Bulgaria is known especially as a summer holiday destination, while its mountains also hide several skiing gems. The most famous is Pamporovo in Rhodopes. Where was allegedly born the antique musician and singer Orpheus.
The trip from the capital city – Sofia to this ski resort takes approximately three hours. It’s just a small step from the Greek borders. The highest peak of Rodopes is Perelik, with an altitude of 2,191 meters.
With a Television Tower Overhead
Pamporovo is presented together, including the logo, with Mechi Chal, the ski resort located a little bit lower. The pistes lead to the Snežanka peak (1,926 m above sea level), where a 156-meter-long TV transmitter with a panoramic restaurant and a panoramic terrace is located.
The view from there is beautiful when the weather is nice. In the distance, the Pirin Mountains and the highest Bulgarian mountain Rila are visible. The locals say there are days when you can see the seat of Greek gods – Olymp and the Aegean Sea.
From the skiing point of view both Pamporovo and Mechi Chal are relatively high standard. 60 km of slopes of all levels are waiting for you. The longest is over four kilometers long. The light green one, which is especially preferred by skiers from the British Isles, is included as well. If you are an experienced skier you can enjoy the ride on the six black slopes.
A Lot of Sun, Clean Air
What Pamporovo visitors appreciate is a great chance of nice weather. Every year there are about 240 sunny days. Since there isn’t even much of heavy industry in the surrounding area, the air is exceptionally clean and the people with respiratory illnesses also seek this place. The coniferous forests climb up to the summit of Snežanka. For skiers and summer tourists it has an advantage – trees protect slopes and mountain paths from an unpleasant wind.
Although the Bulgarian resort is only 100 centimeters lower in altitude than Slovak Chopok mountain, they are very comparable. The massive construction of several floor hotels, restaurants and especially apartment houses is very similar. Here we could also see that although the winter season has already started, many people are still waiting for the purchase. You can stay in 80 hotels of all categories including a 5-star hotel Perelik, which, would certainly has one star less in our lands.
And there is something more: prices in Pamporovo are still quite reasonable, especially for meals, drinks, rent of ski equipment, but especially skipasses. The full ticket is at the time of the peak season for adult 55 lev (about 22 €) and child 33 lev (16 €).
Where to Go After Skiing?
History lovers can visit after all day skiing the historical village Široká Luka. In 1965, it was declared an ethnographic reservation. Multi-level 200-year-old houses except some of them are still inhabited. Gradually, many have been repaired thanks to foreign funds.
Bulgarian cuisine, strongly influenced by both Turkish and Greek, is extremely diverse. There are different spices in the dishes, such as čubrica (savory), cumin or spearmint. In traditional Bulgarian restaurants, such as Ševermeto, the lamb and chicken are entire roasted on fire. Watching the chefs serving the meat is a great show. In addition to freshly baked meat, you can also taste typical cheeses such as sirene or kaškaval. Vegetable salads, especially the world-famous Shopska salad and cabbage with grape leaves filled with minced meat. And if you don’t try fresh banica, which is a puff pastry pie filled with salty or sweet curd cheese, that would be a sin. Bulgarian wines are also worth a try.
And they will be accompanied by local folkloric singers and musicians called gajdoši.
Text: Jana Janků, photo: Jana Janků a Renáta Rehorovská
