Bulgaria Ski discussion board

Hi Karen,

Thanks for your honest comments. Personally I loved Bansko although I agree there is a lot of building work going on in the area between the top of the town and the gondola. However as a visitor I found the centre of the town with all the mechanas lovely and in that area I don't think you are put off by the building work.

Horses for courses at the end of the day. I don't fancy Borovets much but a lot of posters seem to love it. I prefer the fact that Bansko is a real town. Also the skiing is more extensive than in Boro or Pamps.

Cheers
Val

Hi Karen

Yes, I agree with the others, it's good to get an honest report, so thanks for that.

In defence of Bulgaria though, a little research on the country will show that it is not France or Austria. There is no money to fill the potholes etc. This is for the most part a poor country emerging from decades of communism, yet still lacking EU investment.

I found the prices on the slopes reasonable compared to Andorra, France, and Austria. If they are a little more than you can pay in other parts of Bulgaria then we should not begrudge a seasonal income to generally speaking poorly paid individuals.

I was shocked at the number of Erotic bars, which is a bit of a shame as Borovets should be pitched at families as well as those seeking more 'adult' entertainment.

In short, I agree with 80% of what you have written, though a bit of research on Bulgaria should be done by those embarking on what they expect will be a ski holiday akin to a week on the slopes of France or Austria.

I've skiied the Alps, the Pyrenees, and other lesser known places, and found my recent Bulgarian excursion the most enjoyable simply because it was so different to those other experiences.

Though had I not known what to expect then I guess I would have been a bit hacked off too with what I found.

Cheers

Pat

Yes, that is a good appraisal.

The reps are hearing many of the issues that people (esp families) are having at the resorts, e.g. variable food, pricing, bad piste bashing - hopefully they will feed this back to those who can make changes in this area and we will see some improvements.

On the plus side, two new lifts are forecast for construction over the next year or so (one above Rila, another to the western side of the Gondola) - this should open up the skiing possibilities for more experienced skiiers.

pat