On the winter map: Bulgaria’s ski centres are booming

published on 1/2/25 7:35 AM

Photo: borovets-bg.com

The ski season started earlier than usual in Bulgaria this year, thanks to the early snowfall. In Bansko, the ski runs opened to the public early, in the first days of December, and the official start to the season was given a week later. The other ski zones are also functioning at full throttle. Even though a snow cover formed in December, most resorts will also be relying on snow machines as well, so as to guarantee there will be a stable snow cover on the ski runs up until March. The Ministry of Tourism is expecting a 5% rise in the number of tourists during the snowy months.

“We are expecting around 1.7 million foreign guests to visit the country during the current winter season, and joining Schengen is certainly going to help. People from Romania will be able to come to Bulgaria more quickly and easily, as will people from Greece – and they really love our winter resorts. So, it is going to give the land border an additional boost,” Konstantin Zankov from the Institute for Analysis and Assessment in Tourism said for Radio Bulgaria.

Around 300,000 foreign tourists are going to choose Bulgaria for their ski vacation in the coming months, the highest number coming from the UK, followed by Israel and Romania. Because VAT rates in the industry gave gone up from 9% to 20%, the cost of some services, including lift passes, have gone up this season by an average of 10-15%.

“During the winter season the revenues from Bulgarian and from foreign tourists for all forms of tourism – ski and snowboard, but also urban and spa tourism – are expected to be in excess of 3 billion Leva. That is how we are expecting winter to end, and that would mark an increase compared to the record year of 2019, but of course, that is due also to inflation and to some other processes,” Konstantin Zankov comments.

How Bulgaria’s most famous ski centres will be welcoming their guests this winter

Vitosha ski zone (1505 – 2275 m.)

Some 30 minutes from Sofia, Vitosha is welcoming tourists with a host of winter adventure opportunities. The ski zone has 6 ski runs of varying difficulty totaling 29 kms. in all. They are located in two centres – Aleko and Konyarnika-Vetrovala. Winter sports fans can use the chairlifts which reach the highest parts of the mountain. This season, Vitoshko Lale ski run will again offer night skiing.

A day ski pass for adults costs 55 Leva, for children up to the age of 12 – 40 Leva, a seasonal ski pass for an adult costs 700 Leva.

See the lift pass prices this season

Bansko in Mount Pirin (990 – 2525 m.)

Bansko is one of the most popular skiing destinations in Eastern Europe, and it is bursting at the seams right now. Its two main ski centres – Chalin Valog and Shiligarnika (1700 – 2500 m.) – are some 10 kms. above the town and are within easy reach by gondola lift. Skiing and snowboarding lovers have 20 runs to choose from, totaling 70 kms. Bansko offers all kinds of snow adventures to young and old alike.

A day ski pass for adults costs 110 Leva, for children up to the age of 12 – 55 Leva, a seasonal ski pass for an adult costs 1,900 Leva.

See the lift pass prices this season

Pamporovo in the Rhodopes (1450 – 1925 m.)

Pamporovo is the perfect family winter vacation destination. It is Bulgaria’s sunniest winter resort. The ski zone includes 60 kms. of ski, snowboarding, sledging and freeride runs, as well as cross-country skiing tracks, with the beginners’ runs and snowboard tracks being most numerous. Since 2023, Pamporovo has had a six-seat chairlift at Malina ski centre, with a capacity of 3,000 per hour.

A day ski pass for adults costs 98 Leva, for children – 59 Leva, a seasonal ski pass for an adult costs 3,000 Leva.

See the lift pass prices this season

Borovets in Mount Rila (1320 – 2544 m.)

The first mountain resort in the Balkans, established in 1896, Borovets is located some 70 kms. from Sofia. In the first days of the new year there are thousands of Alpine skiing, snowboarding and cross-country skiing fans here. Built to cater to 14,400 people per hour, the waiting line is down to a minimum here – and in combination with 42 kms. of ski runs divided up into three modern ski zones, a good time is guaranteed.