Borovets Ski Resort of Kings

Borovets is the oldest ski resort in Bulgaria and was originally used exclusively by the King of Bulgaria. It used to be called Chamkoria (yes the Hotel Festa Chamkoria was named after this!), Chamkoria translates to Pine forest therefore those who enjoy tree lined skiing you are in for a treat.  Picturesque and photogenic this resort is set on the Northern slopes of the Rila Mountains and offers 58km of piste! (now you’ll know where the Hotel Rila gets their name too!)

Borovets reminds me of a small French Alpes resort, which makes complete sense as the resort was styled on Les Arcs in the Savoie region of France!

I was lucky enough to visit Borovets and stay in the 4* Hotel Rila, this hotel has a higher price tag than others in resort but it really is something else! Personally I believe it deserves more of a 4.5 star rating as it is beautiful in design, the spa is modern and the rooms are fresh and light. The food was plentiful and to top it off the hotel was ski in ski out! The hotel really is worth paying the premium for, location wise it is central as it gets!

I did notice in resort that there are some other hotels that are very close by to the Hotel Rila which come with a lower price tag,  ideal for the more savvy skier, these were Festa Winter Palace, Hotel Iglika Palace (which has just been refurbed!) and Hotel Samokov, these are great value on the Balkan Holidays website. 

Snowboarding wise, I struck lucky with fresh powder on 11th March, a guide took me off piste and it was fabulous, powder without the January chill, I felt I’d hit the jackpot. I also found a good selection or red runs, particularly enjoying the Yastrebets area. 

We took advantage of the Skidooing in resort, this was a real buzz, driving what a somewhat motorised scooter up a track through the forest at what feels like speed (probably not!), stopping for photos along the way, the guys who run this were so friendly and I highly recommend giving this activity a go, especially those adrenaline junkies! The money you will save by choosing Bulgaria over other European countries should allow for you to try these things! 

Après ski wise, there is a main street with lots of bars, restaurants and even a Subway for those who like their home comforts! We took part in the Balkan Holidays bar crawl (well we had to make use of the low cost beers!) it was a great way to experience the best bars in resort and meet fellow snow lovers! And for those who would prefer more skiing than drinking, you can purchase a night pass and go night skiing in the evenings!

Overall I loved this resort and can’t wait to go back!