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Borovets ski resort is located 73kms from the Bulgarian capital of Sofia and is situated on the northern slopes of Rila Mountain. The resort has twice held alpine skiing World Cup events.

Skiing at Borovets resort takes place in three areas: Borovets, Yastrebets and Markujika. The Markoudjik sector has the best skiing above the tree line. The pistes at the resort cover 40kms and also have facilities for night skiing. An efficient system of 11 lifts takes skiers to their destination. Cross-country skiers will find an excellent 15-kilometre trail (just two kilometres from the resort), along with a world-class biathlon track.

The nearest town to Borovets resort is Samokov, 10kms away. The Borovets ski school has more than 200 ski instructors, fluent in many different languages, and among their ranks are many former professional skiers. Peter Popanguelov Ski School for Expert Skiing offers the services of highly qualified instructors for expert level skiers.

The Rila Hotel is the biggest on the Balkan Peninsula with more than 1500 beds, and also contains a kindergarten (open from 09:00 to 16:30 and 19:00 to 07:00) that can take care of children between the ages of two and four years. Children from four to seven years can join the ski kindergarten nearby (open 09:00 to 16:30). The Ski Patrol has four teams based at the first cable lift station and provides a 24-hour emergency service.

Permanent snow cover (1.5m thick) can be found at Borovets from November to May. A flight to Sofia with a transfer by car or bus is the easiest way to arrive at the resort.

Skiing in Borovets

Borovets ski resort in Bulgaria (near the capital Sofia) is popular due to the low prices of everything in this Eastern European country. The skiing at the resort is overwhelmingly focused on the intermediate skier, but beginners and experts also have good schools from which to learn.

The 18 pistes (covering 40kms) at Borovets resort are divided into 15 per cent for beginners, 75 per cent intermediate, and 10 per cent for advanced and expert skiers. The longest run is 5.8kms. Eighteen lifts cover the 1,090 hectares of skiable terrain. The runs are impeccably prepared with modern machines and one snow cannon is also present. Lighting and sound systems provide skiers with night skiing (17:00 to 22:00).

Winter activities and facilities at the resort include: snowboarding (on a special half-pipe piste), cross-country skiing, ski jumps and biathlon, ski-doo, ice-skating and tobogganing. Other facilities at the resort include: swimming pools, saunas, fitness centre, billiards, table tennis and bowling. It is also possible to take a ‘Ski View’ trip in a helicopter.

The ski season at Borovets normally runs from December to April. The most convenient method of travel to the resort is by plane to Sofia followed by a bus or car connection to the ski resort.

Après-ski in Borovets

The pretty town of Borovets contains a busy shopping street (in front of the Rila Hotel) with an exciting market atmosphere and plenty of bargain prices. The restaurants and eateries in Borovets cover many styles of cuisine, ranging from KFC to Mamacita’s (famous for their steaks).

A lively après ski scene, cheap prices, Bulgarian wine and, of course, the well-prepared pistes are just some of the reasons to visit Borovets ski resort. The ski schools at the resort offer high quality tuition for experts and beginners alike. The après ski scene in Borovets is lively and regarded as one of the best in Europe.

The trip to the monastery at Rila Mountain is an ideal break from skiing. Established in the 10th century by St John of Rila, the monastery contains superb frescoes, wall paintings, collections of icons and manuscripts. Surely the highlight of your journey to the monastery will be the wooden cross adorned with 140 microscopic scenes from the Bible, a true masterpiece of the Renaissance

Transportation in Borovets

The ski resort of Borovets is situated underneath Mousala, the highest peak in the Balkan Peninsula. Travel options to the resort are limited to bus or car from Sofia Airport.

From Sofia to Borovets by car, take E80 for 16kms to where road 82 takes you a further 48kms to Samokov; then turn left on to road 82 and continue for a further 10kms to the resort (74kms; 1 hour, 5 minutes). Profi Tours provides various cost-effective transfers to the resort by car, van or bus, depending on how many people are travelling.

Sofia International Airport is located 10kms from Sofia and receives many flights from European cities on carriers such as British Airways and Air France.

Buses and minibuses leave Sofia for Samokov (from South bus station, Avtogara Yug) every 30 minutes. From Samokov, a van to the resort leaves every 15 minutes, stopping at the Hotel Samokov (1 hour, 15 minutes). On the way back, the van leaves from in front of the Hotel Ela.

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