Bulgaria property news and articles

Pamporovo ski resort is located in the southern part of Bulgaria near the border with Greece (and the White Sea), in the heart of the Rhodope mountain. Its main attractions are the good ski facilities and natural beauty together with the proximity of very picturesque villages with old stone houses. Somewhat more tarnished than modern Bansko, it is still a delightful place to ski, with stunning scenery.

Pamporovo Area

The Rhodope mountains, 260km southeast of Sofia, 85km south of Plovdiv and 15km from Smolyan, have always been full of mystery. The mythical singer Orpheus is said to have originated from here, as did the clan of guards of the famous sanctuary of Dionysus. Archaeological excavations have found evidence of civilisation here from as far back as the 7th century BC. The remains of ancient Thracian fortresses have been found in the area, which reveal a highly developed culture for the time. The fortresses were said to have guarded a Thracian road that ran from the town of Abdera on the Aegean Sea to the river Danube.

Climate in Pamporovo

Pamporovo is reputed to be the sunniest mountain resort in Bulgaria. It enjoys more than 240 days of sunshine a year, and has a mild climate perceptibly influenced by the Mediterranean. As a part of the Rhodope mountains, Pamporovo is a unique place, famous for its negative air ionisation -which is extremely beneficial to health. The average annual temperature is 8.5°C and the blanket of snow in winter is i40-i50cm.

Ski Facilities in Pamporovo

Pamporovo ski resort has been described as the ‘Sunny Beach’ of the ski resorts. lt is essentially a planned development set around several hotels and complexes, with interlinking roads and access to several ski lifts. With the highest peaks at around 1,900m, the mountains are slightly less alpine than Bankso’s Pirin range. This reduces the ski season slightly to around three months, though there are plenty of year-round tourism opportunities.

Pamporovo has skiing for all levels. There are some competition slopes and an adequate ski lift system. The slopes range from 1,926m to 1,450m on the northern, eastern and western slopes of Snejanka peak, and most of the ski runs start from the top of the peak. There are also three trails for cross-country skiing. The resort offers a ski kindergarten open from 8.30am to 5pm every day.

Places of Interest in Pamporovo area

The region is famous for its folklore traditions as well as being popular with skiers, snowboarders, mountain-bikers, hunters, fishing enthusiasts, horse-riders and mountain trekkers. There are pedestrian routes to the top of Rojen and the Smolyan Lakes-‘the emerald eyes’ of the Rhodope mountains, as these lakes are known to the local people – which line up near the city of Smolyan. 0nce there were about 20 but only seven of them still remain. The ‘Seven Lakes’  walk takes at least a day but is well worth the effort. There are also worthwhile trips to the village of Stoykite and the picturesque Rocks of Orpheus.

Super Pamporovo

As elsewhere in Bulgaria, things are changing fast. The Super Perelik (or Sup Pamporovo) project will link the existing facilities at Pamporovo to the Perel Peak. In addition, a new cross-border road through this region has been approved for EU funding. The new road will head south through the mountain to the Greek border, with the aim of improving cross-border travel between Bulgaria and Greece. The road will bring significant benefits to the region and greatly enhance its accessibility.

For property-buyers, an obvious advantage of this area is its easy access to the international airport at Thessaloniki and the beaches along the Halkidl region. Although the road has not yet been built, the decision to go ahead has been confirmed. Much of Pamporovo’s future as a place to invest lies in the Super Perelik project and in the new cross-border road. However, there are still many infrastructure issues to resolve and any investor should proceed on the basis that not all the agents’ claims for ‘Super Pamporovo’ may be guarantee.