Skiing and Snowboarding in Borovets
I have recently got back from a skiing holiday to Borovets in Bulgaria, well when I say skiing I actually mean snowboarding although I do intend to learn to ski next year!
Borovets – On the Piste
Borovets Piste Map
Borovets is a nice enough resort which, if I’m honest better suited to the beginner skier rather than those who have been going for a few years. Although the resort has its fair share of Red runs there are plenty of long green and not to steep red runs for beginners to feel comfortable with. For me not an expert snowboarder by any stretch of the imagination the ski area is to small and although due to the weather (more on that in a bit) we could not cover every run I’d say it would take half a day to a day at most to cover the lot. To be fair many of the runs are nice and spacious which is great if you dislike some of the more narrower runs (as you sometimes get with beginner runs) but sadly for the intermediate skier / snowboarder they are two short.
I have been to Borovets twice now, the first time being in March 2007 and both times snow has been rather lacking on the lower slopes. Granted conditions this time were far better than in 2007 but still the lower runs were very slushy and wet and were not really skiable. The runs opposite the Rila hotel (see the piste map) were particularly bad up until midweek when we had a decent fall of snow but for intermediate skiers you really want to head over to Musala (served by the main Gondola) which is far larger. Conditions at the top were good at the start of the week but the good fall of snow midweek higher up made for lots of powder and of course the associated fun it brings. There is a fantastic off piste section if you cut across from Markudjk 2B over to Markudjk 3 plenty of fun if the snow is good!
I should mention the cost of the lift pass. Although we had a package deal and the price was all-inclusive a weekly lift pass was around £90, which is great compared to the alpine resorts where we paid £190 last year in Austria. The lift system does need a little upgrading in places with drag lifts still in operation in some places but the gondala and chair lifts do give you acess to the vast majority of runs.
Borovets – Off the Piste, Apres Ski
The bars were not packed at the end of the day, well there were plenty of people milling around but compared to Solden in Austria (its Bonkers) fairly quiet! There are a few bars/restaurants by the main Gondola and the Rila hotel bar is pretty busy at the end of they day with people having a beer after dropping their equipment off.
Borovets – Off the Piste, Nightlife
The bars are quite lively not over the top with a pint costing around 4 Levs (£2.00) which is of course fantastic when you look at some of the French resorts. This is of course why many Brits come here, cheap (ish) beer and cheap (ish) food. There is a nightclub inside the Rila hotel and a lively late night bar called Buzz, which is more of a nightclub than a bar if the truth be told.
We were lucky enough to go into a bar called White Magic owned by Christo Angelov ex Bulgarian World Champion and Olympic Skiier. A top bloke so if you have time pop in for a drink and even a bite to eat, the food was fantastic probably the best steak I have ever had! In fact Christo has made a fantastic video below of the run from the Gondola down to the bottom of the slope.
Christo Angelov downhill run
Borovets – Accommodation
We stayed in the Iglika Palace hotel (the second time we have stayed here). The rooms are spacious, excellent shower after a days skiing although it can be a bit slow if you use it around 4-5pm with everyone getting off the slopes. The swimming pool is a added bonus if a little small and slippery but you get what you pay for and the overall cost (half board as well) couldn’t be beaten. Yes the food isn’t the best but its passable but you get what you pay for, it doesn’t cost lots to eat out so we did three times during the week. The bar was nice enough and you have the added bonus of free WiFi allowing you to keep in touch with people back home. I found Skype invaluable!
All in all I would recommend Borovets to the beginner / intermediate skier if you’re a competent skier and you can afford to go elsewhere then Borovets probably isn’t the place for you. It is well suited for families with the lift pass being relatively inexpensive compared to alpine resorts but the lift system does need a bit of upgrading in places.
Borovets Photos
Jumping in Borovets
I took a few pictures whilst away which can be found in my Photos section.
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I think i remember what board that is, terje. I boarded burton at that point, It might be a custom board.