Pamporovo Ski Resort
The purpose-built village of Pamporovo lies in pretty wooded hills to the south of Plovdiv, with 30km of tree-lined slopes.
As with the other main Bulgarian resorts (Bansko and Borovets), Pamporovo offers very good value skiing, a great location for beginners and a lively, cheap après ski scene. For a small ski area, the slopes offer decent variety, including several blacks, but most head here to learn and to develop their technique. The lift system has been upgraded recently and there's also been big investment in snowmaking – most of the slopes are now covered which has dramatically improved snow reliability.
The resort itself consists of hotels scattered within the woodland at the foot of the slopes, some of which are a short bus ride away from the slopes. Many have been renovated in recent years and their quality has improved, without losing that great-value appeal of old. To get here, try and fly to Plovdiv (1.5 hours) if you can, with Sofia lying around 3.5 hours away.
Resort website: www.pamporovo.me
