Save the Pirin Campaign
The massive scale of development at Bankso has not been without controversy. In 2001 the Simeon II National Movement was alleged by other political parties and some environmental groups to have granted building concessions for part of the national park to firms owned by party members. In 2007 a coalition of environmental groups formed a campaign
The ski resort Bansko is 153km from Sofia and its proximity to the Aegean Sea (it is 80km from the Greek coastal town of Kavala) makes it possible to combine fresh mountain air with a warm sub-tropical Greek climate. Winters are cold, and there is heavy snowfall in the mountains and average January temperatures of -5°C (23°F) in the valleys and ski resorts, and as low as -20°C (-4°F) on the high peaks. Snow cover usually lasts for five or six months
Bansko is probably the most talked about of all the ski resorts in Bulgaria and the best known in the western press. It was once a small and attractive village of stone houses in the Pirin National Park, and the site of an early ski lift in the lgsos. Skiing at Bansko was then a small-time affair, but it has been subject to some of the most intensive development seen in Bulgaria. New high-capacity ski lifts were built in 2004 using the latest Austrian technology
The town of Sozopol is situated about 30 km south of Bourgas. It was founded in the 6th century and enjoys a stunning location but large crowds. Many people choose to stay in the nearby settlement and walk to the old peninsula city. Its distinctive stone and wooden buildings form the architectural template
Bulgaria’s fourth-largest city (population 426,000) is in many ways the less glamorous relation of its northern cousin Varna, with much more of an industrial feel. It is outshone by historic coastal towns to the north and south at Nessebar and Sozopol. and lacks the resort feel of nearby Sunny Beach.
A few kilometres south of Sunny Beach, a rocky peninsula connects the small and historic town of Nessebar to the main coast. One of two medieval towns remaining along the coast, it has a fine selection of stone and wooden buildings and an aspect of urban design that is unique. However
Just north along the coast from the main southern coast city of Bourgas is located one of the best summer beach resorts in Bulgaria – Sunny Beach. The resort has probably had more development and renovation than any other sea resort on the Bulgarian black sea coast. Visitors will be struck by the amount of construction and renovation work going on – although the
Resorts await future real estate owners with lower prices and higher quality
“The holiday property market is dead. Long live the market of properties for holidays.”
Even though the quotation might not be exact, this was mostly what was said about the future of the holiday properties sector at the BalREc conference – Bulgaria, in October. For some buyers this is bad news, for others – a good one. The thousands of British, who bought up homes in the blocks in the western parts of Sunny Beach or the surrounding areas of Nesebar, Pomorie and Golden Sands just for investment, might never get their money back.
Picturesque bays and rock formations, spacious beaches with sand dunes and a warm sea provide the attraction of the Bulgarian southern Black Sea coast. Wonderful nature in combination with modern construction – this is the magic of the holiday villages and resorts of Emona, Elenite
Varna is a working city as well as a resort, and for long-stay residents has something to offer that the beach resorts lack. There is a range of properties available, including older 1960s blocks on the edge of town, newer blocks in the centre and even older houses of real architectural charm and character.