Beautiful mountains. Quaint villages. Europe is filled with sights that delight tourists and locals alike and non more beautiful than Bansko, Bulgaria. Bulgaria in general is both beautiful and picturesque and is also rich in culture. A big part of that culture is to enjoy the natural beauty around them. And for a lot of people, that means skiing. Skiing in Bansko, Bulgaria is a great way to enjoy Bulgaria’s top ski resort area.

Why is skiing in Bansko, Bulgaria so special? Well for starters, it boasts a brand new ski resort area. The buildings are new and designed to allow the maximum comfort of the guests. The ski season also lasts for a while, up until May, and the area is blessed with plenty of snow to make the area desirable for skiers.

Generally, skiing in Bansko, Bulgaria is great for beginners, medium level skiers, and even experts. Snowboarders also enjoy the mountain. Are like I once was and considering skiing in Bulgaria? Here are some tips on booking and enjoying your ski vacation in Bansko.

When will you go?

If you have ultimate flexibility, the best time to go skiing in Bansko, Bulgaria is after it snows. This will offer the best snow conditions possible for your ski vacation. Other than that, the height of the ski season generally runs from December until May so choose whichever days are convenient for your trip. You can easily tie this in with a Christmas vacation, or for New Year’s.

Where will you stay?

There are a few options in terms of lodging during your ski vacation in Bansko. Your first choice is to rent a vacation apartment. These are perfect, especially if you have a lot of people or plan to stay for a more extended period of time. There are also hotels and you can stay in quaint, family run hotels or more expensive hotels. Keep in mind that you may want to make sure that the hotel price includes breakfast. This can save you money in the long run.

When you get there…

When you arrive for your skiing in Bansko, Bulgaria you may want to keep in mind that it is probably best if you book your hotel in advance. This is an upcoming ski resort that has grown popular over the years. This is especially important to keep in mind if you are traveling on a weekend or during a popular holiday time.

There are also other things to do besides skiing. Walk around the streets of Bansko and enjoy the atmosphere. This is the best way to get acquainted with the Bulgarian culture. Experience the food and the people and observe how the mountains have shaped their culture.

Bansko makes for a fun vacation. The best times to go are from December to May and if you have flexibility, try to go after a snow storm. The ski resort area is fairly new and has nice facilities. Many think that Bansko has the best ski resort area in Bulgaria. So if skiing is your passion, skiing in Bansko will not disappoint.
Author Resource:- Mal Keenan is owner of Ski in Bansko website having invested in a ski apartment in Bulgariain 2005. Check out his Ski in Bulgaria & Bansko Website.

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The climate here is mild in winter with snow cover from December to April but there is plenty of snow around. The Bulgarian government has recently committed to developing the resort further under a scheme called ‘Super Borovets’, with the aim of turning it into a world-class, year-round resort.

Skiing in Borovets

Although a well established resort, Borovets has all the facilities and comforts of a modern winter sports centre. The resort has hosted the Alpine ski World Cup twice and offers visitors a wide range of world-class ski runs to suit all abilities from novice to expert. Skiers here can also take part in cross-country skiing, ski-doo, ice skating, snowboarding, biathlons and ski jumping. The biathlon track here is held to be one of the best in Europe.

The resort’s ski facilities are excellent and will be improved further during the ‘Super Borovets’ initiative. The resort has around 19 ski runs split into three areas (Sitniakoyo, Markoudzhik and Yastrebets). International signs and markings are used across the resort which well maintained and serviced. There are a range of lifts including a gondola, chair lifts, drag lifts and baby drag lifts.

Accommodation in Borovets

The resort offers a full range of accommodation both for people who wish to go self-catering and for people who wish to stay in hotels. The hotels in Borovets include high-quality luxury hotels and mid-range and smaller options. There are plenty of hotels here due to the size and popularity of the resort. People looking to rent accommodation are also given plenty of choice. Self-catering options include chalets, bungalows, houses, villas and apartments. Visitors can choose to rent new properties or older, traditional homes and there are options available for all size of party.

Entertainment in Borovets

The resort offers all kind of options for eating-out and night-life. There are many restaurants, bars, cafes, discos and clubs in the town to suit all tastes. Many visitors like to try out local cuisine but restaurants also offer a full range of other options here from simple snacks through to classic modern European cooking.

Local attractions

Many visitors describe Borovets as being like a big friendly village. Although the town isn’t large it is still full of local charm and tradition. The countryside in the area is lovely in both winter and summer and many people choose to spend their spare time walking and hiking and horse riding is also available. Taking a trip up Mount Musala is a popular option for many. Visitors should also make sure to visit the Bistrista Palace. This old royal hunting lodge is worth a trip in itself but make sure to take a look at the local woodcarvings there which are a local tradition.

Those looking for attractions further afield can visit Sofia which is around an hour’s drive away. There are a lot of museums and churches worth a look here including the National History Museum and the St Nikolai Church.

Conclusion

It’s not surprising that so many people choose to return to Borovets after their first ski trip. The resort offers high quality skiing and facilities, the locals are friendly and there is plenty to do in the town. Although the most popular resort in the country, costs are still relatively low compared to the UK which makes it even easier to enjoy a stay in Borovets!

Josh Taylor writes regularly on real estate and business topics.

Find further regional information and a variety of both full and self-catering accommodation in Borovets, Bulgaria ranging from hotels to apartments and ski chalets at Sunny Rentals.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Josh_Taylor

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Bulgaria is popular and favorable for investments of vacation villas. The interest in investing in real estates in our country has been preserved still high despite the new destinations that enter the international market. The exposition in the English capital has been visited by approximately 12 000 people despite the poor advert from the English side .At the official Bulgarian stand 12 companies have taken part in.

The tendency of previous years has not been changed and most offered but sought after are the vacation properties along the Black sea coast and in mountain resorts

Preference of Bulgaria have mostly young people. In recent years this tendency is expected to be saved, the holiday property market to calm down and focus to be moved on city dwellings.

Imposing of Northern Cypress becomes a factor in British market. The country is widely advertised and popularized. The English feel sympathy for this part of Europe because of the fact that it is an ex colony of the Kingdom.

The country though cannot be compared with Bulgaria in price matter. Proposals that comes from Cypress are at three to eight times higher prices than those in our country . Moreover Bulgaria is more attractive and varies in natural resources.

A stand of our country has been organized in the exhibit in Moscow. Here most sought after are sea and ski properties but an increasing interest is observed in new developments in Sofia and Plovdiv. In comparison with other years this is the greatest exhibition for Bulgaria. The Russian market goes up and develops mostly its part of investments in foreign properties. An absolute bang can be seen in offering and seeking and Bulgaria is on the first place in this matter.

All this is due to a rank of factors. Possibilities for investing in Russia are merely finished and in conditions of poor offering ,buyers begin to orient towards foreign markets.

In last two years ,customers become more informed for overseas markets of real estates .Recently there were no enough sources of information for this topic on a local basis. Nowadays media affords enough materials Free Articles,which facilitates the right orientation of the audience.

On all aspects of investing in Bulgarian properties visit our website for a huge resource of articles and the largest and most diverse selection of quality properties in Bulgaria at www.ICBproperties.com

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There’s no secret why Bulgaria has come to prominence over the last few years – it’s the best value beach holiday destination in Europe. Here are ten tips on what Bulgaria offers the holidaymaker, year round.

Beaches: You might not expect to find places with English names like Sunny Beach and Golden Sands, but these 1960s resorts have been brought right up to date while living up to their names. Sunny Beach is big and brash – Golden Sands is better for a more relaxed holiday.

Beaches plus: You don’t have to stay in a purpose-built resort to enjoy the beach. Nessebar, just a few miles from Sunny Beach, is a “living museum” town of cobbled streets and historic buildings reached by causeway from its beach hotels. Sozopol is another old town with a busy modern quarter.

Spa and wellness: Many of the new hotels that have sprung up in beach resorts offer beauty treatments and therapies. Aromatherapy and thalassotherapy, using sea water, are among the options.

Skiing: The resorts of Pamporovo and Borovets are especially good for beginners and a lot of money has been spent to improve accommodation standards, ski schools and ski lifts. The resort of Bansko is also good for intermediate and expert grades too, and is the most extensive with 40 miles of marked pistes.

Mountain activities: Bansko is a year-round resort with lots going on in the summer too. Try kayaking, mountain biking, rafting or trekking to the peak of Mount Vihren, at nearly 3,000 metres above sea level.

Cruising: Embark at the port of Varna to discover the Black Sea, stopping at places including Sozopol and Nessebar. Longer cruises visit Romania and Turkey.

History:A tour of the interior opens your eyes to a land of medieval towns and Orthodox monasteries. Don’t miss ancient Plovdiv (Bulgaria’s second city), the former capital of Veliko Tarnovo, and Rila monastery.

Wine: Many vineyards welcome visitors, where you can sample little-known and under-rated vintages such as Lyaskovets and Haskovo.

Country pleasures: Villages have come back to life after the collectivisation policy of the Communists. Farmhouse accommodation is starting to develop – and the food is delicious.

Culture capital: Sofia is a surprisingly diverse city, with ancient mosques and synagogues among its Orthodox cathedral and churches. It is close to Mount Vitosha, for a day or half-day glimpse of nature.

Bulgaria is not just a great choice for sun and sand but a place of history and culture, where people have re-discovered their traditions after the dismal years of Communism.

With availability of low cost flights to Bulgaria from all over Europe, holidays in Bulgaria remain affordable and a great alternative to the more traditional European holiday centres.

Penny Church in collaboration with travel writer Jimi St. Pierre, writes for several UK travel companies and recommends Travelwhere, the map-based holiday brochure finder and destination information resource for the UK traveller. With Travelwhere, you can find cheap flights to Bulgaria along with a wealth of additional information – including the package holiday brochures of specialist tour operators to Bulgaria.

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Stoykite
The picturesque village of Stoykite has a population of 420 men and it is situated in the very heart of the Western Rhodopes. This small Rhodope village has preserved its authentic face, its national traditions, customs and culture, which turns it into a veritable open-air museum.
Stoykite is located 16 km north-west from Smolyan, 95 km south-west from Plovdiv and 10 km away from the “Perelik” resort. The village can accommodate about 800 visitors in the hotels and in the private lodgings.

Stikal
The village of Stikal is located 5 km away from the village of Gela. The name Stikal comes from the old Bulgarian word “kale” which means castle, fortress. The village is known for the curious matter that its people are fewer than its houses. According to the official data the residents number 45 men but in the winter less than 25 people remain. Nonetheless almost every house can give accommodation to the tourists. “A house won’t get eaten up if a stranger should sleep in it. You won’t run out of food if you feed him but he will remember the good thing you did for him till the end of his days.” These words are the creed of the Stikalians. The caves Beliat Kamak (the White Stone Cave) and Serdarevata Peshtera (the Serdareva Cave) are located near the village.

Solishta
The village of Solishta is a small village which has scattered its houses about the hills beneath Mount Turlata, 5 km away from Shiroka Laka in the Lukovitsa River vale.
A matter of interest is the village’s church complex, especially the bell-tower of the “Sveta Nedelya” church(Holy Sunday), crafted by the self-taught master Filyu Korbadjiev. The “Chernoka” protected area is located close to the village- the area has a Black Pine forest with over 3oo years old trees.
There is a tourist accommodation office offering accommodation services; there are also chalets offering very good conditions which can be hired separately.

Gela
The village of Gela is situated in the Rhodopes Perelik ridge. The closest town to it is Shiroka Laka – 6 km away from it, and the village of Solishta which is 9 km away from it. The setting up of this settlement is lost in the mists of time but we know that it has been inhabited by the Thracians. According to a legend the village of Gela is the birth place of Orpheus. Each summer the village of Gela hosts a national bagpipe music contest. In August there takes place the “Ilinden” fair, held at the “St. Elijah” Chapel (the first Saturday and Sunday of August). In Gela you can stay at private lodgings or small family hotels offering about 100 beds.

Mugla
The village of Mugla is situated on the upper reaches of the Muglenska River which astounds with the beauty of its picturesque waterfalls and rapids. The Bulgarian- Greek border is near it. According to an old legend the village was founded 5 centuries ago by four unmarried lads each of whom had stolen a maiden from Smolyan. They then hid themeselves in the unaccessable forests of today’s Mugla. The age of the village is indicated by the inscribed tablets, discovered in the surrounding lands; the archaeologists have not yet been able to decipher these inscriptions. The village is popular for its large number of Karst springs, the biggest of which is the spring Yaza. The wooden minaret of the mosque in the village centre is an unique piece of art. Many tourist routes start from Mugla and the village is part of the International European Tourist Route Е8.

Author: Sports & Tourist Center Perelik www.perelikbg.com

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Only 73km from Sofia, lays Borovets, the biggest and the oldest Bulgarian ski resort. It was established in 1896 and since then it has become a very popular ski destination on the Balkans. Situated in Rila Mountain, at 1,350m above sea level, Borovets offers a dramatic scenery. It is located at the foot of peak Mousala (2,925m), the highest mountain summit on the peninsula, attracting mountaineers from the entire continent.

The resort offers over 45km of ski runs, kept in excellent condition. Borovets also boasts a very good ski program – it has more than 200 instructors, who teach at 5 difficulty levels.

In Borovets visitors can find numerous hiking trials that, depending on the season, can lead tourists to multiple picturesque mountain spots.

Borovets is also known for its great night life and many tourist attractions.

Several European and American aid programmes are working to help small hoteliers turn the unspoiled Rhodope Mountains into a year-round tourist attraction, as the terrain shelters numerous natural wonders such as caves, mineral springs and landscapes that embody the country’s unique charm.

Pamporovo is undergoing an exciting period of growth with the construction of five new ski runs this season alone. The total length of the runs in the resort now reaches over 31km and official estimates project a 40% increase in tourist numbers for the coming season. However, Pamporovo does not stop its lift for the summer, allowing visitors to view spectacular vistas from the peaks. The only Olympic size half pipe for snowboarding in Bulgaria will also be completed by next season. Pamporovo, together with the nearby village of Chepelare, will soon boast over 59km of ski runs.
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Turlata – an area of 18.6 ha. Protection of territories with spectacular landscapes; remains of fortresses, dating from the Second Bulgarian kingdom.

Vracha – an area of 4.0 ha. A top with fortress remains.

Gradishteto – an area of 9.0 ha. Ruins of an ancient fortress.

Ledenitsata (The Icy One) – A cave on the land of the village of Gela with a surrounding area of 0.1 ha. The negotiable length of the cave is about 900 m. Noteworthy morphology with ice formations in the winter time which have given the cave its name.

Photograph by Katarina Stefanovic

Chernoka – an area of 8.6 ha. A 300-years-old black pine forest and rock formations on the land of the village of Solishta.

Lyatnata Gora (The Summer Forest) – an area of 36.6 ha. A beautiful age-old spruce and fir forest.

Momata (The Maiden) – an area of 0.4 ha. Rock formations the central of whom resembles a standing female figure.

Gorchova Voda – an area of 17.3 ha. Age-old forest.

Rozhen – an area of 108.5 ha. Picturesque forest landscapes with vast high-mountain meadows, surrounded by spruce forests.

Author: Sports & Tourist Center Perelik www.perelikbg.com

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Nevyastata-Turluka – The nature landmark Nevyastata (The Bride) is a formation of rocks. The total territory of the site is 47.7 ha, of which 41.8 ha are covered with forests and 5.9 ha are unforested.

Smolyanski Vodopad (Smolyan waterfall) – A waterfall on the Kriva Reka river near Smolyan, with a height of 20 m and an area of 0.2 ha.

Smolyanski Ezera (Smolyan Lakes) – Mountain lakes of landslide origin. An area of 9.5 ha. Preservation of the unique landscapes, surrounding the lakes, the flora and the wildlife, typical for the area. A well known tourist destination.

Dalboki Dol (Deep Dell) with total forested area of 5.8 ha. Located on the land of the village of Stoykite. A centuries-old fir, spruce and beech forest on the land of Stoykite has been put under protection.
The forest fund territories which have been declared protected areas include also the wood grouse (capercaillie) habitats and the seed bases.

Author: Sports & Tourist Center Perelik www.perelikbg.com

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Before it reaches the resort of Pamporovo the Central trans-Rhodope road goes westwards through the village lines Stoikite- Stikal, Solishta- Gela. The archaeologists found in the area the settlements of the ancient Thracians that are of the so called „scattered” kind. There are already registered and partly explored materials from it which are to be seen on the slant slopes, flanked in the north by the Golyamata river (feeder of the river Vucha) and in the south by the Perelik ridge.
The earliest time when the foots of Perelik have been inhabited refers back to the late Bronze epoch (ХVІ-ХІІ b.c.).

Evidences for that are the finds in the exploited necropolis in the neighborhood Zaevite, near the Gela village. An evidence for settled life is the Thracian fortress in the Gradishte area, southwestwards from the village of Gela, which was used as an asylum in the time of war in the Iron epoch (ХІ-І b.c .). Evidences for a persistent form of inhabitation of the Gela- Stoikite region are the exploited necropolises near the village Gela (VІ b.c. – ІV a.c.), the archaeological complex (a sanctuary- “St.Elenka” a necropolis and a village in the area Stoichensko pavle) (V – ІІ b.c), the fortress Turlata near the village Stikal (VІ-ХІV ) etc.

The Thracian fortress Turlata near the village Gela is situated in the area of Gradishte which has given its name. In the west there is preserved a wall of 90m length. In the east there isn`t built a fortress wall because it is taken advantage of the inaccessibility of the rocky ridge. At some places the wall is preserved up to 2,20m height.

The Thracian sanctuaries near the village of Gela are the places where according to their believes and views the terrestrial- human world at one side and the celestial- divine world at the other come into contact. From these places they are directing their prayers to the gods, make immolations, leave gifts. For that reason the Thracian sanctuaries are situated on “the top of the earth”. Regarding this it is not difficult to understand why in their main part the sanctuaries are situated on the Perelik-summit, on Turlata- south from Stikal, on Soliiski summit, in the north of Solishta and St. Vrach, in the south of Stoikite.

Smolyan, 16th of October, 2007
Nikola Damyanov

Author: Sports & Tourist Center Perelik www.perelikbg.com

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The border between the Rhodopes, Rila and the Pirin mountains is carved out by the Yadenitsa River valley, the Yundola Saddle, Avramov’s Saddle, the Dreshenets River and the Mesta River valley. The northern slopes of the Rhodopes are significantly steeper than the southern where the mountain gently settles itself down onto the plains of Aegean Thrace. Due to certain geographical peculiarities, the Rhodopes have been divided into two parts – Western (high), and Eastern (low). The division between these two parts is drawn by the rivers Kayaliyka and Borovitsa. The average annual temperature in the Eastern Rhodopes is 12-13˚С, the maximum of rainfall is in December, and the minimum is in August. The Western Rhodopes cover a territory of 8732 sq. km., and the average annual temperatures reach between 5˚С and 9˚С.

The nice climate coupled with other factors is favourable for the development of tourism. The microclimate thus established enables a thick snow cover to be preserved for a long period of time – a veritable paradise for skiers.

15 of the areas have been declared nature reserves, some of which are under UNESCO’s protection.
Numerous mineral springs take their source from the mountain.

The Western Rhodopes are the larger ridge; they are higher, more developed and more visited by tourists than the Eastern Rhodopes. The highest and most well-known peaks are also here: Shirokolashki Snezhnik – 2188 m, Golyama Syutkya – 2186 m, Malak Perelik – 2147 m, Golyam Persenk – 2091 m, Batashki Snezhnik – 2082 m, Malka Syutkya – 2078 m, Malak Persenk – 2074 m, and Prespa – 2000 m.

Picturesque gorges, rock phenomena, lakes and unique landscapes attract thousands of tourists to visit the mountain during all the seasons. Many of the villages have been declared architectural monuments. They preserve traditions and customs, carrying us back through the centuries.

Author: Sports & Tourist Center Perelik www.perelikbg.com

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