Bulgaria is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and with good reason. Winter tourism in Bulgaria is special. Bulgaria probably has some of the best winter resorts in Europe, or even the world. Come winters most European tourists and ski enthusiasts seem to make a beeline for the several destinations in Bulgaria. With a whole host of mountains in the country this shouldn’t come as any surprise though. The Balkan mountain range runs through the width of the country dividing it into two clear halves and it is in the south western part of the country that most of the ski resorts are located.

BULGARIA'S TOP SKY RESORTS

•  Bansko
  
• Borovets
• Pamporovo
• Vitosha

Bansko - is a unique small town of authentic architecture from the Bulgarian Revival period. In Winter, Bansko is the winter sports center of Pirin Mountain; during the Summer, Bansko is the premier starting point for a number of tourist routes to the Pirin Mountain. Closest airport is Sofia Airport.
Distance from Sofia: 150 km, Southwest Bulgaria; transfer time: two-and-a-half hours from Sofia Airport
Population: 10’000; Climate: mild in-town climate, temperatures are slightly lower than those at major cities.

 Altitude: 990 m, altitude of highest ski run: 2500 m, altitude of lowest ski run: 1100 m, longest run: 3,5 km
Total kilometers of marked ski runs: 55 km, total kilometers of marked cross country trails: 9 km
Difficulty of slopes – beginner: 35 %, intermediate: 40 %, advanced: 25 %
Transfer to the ski runs: one 8-person Gondolla cabin lift with a capacity of 2400 person/hour
Total number of lifts: 14; lift types: one Gondolla, 6 chair lifts, 6 drag lifts; lift hours: 9:00 – 16:15
Ski and snowboard school: some of Bulgaria’s best instructors
Other winter sports: snowboarder’s half-pipe, a biathlon track with a shooting range, a winter sports stadium, a Junior Ski Club.

Delicious Bulgarian meals and local red wine are easy to find. Over one hundred places to dine out, predominantly local-style “mehana” restaurants. Live performances of local artists are common in “mehana” dining places. The peculiar local cuisine includes traditional meals, such as Kapama, Chomlek, Banski Starets.

Popular sites include the St. Trinity Church, Velyanova House, Neofit Rilski Museum-house, Nikola Vaptsarov Museum-house, Poetry and arts house, numerous souvenir shops. Local men dress as Koukeri on Januray 1st and chase away evil spirits from the streets of Bansko. Other prominent events include Easter concert, Bansko Tradition Festival in May, Bansko Jazz Fest in Summer, and a Christmas concert.

Borovets - The picturesque resort of Borovets is located in the Rila mountains and is one of the most famous winter resorts in South-East Europe. Borovets is the oldest mountain resort in Bulgaria, which often gathers the elite in world skiing. The resort is 1350 m above sea level on the northern slopes of the Rila Mountain. Borovets is at the foot of peak Moussala (2925 m) - the highest one on the Balkan Peninsula. The resort of Borovets is 73 km away from Sofia and 126 km away from Plovdiv (see the map), which means that both Sofia/Plovdiv with their international airports can serve as arrival/departure points. In addition to the regular public transport, the organisers plan to co-operate with the big hotels in Borovets which are especially experienced in meeting thousands of tourists during the winter. Efficient local connections will facilitate the conference participants, who may not be experienced with the Cyrillic alphabet and who - given the fact that the majority of the Bulgarian population does not speak English - might need some additional support in this respect at least upon arrival. A taxi from Sofia to Borovets has a relatively low price, so that arrival by taxi from the national airport in Sofia to the conference venue is a realistic scenario.

Pamporovo - resort complex is situated in the heart of the Rhodope Mountains, a 260 km from Sofia, 85 km south of Plovdiv and 15 km from Smolyan. The reesort is known as one of the sunniest mountain resorts in Bulgaria. One day on slopes of Pamporovo is sufficient to obtain a beautiful sunny suntan. The sunny days during the whole year are more than 240. The significant influence of The Aegean Sea appears here and the skiing season starts from mid December to mid April. The average air temperature is 8,5°С and thickness of snow is 140 - 150 cm, which hold more than 150 days a year. Altitude of the resort is 1 650 m, as the highest peak is "Snejanka" - 1 926 m. For Pamporovo are not typical abrupt changes in weather or avalanche.

Pamporovo resort complex was established in 1933. Its name derives from the ancient word "pampor" which means caravan. According to legend commercial caravans from Belomorieto to Southwest Thrace have crossed the Pamporovo. Native landowner who built shelters for wintering of caravans which been called "Pampor" and its land "Pamporovo". This is the only mountain resort where lift pass work during the summer. Tourists may choose from village tourism, tennis courts, bowling, archery, high-mountain biking, skiing, snowboard and sledges during the winter.

The infrastructure of the resort is well designed, has regular buses to neighboring towns and resorts, restaurants offering traditional Bulgarian cuisine, fast food restaurants, pizza restaurant, cafes, bars, discos, clear, snack bars and shops.

In the area of the resort are resorts settlements "Stoykite", ethnographic complex "Shiroka Laka", "Progled", "Momchilovtsi", "Gela", "Bachkovski" monastery, "Narechenskite" baths and "Smolyan" lakes.

Pamporovo has many and varied ski slopes of different length and degree of difficulty. Most ski runs starting from the top "Snejanka" pick and located altitude of 1926 meters to 1450 meters. Part of them start from television tower and reached to the resort center and to the Smolyan lakes. The total length of the ski slopes is 19 km. Lifts capacity are around 7000 people per hour. For beginner skiers and students have built several green slopes, but for advanced skiers are several very steep black slopes. For lovers of cross-country skiing and Biathlon there are suitable slopes around the peak "Snejanka" and sport shooting in the area "Dam Lake".

Vitosha - is the most visited Bulgarian Mountain. It rises immediately above Sofia and is one of the symbols of our capital. Few are the big cities in the world, and capitals are even fewer, that possess such a natural advantage. Vitosha Mountain is the most significant part of the Plana-Zavala Mountain system. With its highest peak - Cherni Vrah (2290 m.) it occupies the fourth place among the Bulgarian moun- tains.

Vitosha is very rich in springs and rivers. The longest river is the Strouma and in fact the others are tributaries of the Strouma and the Iskur rivers. The larger ones are the Vladaiska, the Boyanska, the Dragalevska, the Bistritsa, the Zhelezhnishka, and the Palakaria. There are no natural lakes in Vitosha but two man-made ones exist – Boyana Reservoir (1906) and the Stoudena Dam. There are also many springs scattered throughout the mountain which are mainly utilized as water catchments. The thermal waters of the springs are popularly known for their curative powers such as the one at Knyazheno (22-31.5 C) as well as at Rondantsy, at Boyana, and at Simeonovo. One of the most beautiful natural sights within Vitosha is the Boyana Waterfall. At an altitude of 1200 m on the Boyanska River, the waterfall drops 15 m and is the most impressive on Vitosha.

Aleko, at an altitude of 1800 m, is one of the most popular holiday making spots. It provides ski runs, lift facilities, three hotels, and restaurants which have turned this spot into an international winter sports center. Snow cover here lasts at least 150 days and the average annual temperature is 3.3 C. Aleko received its name in honor of the well-known novelist Aleko Constantinnov. In the summer of 1895, on the initiative of Aleko Constantinnov, about 300 nature lovers and enthusiasts climbed Cherni Vruh inaugurating the beginning of organized mountain walking societies in Bulgaria.