Worldwide Ski Resorts • Bulgaria • Pamporova
Overview
Traditionally Bulgaria has attracted those on a limited budget, so has been a good option for families and school trips and those who are brand new skiers and prefer not to over spend until they have decided if skiing is for them. The image of being austere and basic has become a thing of the past as Bansko has lifted the profile following its launch a few years ago and invested capital to promote Eastern Europe as the place to go to ski. Bulgaria has long been associated with beginners and intermediates but now others who have visited are going back.
Profile
Bulgaria is on a mission to show the world that their resorts are improving and being updated and welcome the opportunity to play host to those who visit. Ambitious plans are in place to follow in the footsteps of Bansko in other resorts such as Borovets and Pamporovo. It has been reported that Sofia has put in a bid to host the 2014 Winter Olympics which if achieved would dramatically contribute to facilities being updated and improved.
Mountain Information
Pamporovo — a good choice for the more cautious newcomer to the slopes, with easy runs and attractive and sheltered pistes starting high up at around 6,300 feet and going through pine forests. The ski schools are highly recommended with dedicated staff who are friendly and patient and speak good English. Class sizes are kept small to provide support for the individual skier. There is a purpose built village for the main hotels in a pleasant wooded area. Food is fairly basic and the bars are lively with some having discos and bands.
Borovets — a woodland setting creates a beautiful area for this resort where the hotels are modern and large. There is more on offer for the intermediates here with high easy slopes and steeper longer pistes. Not too much of a challenge for the experts and the nursery slopes can be busy as newcomers prefer the terrain. At night it is buzzing with live music some catering for the 18-30s group. There are folklore evenings and even some pub crawls. The food has improved and at Katy’s steak pub a good meal is enjoyed by many.
Bansko — this resort is a flagship for the future set in an attractive town at the base of the mountain with new hotels and apartments being sited near the gondola. The locals are welcoming and host many bars and reasonably priced restaurants around the town with good traditional entertainment. On the mountain 2 fast quad chairs go up to the north facing slopes. From here are blue and red pistes to ski back down. It is said that 80% of the pistes are covered by snowmaking and being north facing snow is reasonably reliable. The experts may prefer to go for tree skiing as not too many challenging pistes here. Difficult to medium reds for the intermediates straight down from the top and a variety of blues, altogether there are about 4 or 5 ways down from the top.
Apres Ski
Near the top of the gondolas is good for beginners and served by drag lifts are some blue runs. The runs are gentle from top to bottom and if the snow is good very easy. Après ski other than eating out can include a trip to the bowling alley and for those wanting to spread their wings a cross border trip into Greece is always a possibility.
Resort Information • Pamporova
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Resort Height | 1444m |
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Top Station | 1926m |
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Bottom Station | 1444m |
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Vertical Descent | 480m |
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Drag Lifts | 8 |
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Chair Lifts | 4 |
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High Capacity | 0 |
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Opening Dates | Dec - April |
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Rating Expert | 3 |
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Rating Intermediate | 6 |
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Rating Beginner | 7 |
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Apres Ski Rating | 5 |
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Snow Reliability | 6 |
