Skiing and snowboarding in Bulgaria

[Updated 30.03.2018]

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear Bulgaria? The Black Sea coast? The capital Sofia? There is much more you can explore, though – high mountains, picturesque waterfalls, deep caves, bizarre gorges, the Danubian Plain, sand pyramids, waterfalls, mountain lakes, etc. When it comes to nature – Bulgaria has it all. But now I am going to focus on one of the funniest winter activities – skiing and snowboarding. Read below to find information about the biggest ski resorts, prices, contact details and my thoughts.

Чети на български

Seven Rila Lakes – One of the most famous Bulgarian landmarks is the Seven Rila Lakes. Fascinating in the summer, the area is also a preferred spot for skiing and snowboarding in the winter. The cabin lift will take you up to the new and modern hut “Seven Rila Lakes”. A drag is situated right next to a huge plateau where skiing is a real pleasure. The slope that goes through the forest is around 4 km long and is appropriate for both beginners and advanced skiers and snowboarders.

Pros and cons:
+ The Seven Rila Lakes is one of the most affordable places in Bulgaria for skiing and snowboarding
+ The area isn’t as crowded as the big mountain resorts such as Bansko, Pamporovo and Borovets
- The area is only appropriate for skiing and snowboarding when there is natural snow
- Snowmaking machines are not available
- Night skiing and snowboarding is not available
- A fun park is not available

Prices (adults):

- One way ticket: 10 BGN

- Two-way ticket: 18 BGN

- Day ski pass: 31 BGN

- Half-day ski pass: 22 BGN

Prices (children, retired and invalids):

- One way ticket: 8 BGN

- Two-way ticket: 12 BGN

- Day ski pass: 20 BGN

- Half-day ski pass: 17 BGN

Working time:
Monday: 12:00 – 16:30
Tuesday - Sunday: 9:00 – 16:30

Cabin lift desk phone number:  +359884163479

Official website: http://www.rilskiezera.bg/
Note: Every last Monday of the month - technical maintenance all day!

Vitosha – Sofia’s home mountain is the best destination for a quick city escape all year long. Overall there are 15 slopes. For beginners there are 4 green and 5 blue slopes, for advanced skiers and snowboarders there are 4 red and 2 black slopes. The main cabin lift will take you from the outskirts of Sofia up to the Aleko hut, where the so-called “Vitosha tulip 1” slope begins. The upper part is appropriate for beginners, while the lower part of the heel is very steep.

Pros and cons:

+ Vitosha is the nearest mountain to Sofia

+ Night skiing and snowboarding is available

+ Snow making machines are available

- There are 15 ski slopes, but only a few of them are available - “Vitosha tulip” 1, 2 and 3, Pomagalski and Mecha Polyana (Меча поляна)

- A fun park is not available

Prices (adults):

- One way ticket for the cabin lift:  8 BGN

- Two-way ticket for the cabin lift: 12 BGN

- Day ski pass: 28 BGN

- Half-day ski pass: 21 BGN

- Night skiing lift pass: 21 BGN

Prices (children):

- One way ticket for the cabin lift: 5 BGN

- Two-way ticket for the cabin lift: 8 BGN

- Day ski pass: 16 BGN

- Half-day ski pass: 15 BGN

- Night skiing lift pass: 21 BGN

Working time:
Cabin lift "Simeonovo - Aleko": 8:30 - 16:30
Lift "Dragalevtsi": 9:00 - 16:30
Cabin lift phone number: +359882111480

Official website: https://www.skivitosha.com/

Bansko – the famous Bulgarian ski resort is situated in the scenic Pirin mountains. There are mainly visitors from Greece, Romania, Serbia and United Kingdom. Bansko offers 18 slopes, 6 of them are blue and 2 orange for beginners, and 11 red and 2 black for advanced skiers and snowboarders. Snowmaking machines cover 90% of the slopes. If you are experienced enough and you want to avoid the tourist crowds on the ski slopes, you can try off-piste ski touring. Bansko is one of the most frequently visited resorts and also one of the most expensive. Just for reference, a bottle of beer that costs 1 BGN in the supermarket costs 6 BGN here

Pros and cons:

+ Big variety of easy and steep ski slopes

+ 100% working ski slopes during the whole season

+ Snowmaking machines are available

- Expensive ski pass

- Expensive food courts

- Too many tourists

- Night skiing and snowboarding is not available

- A fun park is not available

Prices (adults):

- Two-way gondola lift ticket: 22 BGN

- Day ski pass: 46 BGN
- Half-day ski pass (after 12:30) - 38 BGN

Prices (children):

- Two-way gondola lift ticket: 16 BGN

- Day ski pass: 32 BGN
- Half-day ski pass (after 12:30) - 27 BGN

Prices (students, retirees):

- Two-way gondola lift ticket: 20 BGN

- Day ski pass: 42 BGN
- Half-day ski pass (after 12:30) - 34 BGN

Working time: Monday – Sunday 8:30 – 16:30

Cabin lift phone number: +35974984480

Official website: http://www.banskoski.com/en

Pamporovo – situated only 85 km from the second largest city in Bulgaria Plovdiv, Pamporovo is a great ski destination. There are 18 slopes, 2 green and 6 blue for the beginners, as well as 5 red and 4 black slopes for the advanced skiers and snowboarders. Each slope begins from the highest peak in Pamporovo – Snezhanka (1926). They believe that even the Aegean Sea in Greece can be seen when the weather is clear. A few years ago one of the slopes - “The Wall” - was said to be the steepest slope in whole Eastern Europe.

Pros and cons:

+ Pamporovo is said to be the ski resort with the best slopes for beginners

+ Big variety of ski slopes with different difficulty

+ A fun park is available

+ Night skiing and snowboarding is available

+ Snow making machines are available
+ 1 lift pass covers 2 ski zones - Pamporovo-Mechi Chal
+ Close to the second biggest Bulgarian city - Plovdiv

- Too far from the Bulgarian capital Sofia

- Too many hotels

Prices (adults):

- Two-way gondola lift ticket: 15 BGN

- Day lift pass: 42 BGN

- Half-day lift pass till 12:30: 32 BGN
- Half-day lift pass from 12:30 - 16:30: 29 BGN

Prices (children):

- Two-way gondola lift ticket: 10 BGN

- Day lift pass: 25 BGN

- Half-day lift pass till 12:30: 20 BGN

- Half-day lift pass 12:30 - 16:30: 19 BGN

Working time: Monday – Sunday 8:45 – 16:30

Phone number: 070017702

Official website: https://pamporovo.me/en/

Borovets – the first Bulgarian ski resort, also known as Chamkoriya until the mid of XX century, was built in 1896 by Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria. In 1942 it was renamed to Borovets. The resort offers 25 ski slopes: 7 green and 5 blue for beginners, and 9 red and 4 black ski slopes for advanced skiers and snowboarders. Borovets is one of the most preferred Bulgarian ski resorts.

Pros and cons:

+ Big variety of ski slopes with different difficulty appropriate for both beginners and advanced skiers and snowboarders

+ A fun park is available

+ Night skiing and snowboarding is available

+ Snow making machines are available

+ The nearest to Sofia big ski resort

- Overcrowded

- Overpriced

Prices (adults):

- Two-way gondola lift ticket: 15 BGN

- Day lift pass for all lift facilities: 45 BGN

- Half-day lift pass for all lift facilities 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - 35 BGN

- Half-day lift pass for all lift facilities 12:00 a.m. - 16:30 p.m. - 20 BGN

- Night skiing lift pass: 20 BGN

Prices (children):

- Two-way gondola lift ticket: 10 BGN

- Day lift pass for all lift facilities: 25 BGN

- Half-day lift pass for all lift facilities 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. - 22 BGN

- Half-day lift pass for all lift facilities 12:00 a.m. - 16:30 p.m. - 15 BGN

- Night skiing lift pass: 10 BGN

Working time gondola lifts see here

Information center phone number: +359889607000

Official website: http://www.borovets-bg.com/

Kartala – one of the youngest ski resorts in the country situated at the foot of the picturesque Rila mountain. The cabin lift is quite modern for the Bulgarian standards. Kartala offers 3 ski slopes, one main ski slope, Alpine ski slope, and a ski slope for beginners. Approaching the upper lift station, the surrounding view will blow your mind. The plateau on top of the mountain is appropriate for both beginners and advanced skiers and snowboarders. The main slope is medium, and with enough snow, this place is a real heaven.

Pros and cons:

+ A non-mainstream resort

+ Modern seated lift

+ Affordable prices

+ Ideal for freeriding

- A fun park is not available

- Snowmaking machines are not available

- Night skiing and snowboarding is not available

- The cabin lift works only when there is enough snow
- The cabin lift is non-functional during the 2017-2018 winter season

Prices (adults):
- Day ticket "Pomagalski drag" - 15 BGN (weekdays), 20 BGN (weekends)
- Half-day ticket "Pomagalski drag" - 10 BGN (weekdays), 15 BGN (weekends)

Prices (children):
- Day ticket "Baby drag" - 7 BGN (weekdays), 9 BGN (weekends)

Working time: Monday – Sunday 08:30 – 16:30

Information phone number: +359889500421

Official website: http://kartalaresort.com/

Bezbog – the most popular name of the ski resort Dobrinishte is situated in the Pirin mountains. The place is ideal for both beginners and advanced skiers and snowboarders. The ski slope is 5 km long and its upper part is appropriate for beginners, while the lower part is a challenge for the advanced. Hut Bezbog is a legendary spot. Next to it, there is a lake which is frozen all winter and is invisible under the snow. The area is extremely beautiful and quiet. Bezbog is the peak, where the ski slope begins. In Bulgarian, the name means “godless”. One of the legends about it refers to a Bulgarian village, where Dobrinishte resort is situated today. The locals heard that the Ottomans were coming so they started to run and hide in the mountain. Attracted by the mineral springs in the area, the occupiers decided to settle down here, though. The Bulgarians, hiding in the mountains, ran out of food, so they sent delegates to inform the Ottomans that they won’t accept the Islam. The Ottomans got fiercely angry and they went into the mountains to search the hiding Bulgarians. Once they found them, they killed them all and the lake next to the peak filled with blood. The battle is said to have been so cruel that there was no God at this moment. Thus the name Bezbog.

Pros and cons:
+ A non-mainstream resort
+ Long ski slope appropriate both for beginners and advanced skiers and snowboarders
+ Affordable prices
+ Ideal for freeriding
+ The longest cabin lift in Bulgaria
- The slowest cabin lift in Bulgaria
- A fun park is not available
- No artificial snow making machines
- Night skiing and snowboarding is not available

Prices (adults):
- Two-way gondola lift ticket: 15 BGN
- Day lift pass: 32 BGN
- Half-day lift pass: 20 BGN
- Weekend lift pass: 60 BGN

Prices (children):
- Two-way gondola lift ticket: 15 BGN
- Day lift pass: 15 BGN
- Half-day lift pass: 10 BGN
- Weekend lift pass: 25 BGN

Working time: Monday- Sunday 08:30 – 16:00
Information phone number: + 35974472120
Official website: http://hoteldobrinishte.com/

photo: www.facebook.com/Osogovo-Fun-Park-576367792378033/

Osogovo fun park – as the name suggests, this is a playground in Osogovo mountain with different jumps, jibs, rails, boxes and tubes. There is a short ski slope with drag only.

These were the biggest and most popular ski resorts in Bulgaria. No matter where you go skiing or snowboarding, you have to remember that safety is first. Please, be responsible and avoid dangerous areas where there isn't enough snow, and also avoid avalanche terrains The good winter equipment is also a must. Respect the mountain and its rules and you'll have a wonderful ski experience.