Pamporovo, Bulgaria
Pamporovo is a purpose-built modern ski resort located in the south eastern Rhodope Mountain Range near to the Greek border.
It is the sunniest and most southern mountain ski resort in Bulgaria with a skiing season running from mid-December to mid-April with an average of 120 sunny days. The climate, which is generally mild, ensures good snow cover and it does not change quickly so that there is little risk from avalanches. The resort is mostly scattered over the lower slopes of Mount Snezhanka (1,926m) and all the ski runs are safe and well maintained, with a range that suits absolute beginners and more experienced skiers, with more and more investors considering Pamporovo for their property investment abroad.
Ski slopes
There are 25 ski slopes including ‘The Giant Slalom’ and ‘The Wall’, as well as 3 long-distance cross-country runs for the experts. Nearly all the tracks start from the Snezhanka peak and run down the northern, eastern and western sides of the mountain. There are 5 chairlifts and 13 tow lifts with a capacity to carry over 8,500 people up the slopes every hour. Teaching is available from qualified instructors in various languages and there is a ski-kindergarten where children learn to ski and use sledges too. Ski gear can be rented from outlets near the ski runs and lift stations. All the ski slopes have first aid, ambulance and medical clinics available and both the Emergency Ski Patrol and Mountain Rescue Services are on call 24hrs a day. Although there are some wonderful areas for off-piste skiing and snowboarding, it is always best to the use the services of a local guide.
Transport
There are plenty of buses to transport visitors between the slopes and the hotels, and there are regular services to all the main towns in the region. There is also a regular service to Sofia, 250km away, (by road 3 - 4hrs.), and to Bulgaria’s 2nd largest city, Plovdiv, a distance of 85km. The nearest airport is at Plovdiv and at present caters mainly for package holidays, but there are plans hopes to open it up to the general flight market soon. Flight times to the UK are approximately 3½ hrs.
Eating out
There is a variety of restaurants and the traditional Rhodope cuisine includes Lamb Kebab (cheverme), Stuffed Vine Leaves (sarmi), white Bean Stew (smolenski bob), and a local variation of the traditional Bulgarian cheese banitsa. All of it is worth a try! It is worth noting that the cost of food and drink at cafes on the slopes can be as much as 4 times as expensive as in the hotels, although it is still cheaper than the UK equivalent.
Activities
Apart from skiing, other winter activities include snowboarding, tobogganing, husky dog-sleds, and an amazing ski show. Pamporovo is becoming popular in summer too when guided walking and cycling tours are on offer, mountain bikes can be hired, and tennis courts, horse riding and hiking are all available. The central area around the Perelik Hotel remains open all year, and some chairlifts continue to operate to take visitors to the top of the Snezhanka peak. Here the TV Tower presides over the whole resort, with a café and observation gallery giving views not only over the Central Rhodopes and the Thracian Plain, but also, on a clear day, to parts of the Rila and Pirin mountain ranges, and even to Greece. 20 minutes walk from here will bring you to the Orpheus Rocks (Orfeevi skali) – supposedly this mythical singers’ birthplace – where the view overlooking the Smolyan Valley with its surrounding mountains is spectacular.
Growth
The Sofia Echo reports that Pamporovo is expecting a 30 per cent increase in the number of tourists this year and new hotels accommodating 1,000 guests have been built in anticipation of this as well as improvements to the ski runs. Georgi Georgiev, chairman of Pamporovo 21st Century, an association of hotel owners and restaurateurs, said that a figure in excess of 55 million Euros had been invested in Pamporovo in the last two years alone. Pamporovo has an increasing number of bulgarian investment property available.
Cape Verde
Egypt
Germany (Berlin)
Montenegro
Brazil (Bahia)
Sustainable Investments
UK
