Bulgaria Ski discussion board

After spending the last two years in Bansko I decided to give Bulgaria a rest this year and head back to Austria. Here are my honest comparisons from my trip.
My wife and myself went to Soll which is part of the Ski Welt area and has about 270kms of interconnecting slopes, Bansko has only 65km. During the week we managed to ski on five different hills and managed to ski down to five of the villages in the valley. The snow was great but I'm sure it has been in most of Europe this year. However, I did comment to my wife that on two of the days we skied that the snow was probably the best I've ever skied in, also only a couple of metres off-piste I was skiing in knee deep virgin snow.
On the slopes we were paying between 3-5 Euro for a bowl of soup with bread for lunch, and we were paying between 2.80 - 3.20 for a half litre of beer which we did not find unreasonable.
We stayed in a 3* hotel on a half board basis and the food was outstanding, my only complaint about the hotel was that its beers were a bit more expensive than on the slopes. In Bansko last year we found the food to be OK but it was alway a lottery on what you were going to get charged for you food and beer.
Between Bansko and Soll, it was Soll that ticked a lot more boxes for me.
Overall I though Soll gave me better value for money, especially with the 270kms of runs on offer. Would I go back to Bulgaria, never say never but we are already looking a booking up for Austria again for next year.
I am certainly not knocking Bulgaria we had two good holidays there, but the limited amount of runs is a major factor for me.

It is true - many Bulgarians and Romanians go skiing in Austria and Germany because they find them better value for money than Bulgarian resorts. Luckily for them, they do not need to fly there like us but drive.

On the price of beer in the family hotels, that is true and it is because that is how they make their money - half-board and drinks. I found that they really do not like it if you go there but do not eat in the hotel. Not that I mind that much, since their food is always top quality. And after all, you only need to have a beer or two with your meal, do you not?

I also agree, i skied the `Grossraum' area encompassing Soll many years ago and then was impressed with the traditional alpine feel though Soll itself was a bit like Benidorm on ice, hopefully that has changed.
The area in the Tyrol has always been regarded as mid range, and for that reason can be considered reasonable value. You could try Kitzbuhal or St Johanne, possibly a bit more upmarket and definately reflected in the prices, both of these resorts are near.
Bansko suits a market, mostly beginners, and can in that feel quite proud that it can introduce people to the sport, who after exhausting the slopes here can move on to bigger challanges in the Alps and beyond.
I personally still enjoy the skiing in Bansko, even after nearly thirty years, twelve of which were spent in the French Alps. My challanges can be met here, with the amount of off-piste, tree skiing, and unmarked back country. There are many opportunities to explore small village slopes also, so hopefully my skiing future will be catered for... I am not saying that i would never ski anywhere else, there are still places i would like to see before i hang up my poles