Borovets

The oldest Bulgarian winter resort is Borovets with a history from 1896! Today Borovets is the biggest and most modern resort in Bulgaria. It is situated on the conterminous Borovets col and on the northern slopes of the Mousala ridge in the eastern part of Rila. Huddled in venerable pine woods 1390 meters above the sea level (with highest pistes at 2600 m)makes it a perfect place for relax and recreation. The climate is also considered to be healthy. The winter in the resort is mild and of course with loads of snow! The average temperature during the coldest month January is 4.8?C. Usually the slopes of Borovets have snow cover from mid December till April. The air in Borovets is clear, free of any pollutants.

Borovets is also easy accessible- 12 kilometers long first class road connects it with Samokov; Sofia (the capital of Bulgaria) is just 72 kilometers away. There is a regular bus transport as for Samokov every 30 minutes.

The real charm of Borovets can be felt during the winter. It is then when the harmony with the nature is complete.

The excellent equipment for ski sports attracts thousands of mountain lovers from Bulgaria and from foreign countries. They can use the 45 kilometers various in difficulty and length ski pistes grouped in three regions: Sitnqkovo - Martinovi Baraki - pistes; Markudjik- 4 pistes and Qstrebec- 3 pistes. The pistes on Qstrebets are the best- and all of the competitions in the resort are taking place there! The resort is a regular host of various winter sports competitions. It has twice hosted World Cup competitions in Alpine skiing. Its biathlon track is one of the best in Europe.

Borovets was developed into a modern ski resort of high class with luxury hotels, restaurants, discos, shops and a good choice of pistes and lifts.

Borovets is a resort of Alpine type and provides very good conditions for snow sports during the winter: skiing, night- skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, ski jumps and biathlon, ski-doo, ice-skating in the resort, etc.

There are available ski runs for beginners, intermediates and advanced skiers, designed with international markings and multilingual signs. Pistes are bashed and maintained to the high standard.

The ski runs of Borovets are located in three different regions. Cross-country and biathlon tracks are located 2 km away from the resort together with the cross-country tuition tracks.

Borovets ski centre is serviced by well organized lift system , inclusive Gondola lift.

14 snow cannons for artificial snow are installed to guarantee the snow cover if needed. Read more about this facility. The Borovets Borovets ski school has been known as one of the best in Bulgaria. There are more than 200 ski instructors fluent in foreign languages and some of them are former professional skiers. We have received hundreds of positive comments from tourists who used their services.

Don't miss:

• 'HELI-SKI'- the resorts offers transportation to the rough ski runs by helicopter. You can ski on unprocessed terrains escorted by qualified ski instructors
• 'VIEW FLY'-Flight by helicopter above the Borovets area, so you can view & enjoy the beautiful nature of the Rila mountain
• 'HELI-TRANSPORTATION' by helicopter from Borovets to the skiing areas Yatrebets & Markudjitsi

There are ski and snowboard rental services around the Gondola lift station, but we strongly recommend you book your holiday with us and take advantage of our low prices comparing to those on spot in the resort.

Mountain rescue service is available 24 hours a day. Telephone contact details +359 7128 2450; +359 48 1841; +359 88 1473.

BOROVETS PISTES
Height of resort: 1350 m
Highest skiing area: 2500 m
Total length of runs: 40 km
Longest run: 5,8 km
Direction of slopes: North
Cross country tracks length: 18 km
Lift system: 1 chair lift, 6 drag lifts, 1 gondola, Few baby drag lifts
There are 19 ski tracks (ski runs) with total length of 40 km. All tracks are divided according to their level of difficulty and they can satisfy any skill level - beginners, intermediate or advanced skiers.

The 4 Sitnyakovski tracks are the longest. The one with 'medium' level of difficulty is 5800 m long. The other 3 tracks are 'difficult' and are long respectively 4000 m, 4000 m and 1000 m.

Martinovi Baraki tracks are 4 too. The one with highest level of difficulty is called 'Martinovi Baraki 4' and is 1240 m long. The other 3 pistes are respectively 1160 m, 1160 m and 1260 m, all of them are 'difficult' and 'medium difficult'.

Yastrebets tracks are 3. They are long 2300 m, 3000 m and 2350 m.

Cross-country tracks of total length of 18 km. There is a 10 km track next to the gondola.

The highest tracks in the mountain are Markougjika, total 4 tracks. Each of them is about 1300 m long.

Night skiing on lighting is available opposite hotel Rila every day from 5 pm to 10 pm.

Beginners can enjoy a high standard of English speaking instruction and gentle nursery slopes, just beside the Rila Hotel Complex and barely three minutes' walk from the Hotel Samokov and Borosport chalets. Instruction is 4 hours per day, 6 days a week (2 hours a day for cross country). The friendly, fluent in foreign languages instructors make learning quick and efficient. Beginners start the week on the nursery slopes outside the Hotel Rila but by the end of the week everyone is heading for the gondola lift and the more challenging runs at the top of Yastrebets. The Borovets ski school has an excellent international reputation.

The best ski run for absolute beginners is Sitnyakovo 1 (5800 m)

Intermediate skiers can enjoy a very good resort for their skills. Most of the total 18 ski runs are ideal for the intermediate skier. The choices are wide and varied, with excellent skiing in the exciting Yastrebets area and from the Sitnyakovski chair lift. The well-planned lift system includes the 5 km, 6-person Yastrebets gondolla lift, which opens up a wealth of enjoyable runs, ranging from wide sunny boulevards in the Moussala basin, to scenic looping trails through the trees. From the gondolla taking you to the top you can try the longest downhill run in Bulgaria, as well as some great skiing on the slopes of the wind-free basin underneath Moussala peak.

Advanced skiers and experts can enjoy the black runs of Markujik 2 and 3. Also the testing World Cup run, one of the more challenging pistes on the Yastrebets area or the excellent skiing through the trees and off-piste.

Borovets is one of the highest rideable areas in Europe with some well varied terrain. The best spots to head for are those above 2500m and the runs under the Gondola. For those who want to leave the ground there is plenty of natural hits and rollers.

Modern machines maintain the excellent condition of the ski tracks. No matter if it is snowing or not the tracks are trampled down every night. The company maintaining the pistes gives a guarantee of 120 days of snowy tracks per year. So skiing on the tracks is possible form the beginning of December till mid April.

Borovets is full of bars, cafes, night clubs, and discos. The night life is excellent at this resort (Buzz bar, Mamacitas, Bonkers disco, etc). This resort is known as the most interesting ski centre regarding party time. Been catering for foreign tourists for many years now, the staffs are known to be friendly and professional. Most of the places work till the early morning, and offer good prices and special 'happy hour' discounts.

Music played is mostly international dance music. Very often special shows are presented at the clubs. There are available restaurants and taverns with Bulgarian national folk music and 'horo' dancing, which some people find very interesting.

Places to go
We would certainly recommend the world famous Rila Monastery or the busy city of Sofia for sightseeing or shopping. You can also visit the palace "Carska Bistrica" which is just 10 miniutes walk from the new center of the resort.

Credit cards
ATMs are available at the resort. Accepted are Visa, MasterCard, Cirrus, Maestro cards.

Medical & dental service
The Emergency ski patrol service is available 24 hours a day. Ambulance and clinic (with doctor and nurses) are available, as well as first aid serving all ski slopes. Fully equipped and functioning hospital is available in Samokov. Highly qualified dentists are available at the resort too. Some medical and all dental services must be paid by cash to the doctors (clinics). They should provide the necessary bills, receipts and invoices describing the service and the cost, so that you can claim back the expense to your insurance company. It's recommended you call your insurance company and inform them in case of injury. Please follow their instructions.