More about the city
Country: Bulgaria
Borovets is the oldest winter resort in Bulgaria, offering excellent conditions for all winter sports lovers. With its proximity to the capital (70 km) and pleasant climate - cool summer and quite snowy winter - the resort is the perfect destination for people who just like to spend their free time in the mountains. Its outstanding nature, clean air and modern skiing facilities give Borovets irresistible alpine charm and distinguish it as one of the best winter resorts in the Balkans. The ski school in the city is known as one of the best in the country. Apart from winter sports, the resort can also offer a variety of additional activities, such as hunting, mountain fishing, horse riding, cycling, off-road adventures, rock climbing, tandem paragliding flights and more.
History
It is believed that the resort was established in the far year 1896. At the end of the XIX century, the Bulgarian monarch of that time - Knyaz Ferdinand – built the "Tsarska Bistritsa" palace and several hunting huts here. A number of aristocrats and wealthy families from Sofia took his example and started to build summer villas and rest houses in the vicinity. The original name of the resort was "Chamkoria" (from Turkish - "pine forest"), and in 1942 it was renamed "Borovets". During the 1960s and 1970s of the last century, the city experienced rapid expansion and became one of the largest winter sports centers on the Balkan Peninsula.
Geography
Borovets is situated on the northern slope of Musalensko Ridge, at the eastern part of the Rila Mountain. The base altitude of the resort is 1300 meters and its highest point is 2560 meters. It is located at a distance of 10 km from from Samokov, 70 km from Sofia and 120 km from Plovdiv. The average temperature in January is around - 4.8 °C and the ski season usually starts in mid-December and lasts until early April. During the peak of the season, the snow cover reaches 2 meters. The area around the resort is distinguished by dozens of natural and historical sights and the beautiful mountain villages of Govedartsi and Beli Iskar located nearby. The Pchelin Mineral Baths, which are known for their hot mineral springs and cozy places for rest and recreation, are located at less than 30 km to the east.
Infrastructure
Today, Borovets functions as a year-round resort with a superb network of ski runs and lifts, luxury SPA hotels, exquisite restaurants offering international cuisine, bars, disco clubs, shops and numerous opportunities for active and passive recreation. The resort also offers excellent opportunities for night skiing. The ski runs are of varying degrees of difficulty and are suitable for both beginners and advanced skiers. The total length of marked ski runs is 58 km, all of them with international marking and signs in several different languages. The longest ski run is 12 km and the biathlon track is considered one of the best in the world. The ski runs are maintained according to the recognized international standards
Development
The first downhill skiing race in Borovets was held in 1930, and in 1947 the resort appeared in the Alpine calendar of the International Skiing Federation (FIS) for the first time. To date, Borovets has hosted 2 World Cups and 12 European Cups, the last of which took place in 2016 in the "Giant Slalom - Women" discipline.
