Bulgaria is one of Europe’s most affordable ski destinations, hosting three of the region’s top ski resorts: Bansko, Borovets and Pamporovo. Not only do these modern resorts offers superb powder and slopes, they feature value-for-money ski instruction, comfortable hotels and fantastic dining. A lengthy ski season spanning from mid-December to mid-May means you have plenty of time to explore all three of these winter hotspots.

History: Borovets is Bulgaria’s oldest ski resort, dating to 1896, when the mayor of nearby Samokov built a cabin here for his wife, who was suffering from tuberculosis. Following this the first mountain huts were established here at the start of the 20^th century, marking the birth of today’s ski resort. The country’s second winter resort, Pamporovo, saw its first tourist hotel built in 1933 while Bankso was a prominent cultural centre during the National Revival Period, with its status as a ski resort having only emerged recently.

Sightseeing: the southwestern ski resort of Bansko is the region’s most developed winter sports resort. Aside from skiing the resort offers scenic lakes and pine woods suitable for recreation while 20-plus thermal springs lie in neighbouring Banya. Borovets lies in the Rila Mountains just 75kms from Sofia, and from here visitors can explore the outstanding 10^th century Rila Monastery. Set in the Rhodope Mountains, Pamporovo in the south is a great base for trips to Bulgaria’s second city, Plovdiv. All three resorts are accessible via Sofia, which is in itself a sightseeing gem.

Shopping: Bansko’s souvenir shops specialise in works by local artists and smiths, in keeping with its cultural heritage as a centre of painting. Pamporovo offers a larger choice of mainstream goods with its plentiful shops and shopping centre near the Perelik and Murgavets hotels. A more limited choice of products is for sale in Borovets, which like Bansko and Pamporovo has a retail scene that is focused on winter sports gear.

Eating and drinking: Borovets offers a nice selection of dining options including restaurants that feature authentic Bulgarian cuisine served to the accompaniment of traditional folk music and relaxing cafés. Bansko has many unique taverns that offer tons of charm to go with their Bulgarian wine and food while Pamporovo’s best dining is in its upscale hotels. For après-ski entertainment, Borovets is the resort of choice with its bars, discos and nightclubs. Bansko’s and Pamporovo’s night scenes are a little less vibrant but nonetheless offer several choices.

Where to stay: from luxury hotels to family-orientated ski chalets and holiday apartments, all three resorts have ample, affordable lodging to choose from. As the country’s largest ski resort, Bansko has the best accommodation options. Here, like in Pamporovo, hotels span from two to five-star establishments while hotels in Borovets are three-star facilities and upwards. Regardless of where you stay you can expect warm-hearted Bulgarian hospitality.

Getting there: the two-terminal Sofia Airport is the main gateway into the country and serves flights to destinations all over Europe. Although Bansko can be reached by rail with changes, getting here by train is impractical. A better choice is to hire a car at Sofia Airport and drive the 3-hour distance. Borovets is closer to the capital at just over an hour’s drive away. Buses run from Sofia to Pamporovo but they can be slow, taking around 4 hours. Renting a car in Sofia and self-driving is a better choice.