Bulgaria ski holidays & resorts

You can ski Bulgaria from the middle of December. Much like its European counterparts, the start of the season can be patchy, so skiing closer to Christmas or beyond will increase the reliability of snow conditions.

Bulgaria has 3 main places to ski:

• Bansko - The largest of the ski areas with about 75km of piste and a well-rated ski school. The town is sizable and has several high standard hotels for a touch of luxury.
• Borovets - Tree-lined slopes and approx. 58km of piste are a playground for beginners and developing skiers. Borovets is lively too; it is famous for its nightlife - without breaking the bank.
• Pamporovo: Smaller (about 36km of piste) and quieter than the others. Better suited to those without ski experience and those not looking for lively apres.

Bansko has been voted the 'Best ski resort in Bulgaria' at the World Ski awards every year since 2013.

Bulgaria is really accessible for beginners as it lacks the sheer vertical drop you get in France, Austria and other European resorts. Each of the main resorts has its own draw for beginners:

• Bansko - Home to a fantastic ski school and a large enough to keep faster learners engaged.
• Borovets - Wide accessible pistes and tree coverage coupled with great ski schools and lots of instructors.
• Pamporovo - Smaller and gentler- a good bet for those less confident.

For early season, consider one of the 2 larger resorts - Bansko or Borovets. Snow conditions improve in the latter half of December, and in Bansko, there are good snowmaking facilities.

Throughout January you will get consistent conditions, so it's a great time to go for a larger resort with more terrain to discover, like Bansko. Historic snow depth is about 68cm at the summit through the month of January in Bansko.

Snow conditions will typically be great in February. If you're travelling in a high traffic week (like the UK half term) then the larger resorts of Bansko and Borovets have newer, higher capacity lift systems (don't expect French or Austrian efficiency though)

March, particularly later in the month, tends to be the swansong for Bulgarian skiing. The resorts don't have the high altitude you find in the larger European resorts, nor the glaciers. With that in mind, Bansko with it's near 80% snowmaking coverage is the best bet. Failing that Borovets also has 60% snowmaking coverage and the resort itself is higher (1350m elevation to Banskos 925m elevation).