Ski holiday in Bulgaria

Bulgaria is one of the most visited holiday destinations in Europe and understandably so. It has a 300 km coastline along the Black Sea with numerous beach resorts and small villages. Also, about half the country is mountainous with three major ski resorts - Bansko, Borovets and Pamporovo. These are all visited by hundreds of thousands of international tourists annually.

Bansko is by far the largest of the three ski resorts. It is located about 120 km from the capital Sofia at the intersection of three mountains - Pirin, Rhodopa and Rila. Bansko used to be a quiet small town with a picturesque center preserving the Renaissance architecture of these parts of Bulgaria. After Bulgaria started its transition from communism, opened its economy for international investment, and allowed privately funded projects in its tourism destinations, Bansko took off. Within a few years, it was transformed into a sprawling ski resort with dozens of hotels and condo buildings. British, Irish, and Russian investors flocked in to purchase holiday properties which then became available for rent. The city and private investors developed the ski runs which, while available under communism, did not have the modern facilities required by international skiers.

Borovets and Pamporovo were the most prominent ski destinations during communism and continue to be such despite taking second place to Bansko. Borovets is easily accessible as it is located only 60 km from Sofia . There is regular bus transport from Sofia to the resort and one can also rent a car to get there. Borovets takes its name from Bor, a large needle tree that dominates the landscape. In winter, the large trees, heavy with snow, line the streets, walking paths and ski runs giving a feeling of warmth. The resort did not develop many new facilities, partly due to its location within the mountain that does not allow much new development, but it is a great destination nonetheless.

Pamporovo is in the southern part of Bulgaria, about 100 km from the second largest city of Bulgaria Plovdiv. It is situated in what many Bulgarians and international visitor consider to be the most pristine and beautiful mountains in Bulgaria - the Rhodopas. With large rolling hills, this mountain indeed presents a remarkable spectacle of nature. Pamporovo is a bit different from Borovets. While Borovets is nested between hills with hotels and restaurants bundled up close to each other, Pamporovo is more spread out, with some distance between the large hotels. Between Bansko, Borovets and Pamporovo, Bulgarian ski resorts offer not only skiing opportunities but also different settings and ways to experience nature.

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