smolyan Dora Yankova, who is well-acquainted with the investment interest in the area of Smolyan lakes. She claims the high price would be formed from the specific geographical disposition – between Pamporovo and the future mega-resort Perelik, and, at the same time just 5 or 6 km away from the city of Smolyan.

The Smolyan lakes are among the places in Bulgaria with the strongest negative air ionization, high parameters in the UV specter, air with low microbe number, high phytoncide saturation. Because of the unique air in this area German soldiers were sent here for treatment during World War II.

The air is healthy for visitors with lung or skin problems, as well as for healthy people to cleanse their respiratory system. It has been scientifically proved that the organism recovers faster in the area of the Smolyan lakes. The locals claim it is because of the collision of the upper and lower mountain breeze at the very location. At the insistence of the Mayor Yankova the lakes were included in the extended city borders.

The borders of the territory are indicated in the used ground plan. The total area totals 5573 decares. There is a protected forest area, where no tree felling is allowed, except for sanitary one, no pastures, no mining, building, or hunting.

"We will no allow excessive build-up, such sites are within the framework of the plan", says the project designer Kamelia Peshtunova from the National Center for Territory Development in Sofia, which won the Municipal competition for integral conception for the area’s development. The construction permits are issued for buildings up to four-storey high on the southern slopes and up to two storey high to the north just below Snezhanka.

No building is allowed in close proximity to the lakes, and the property owners are obligated to create alleys and large parking lots. In the area around the main road leading to the lift-station “The Lakes – Snezhanka” a bicycle alley shall be created, as well as a fisher village. At present the water capacity and electricity in the area is insufficient.
A spring to be used for water supply shall led out in the upper part of the area, with capacity of 40 liters per second.

No piping network has been created in the area. The waste water shall be led out through pipes and included in the city pipe-network of Smolyan.

"Those who are rushing before the common infrastructure is ready, must think for their clients”, says the project designed Peshtunova. Two of the new hotels in process of construction have already purchased stand-alone mini-collectors, which process the water and turn it suitable for irrigation.

Perelik Palace: the property that is in closest position to the new resort

View Other Properties for Sale in/near Pamporovo.


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