MOUNTAIN RESORTS IN
BULGARIA - [
Although only held once every five years, it brings together dancers from all over Bulgaria in a rainbow of colours and styles. Baba Marta Baba Marta is celebrated on March 1 when peasant house-holds brush out the winter cobwebs with a traditional spring clean. Bansko provides an interesting combination between the virgin nature of Pirin Mountain and the atmosphere of the ancient Bulgarian small town. Bansko
ski resort is situated in Southwestern Bulgaria, at the foothills of one of the most beautiful Bulgarian
mountains - Pirin, which is a national reserve, included in the WORLD NATURAL HERITAGE list. BANSKOThe newest Bulgarian winter
resort, recently discovered by the foreign tourists. Borovets is a
resort of Alpine type and provides excellent opportunities for a whole range of winter sports-Alpine sports, cross-country
skiing,
ski jumps and biathlon. Borovets is easily accessible, being at a distance of 73 km from Sofia (the capital of Bulgaria) and 126 km from Plovdiv. But perhaps it is what happens on the periphery that is the most authentic. Coupled with this you have the colourful stalls of the traders and the thousands of visitors who come for the festival. Elena Day on May 21, and in some of the remoter villages in the Stranzha hills fire dancing, dancing on heated coals, is still practised in celebration of summer's arrival. Elena Day The coming of summer is traditionally celebrated on St. Ethnologists have suggested that this practice is directly descended from Dionysina rites of the ancient Thracian. Festivals and FairsThe Great Koprivshtitza Folklore Festival The Great Koprivshtitza Folklore Festival is Bulgaria's largest gathering of traditional musicians and singers and is a cross between a pop festival and a medieval fair. Four new high-class hotels are situated in a compact group and offer comfort and entertainment to the tourists. However the slopes offer runs and tracks for all types of
skiers, from novice to the experts, while the
ski runs are maintained in excellent condition. It is 260 km far from Sofia and 85 km from Plovdiv. It is a sight that knows no equal: thousands of musicians and singers making the hillside above the picturesque village of Koprivshtitza their home for a few days. It is located at 1350 above the sea level on the northern slopes of Rila
mountain among age-old pine woods, at the foot of peak Mousala (2925 m) the highest one on the Balkan peninsula. It is situated on The Vitosha
mountain, at 1800 m above the sea level, on the eastern slopes of Cherni Vrah (2290 m) which is the highest Vitosha's peak. It is the southernmost
skiing
resort in Europe. It is the sunniest Bulgarian winter
resort with wonderful snow throughout the whole season. Its biathlon track is one of the best in the world.The slopes of Borovets have a permanent snow cover from November to May, more than 1.5 m thick. Kukerov Den On the first Sunday before Lent, Kukerov Den celebrates the start of the agricultural year, and all over Bulgaria you can witness processions led by the dancing. Lazarus Day Lazaruvane is also celebrated in spring on St. Lazarus Day, and here village girls considered fit for marriage perform ritual songs and dances.St. Lots restaurants, bars, and night-clubs, a tavern, a
ski bar and tea shops are also available. Not only are the roses, Kazanluk's main industry, in full flower. Pamporovo has an exclusive climate featuring a soft winter with about 120 sunny days during the
skiing period. Pamporovo is situated on 1650 m above the sea level at the foot of peak Snejanka (1926 m). Should you still have the energy left, you can always visit the old factories where the rose oil is extracted.St. Strolling players or soloists, simply playing for the sheer enjoyment. The air in Borovets is crystal - clear and free of any pollutants. The average temperature during the coldest month January is - 4.6 � C.PAMPOROVOPamporovo is a modern
ski resort in the heart of the Rodopa
mountain, the
mountain of the mythical singer Orpheus. The Bourgas International Folk Festival The Bourgas International Folk Festival, held annually, attracts a host of Bulgarian and international artists and is held in the second half of August. The distance from Sofia to Bansko is 160 km.The
skiing conditions in Bansko are excellent. The festival of the Kukeri re-enacts ancient surovaki rites to ward off evil spirits and Kukeri fertility rites. The hotels are located near the natural
ski slopes and runs and the lifts. The Kazanluk Festival The Kazanluk Festival of the Roses is held annually in early June, and has grown from a local to an international event. The nearest town is Samokov, which is 10 km far from the
resort.Borovets was developed into a modern
ski resort of high class with luxury hotels, restaurants, discos, shops and of course an excellent network of
ski runs and lifts along the slopes of the
mountain. The Pirin
mountain has a predonantly Alpine charachter with three peaks towering above 2900 m. The
resorts has twice hosted World Cup Alpine
skiing rounds. The significant influence of The Aegean Sea appears here and the
skiing season starts from mid - December to mid - April. The town itself attracts visitors by its 120 cultural monuments, its museums houses, and the permanent ethnographic and Bansko schlool of icon painting exhibitions. There many small hotels and chalets in Vitosha too. This is Bulgarian music as it was always played, played by the ancestors of those who first played it. This is Bulgaria's highest
ski resort, only 22 km far from Sofia.Skiing conditions in Vitosha are excellent, with an extensive network of
ski runs and lifts. Trifon's Day celebrates the pruning of the vines, and is held on February 14. Trifon's Day In the agricultural calendar, St. VITOSHAThe
resort is situated very close to the capital of Bulgaria.
