Borovets

Borovets Ski Resort

If you’re looking for a great value family holiday and aren’t concerned about skiing off piste or lots of steeps, then Borovets in Bulgaria is a great bet.

Boasting more slopes than the other major resort of Bansko, Borovets is a great value ski area that makes for a good alternative destination to the Alps. Snow reliability and the lift system have improved significantly in recent years thanks to good investment in new infrastructure. The skiing is mostly geared towards beginner and intermediate skiers and snowboarders, but you can clock up some good vertical and on the upper slopes there is some decent off piste after fresh snowfall.

Most people come here on packages and stay in big hotels with their own bars, restaurants and shops, but there is also a large selection of quirkier and lively small bars, shops and eating places. Nevertheless, the resort's beautiful woodland setting gives it a real degree of Alpine charm.

Our Borovets Resort Ratings

• Beginner ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
• Intermediate ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
• Advanced ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
• Snow Reliability ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
• Fast Lifts ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
• Resort Activities ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
• Après ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
• Value ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Borovets Skiing and Snowboarding

Outside the main base at the Hotel Rila is the beginners area, conveniently located on gentle slopes right outside all of the main facilities. From here you can then go in two directions – either up the old gondola towards the summit, or on the Sitnyakovo quad chairlift. The latter is home to some gentle cruising, as well as the resort’s night skiing offering.

More confident skiers and boarders will want to catch the gondola towards the summit, where the high altitude Markudjik ski area offers snowsure slopes and spectacular views over the Bulgarian mountains. The trickiest runs are in the Yastrebetz sector, where a high speed quad serves an excellent pod of red runs that drop 600 vertical metres each time. There is some decent off piste terrain high up, but thick trees restrict a lot of the access off the sides of the slopes.

• Total Pistes: 58km
• Blue: 41%
• Red: 50%
• Black: 9%
• Lifts: 13
• Altitude: 1300m – 2560m

Borovets Piste Map

The local area map can be downloaded here.

Borovets Resort

As mentioned, most people stay in large hotels on the hill and as a result there are limited bar and restaurant options, but some have popped up in recent years. Most of these hotels are great value and well appointed, several too are specifically geared towards families, which adds to the appeal of this resort as a family holiday alternative to the Alps. That being said, there are some lively bars and on sunny days, at weekends and during the holidays, après ski can kick off – especially with such low prices.

Away from the slopes, winter walking is on offer, as is cross country skiing – there is a nice network of trails winding their way through the trees as Bistritsa. Many of the hotels have pools and spas, providing the perfect way to unwind after a long day on the slopes.

Season Dates

23rd December 2019 - 13th April 2020

How to get to Borovets

Regular flights get you to Sofia and from here the drive to Borovets takes around and hour and a half, traffic and road conditions dependent.

• Sofia airport: 1.5 hours

Borovets Contact Details

• Website: www.borovets-bg.com
• Telephone: + +359 88 96 07 000
• Email: info@borovets-bg.com
• Facebook: @myborovets
• Instagram: @myborovets
• Twitter: @BorovetsResort