Bulgarian Ski slopes served as the very cheap option for tourists from the North West countries and especially the one coming from the bigs island, but also the most reachable option for the domestic tourists and the neighbourhood countries. Bulgaria has four ski resorts, Bansko being the biggest and the most famous, then Borovets with its signature Rila Hotel, Pamporovo, which is considered more like the extra mile or still hidden and less crowded gem, and the small resort of Vihren.
In the past years it served as the budget friendly and value for money option for everyone and especially very available option. But I think that through the years things have changed and depending on the type of skier or type of tourism you prefer, maybe other options should be considered.
BANSKO
I learned to ski in Bansko, as a part of the group so hiring a teacher here used to be very handy. Still, the crowds at the gondola were something else. We would wake up ate 7am to be the first there, but it always included 30minutes wait. I can’t say much about the piste in Bansko as I was super starter, and didn’t experienced them as I am experiencing pistes now, but i remember it was ultra crowded. The good thing with Bansko is that it has plenty of accommodation options, which makes it still very affordable, but it is more like a city rather than a ski village, and sometimes you might end up a bit far from the gondola. On the other hand it has ski road going back to the city, which will make the closing of the day very satisfying.
As for me Bansko is more of a party place rather than a real-ski deal, of course somebody will not agree, but I would need to relive it once again in order to tell the experience from another perspective. I was definitively not a fan of the restaurants in town, but on the other hand the 180 degrees bar on the slopes was always a win, from interior to dishes.
The day pass in Bansko is 50 euros and the 6 days pass is 280 euros.
BOROVETS
Borovets was actually first visit to Bulgaria ever. We went in September 2013 on a family trip and everything was amazing. We’ve stayed in the Rila Hotel, did some exploring and little hikes, and even took the Yastrebets gondola. This year not having a plan in our head about how we are going to spend the winter holiday, we made a spontaneous decision to go to Borovets, because it was the closest from our accommodation point. Luckily there were some free lodging options and we went for one directly on the slopes called Forest Star. It was one star hotel with breakfast included, family owned hotel so the staff was really trying, but there could be improvements definitively. Many of the piste were closed, or partially open and it was full with kids taking their first ski lesson, and that was creating a lot of congestion on the slopes.
Restaurants wise the prices were more on the northern-european rather than on the Balkan price range, but I guess everything depends on the guests visiting. But for double the less you could go 10 kms in the nearby town Samokov and have the same dishes, some of them probably with better quality. The most famous restaurants there were The Old House and the Kaymakanova House, where the portions were extra large.
The day pass in Borovets is 45 euros and the 6 days pass is 255 euros for 58km of piste, that mostly were closed and also there is no real connection to the Gondola area. You were kind of forced to repeat 4 slopes all the time, but okay sometimes that is better than not going on a ski vacation.
But personally, it was surprising, especially the value for money part, but in case you want to experience a new country then why not, still I would prefer doing that for other activities, unless you combine it with visit to the capital or some surrounding areas. Les Deux Alpes offers the daily pass for 60 euros and 6 days pass is 296 and the difference is 50-70 vs. 200km of piste, just for comparison. In the end depends what kind of tourism you are interested in.
The closest airport to reach the ski centres is Sofia, and if you are renting a car don’t forget to buy a vignette, online is cheaper and easier, goes the same for buying and reloading a ski pass, you just need to pick it up at the cash register.
CONCRETE COLLAGE 