The city of Burgas is surrounded by the Burgas Lakes, which are situated within the westernmost portion of the Black Sea. The huge Burgas Bay has the biggest and the most significant port in the country. Burgas is now a key cultural, economic, and tourist attraction of the southeastern portion of Bulgaria. The city also has an airport that serves the country’s resorts in the southern coast.

Geography

The city is located on the western portion of the Burgas Bay. It is also located on the eastern portion of the plain that lies on the Upper Thracian Plain. Burgas lies within 389 kilometers of Sofia, 350 kilometers of Istanbul, and 272 kilometers of Plodiv. Bodies of water, including lakes, surround the northern and eastern portion of the city. The lakes in the city include Vaya, Mandrensko, and Atanasovsko. The lakes in Burgas are also the habitat of various species of birds. Moreover, the Pan-European Corridor 8 passes through Burgas.

The Administrative Division of Burgas

The city of Burgas is subdivided into numerous neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are listed below:

• Bratya Miladinovi
• Akatsiite
• Vetren
• Centar
• Izgrey
• Sarafovo
• Vazrazhdane
• Lazur
• Karimorie
• Meden Rudnik
• Beneyo
• Lozoyo
• Pobeda
• Zornitsa
• Gorno Ezerovo
• Petko Slaveykoy
• Dolno Ezevoro

According to the 2009 Decision from the Minister Counsel, the neighborhoods or villages of Vetren and Baneva are now incorporated in the city of Burgas. A city plan currently being considered by the administration involves opening Burgas to the sea. This plan will also include the construction of numerous residential sites as well as highway junctions.

Economy

Burgas is a significant and popular industrial center. The biggest and perhaps the most famous industrial enterprise in the city is the LUKOIL Neftochim Burgas, the biggest refinery within the entire southeast portion of Europe. This is also the biggest manufacturing plant in the Balkans.

Activities in Burgas

Water Sports and Other Water Activities

There are plenty of tourists in Burgas during the summer because there are lots of activities to do. Popular water sports in Burgas include surfing, diving, and parasailing. Kite-surfing is also popular in Burgas. There are numerous sea sports and surfing schools that teach both the locals and visitors how to enjoy the beautiful sea in Burgas. In addition, visitors can also book diving lessons where they will be taught on a one-on-one by an experienced diver guide.

Boat renting is also ppular in Burgas since the city has a huge number of small islands. Among the most visited islands are St. Anastasia, which is formerly known as the Bolshevik Island, and St. Ivan, or the Snake’s Island. The boats that travel to the island of St. Anastasia leave from the Burgas Bridge. Boat renting is only offered during the months of August and July at 10 AM, 12 noon and, 2 PM.

Burgas also offers a venue to enjoy extreme sports such moto-paragliding or, simply, paragliding. There are also courses on tandem flights that are offered in the city.

Entertainment

Cinemas – People in Burgas love to see a movie during the winter season. All the movies in the cinemas are subtitled in Bulgarian language. The movies are rarely done with voiceovers. This means that there will not be any problems if the movies are in English. There are also a few exceptions when it comes to children’s movies.

• Museums – There are numerous museums in the city. Some of them are listed below:
  • Archeological Museum – This museum is located at 21 Bogorodu Street and is open from Mondays to Saturdays at 10 AM to 7 PM. The museum hosts a wide variety of exhibits that feature Byzantine, Greek, and Roman antiques.
  • Ethnographic Museum – This museum is located at 69 Slavianska Street. It is open from Mondays to Fridays at 10 AM to 7 PM. There are numerous ethnic exhibitions in the program. It also offers summer school for crafts, arts, and dances.
  • Historical Museum – This museum is situated at 31 Lermontov Street. It is open at 10 AM up to 7 PM every weekday. It offers exhibits of national and local history and various guest exhibits from other museums in other countries.
  • Science and Nature Museum – It is located at 30 Fotinov Street. The museum is open from 10 AM up to 7 PM every Monday to Friday. It covers the subjects of medicine, flora and fauna, as well as various thematic exhibits and physics.
• Galleries – There are numerous galleries in Burgas. Some of the popular galleries in the city include Bogoridi, Petko Zadgorski, and Briz – Boiadzhiev Art Gallery.
• Shopping – The center of Burgas is basically a shopping area. The city’s shopping area consists of two main streets. There are also some shopping areas within the smaller streets. All the prices in the area are very reasonable. Some shops offer international brands while others offer local produce. There are also numerous gold shops in the area and most of their products are imported from Turkey.

Facts about Burgas

• Burgas is a city within the Province of Burgas in Bulgaria.
• Burgas is located at 27 degrees 28’ 2” Eastern Latitude and 42 degrees 20’ 1” Northern Longitude.
• The altitude of the city is 30 meters above sea level.
• Burgas has a total land area of 1,703 sq. kilometers.
• The time zone of the city is 2 EET.
• The city has eight districts.
• The currency of the city and the country of Bulgaria is BGN.
• The mayor of Burgas is Dimitar Nikoloy.
• The mode of public transport in Burgas is through bus, railway, and the international airport.
• Burgas has a total of 11 museums.
• The city has four theaters.
• There are five universities and high schools within Burgas.

Being located in the heart of the Danubian Plain in Northern Bulgaria, Pleven has developed into a big economic, administrative, political, transport, and cultural center. The river Vit runs near the town, while the small Tuchenitsa River (known in Pleven as Barata, meaning “The Streamlet”) runs across it.
The climate is moderate continental, having very cold winters (reaching –15°C) and really hot and dry summers (moving up to +35- 44°C) .

The most primitive traces of human inhabitation in the region date back to the Neolithic Age, the fifth millennium BC. During those times, the Thracians settled on the place named Storgoziya, which is now the site of today’s Park of Kailuka in Pleven. They were there for thousands of years. After the barbarians destroyed it, the Slavs reconstructed it and called it Kamenets.

Another settlement to its north was later established, with the name Pleven (from the word “Plevel”, meaning weed). Years passed and the Kamenets and the Pleven settlements unified forces. This unification was first documented in a contract by the Hungarian King Stephen V in 1266 under the name of Pleven. This was the time when the Magyars occupied it.

After the twelfth century, the town evolved as a trade center and a craftsman’s arena. The town put up a violent struggle with the Turkish intruders, which is the reason for its destruction. Its inhabitants were either killed, thrown out, or converted to Islam after its downfall. Pleven was occupied and placed on fire in 1596 by Wallachian Voivoda Mihail Vityaz (Hrabri), the Courageous.

At the onset of the new era, the area became a division of Moesia, a Roman province. It later on developed into a citadel. One of the most precious archaeological shrines in Bulgaria from this period is the Early Christian basilica found near the modern city. It is believed to be from the fourth century.

At some stage in the Ottoman regime, Pleven or Plevne, conserved its Bulgarian facade and civilization. Many schools, churches, bridges, and roads were constructed at the time of the Bulgarian National Revival. The first secular school was opened in 1825, and in 1840, the first girls’ school in Bulgaria was started, followed by the first boys’ school one year after.

During the seventeenth to the eighteenth centuries, the population of Bulgaria in the region grew up in number, and owned the crafts and trade industries. The town started to expand its cultural life, too. The town grew in popularity in Anatolia and on the Balkan Peninsula for its sales of sheep and cattle.

Pleven was where Vasil Levski, the Bulgarian National hero, established the first revolutionary committee on May 6, 1869. This was part of his national revolutionary network. In 1871, Pleven had 3,101 houses and a population of 17,000. The citizens of Pleven participated in the destabilization of Hristo Botev and Philip Totyu’s armed volunteers.

The Russian-Turkish War of Liberation (1877-1878) gave Pleven its popularity after the Russian troops forced to enter the Danube River. Over 40,000 Romanians and Russians and an unidentified number of civilians and Turks died in this war. Inadvertently, because of Plevna’s fall, the northern part Bulgaria was liberated.

The town quickly stood up after the Liberation. The new railway lines greatly helped in making it happen fast. Today, Pleven is the seventh biggest town in Bulgaria.

The population in Pleven is around 137,000, with 94% Bulgarians and 5% Roma, while other ethnic groups represented contribute roughly 1%.
Over 90% of the people in Pleven are Eastern Orthodox Christians, 5% of the population are Muslims, and another 5% of the citizens are Roman Catholic by religion, a considerable number compared to the other Bulgarian cities.

The St Nicholas Church (1834), the St Paraskeva Church (1934), and the Holy Trinity Church, built in 1870 are the three Eastern Orthodox Churches in Pleven. The construction of the Our Lady of Fatima Church, which is a huge Roman Catholic Church, began in 2001. To serve the needs of the Muslim population, a mosque was also built in the town, as well as a Methodist church, situated on the spot of the former puppet theatre.

Almost all the landmarks found in Pleven speak about the Russian-Turkish War of Liberation. Approximately 200 monuments remind the present generation of the battles that took place here. In the heart of the town is the Mausoleum-Charnel House devoted to the Romanian and Russian soldiers killed during the war.

Pleven was the center of metal working, oil processing, machinery construction, food, and light industries during the Socialist period. Pleven saw itself in crisis after 1989. Most of the major businesses closed and most workers practically stopped working. Consequently, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Pleven gradually recovered and began developing light industries such as store clothes and knitwear production.

Tourism also gained energy. Other economic sectors also improved when the year 2000 came. Unemployment rates fell from 17% in 2000 to 7.5% in 2005 and are continuously decreasing.

The international railroad, which runs from Sofia to Bucurest and all the way to Moscow also runs through Pleven. At the north of the city, the international motor way E 83 passes. The 14 trolleybus lines maintain the inner city transportation of Pleven. The trolleybus fleet is composed of 70 ZIU-682 trolleybuses.

Pleven is an important spot for sports in Bulgaria. Many celebrated Bulgarian sportsmen were born and trained in this place. One is Galabin Boevski and Tereza Marinova. The most popular sports school in the country may also be found in Pleven.

Pleven is prominent for its Kaylaka. It is where the relics of the Storgozia defense can be found. The Skobelev parks, on the other hand, is where the Pleven Panorama is located. It is the precise site of the encounter during the Russo-Turkish War.

Pleven also claims that its extreme climate makes it famous. The hottest summer temperatures in Bulgaria are mostly recorded here, and it is also extremely cold in the winters.

In 2006, the city census listed the city’s total number of permanent residents to be 103,016. The town of Shumen is situated at the eastern mouth of the Shumen Plateau, on either bank of the Bokloudga River. It is 380 kilometers northeast of Sofia, 115 kilometers southeast of Rousse, 90 kilometers west of Varna, 140 kilometers northeast of Veliko Tarnovo, 41 kilometers east of Turgovishte, 49 kilometers southeast of Razgrad, 113 kilometers south of Silistra, and 56 kilometers northeast of Vurbitsa.
To the east of the city lies Varna, the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast.

An interesting thing about the topography of the city is that the hills around it are curved in such a way as to resemble a horse-shoe. An irregular ravine passes through the ground along the length of the horse-shoe ridge. From Shumen, roads spread out northwards to the Danubian cities of Rousse and Silistra as well as to Dobruja, southwards to the passes of the Balkans, and eastwards to Varna and Balchik. Shumen once had one of the most expedient military positions in the Balkan Peninsula. This was taken advantage of by the Ottoman regime through the strategic formation of the quadrangle. The quadrangle was composed of the neighboring towns of Shumen, Ruse, Silistra, and Varna, and was formed to fortify the country’s defenses against the Russian advances in 1877. However, this period marked the final days of the Ottoman domination.

During World War II, in the period of 1943-44, within the boundaries of what is today Shumensko Plateau Natural Park located around the city of Shumen, Bulgaria, there was an active POW (Prisoner of War) camp. This camp was for the English and American aircrew members who were shot down over Bulgaria and the Balkan Peninsula.

Shumen has a long history that has brought about a varied spectrum of European and Eurasian influences and periods. Like many, if not all, of the cities of Bulgaria, Shumen was first inhabited by Thracians. The ancient languages of these people had already gone extinct and their cultural influence was highly reduced due to the repeated barbaric invasions of the Balkans by Celts, Huns, Goths, and Sarmatians, accompanied by persistent Hellenization, Romanisation, and later, Slavicisation. Though reduced, the cultures of these people still form part of the origin and history of the city. The Romans occupied the city at a time when Rome was world power while its army was conquering many of the outlying lands that are present-day Bulgarian cities and towns.

During the Roman occupation, Shumen became the center for cultural and religious activities under Simeon the Great, who ruled between 866 and 927. Under his rule, Bulgaria reached a Golden Age of cultural distinction. However, the Roman rule wasn’t always friendly. In 811, Shumen was burned by the emperor Nicephorus, and in 1087, it was besieged by Alexius I.

Shumen was renamed Chumla in 1388, after it was captured and put under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. Being part of the empire was beneficial for the town because it became an important market town. In simple terms, Shumen was opened up to the different cultures by being a medium of economic and cultural trade. Remnants of the period’s multi-ethnicity remain with Shumen’s minority Jewish, Armenian, and Muslim communities. Many years later, in 1848, after the failure of the Hungarian Revolution, many Hungarians also migrated to Shumen.

Shumen is an old town of fortresses. Thracians first built fortresses at around the fifth century B.C. The construction of fortresses provided the town its foundations for both a military and communal settlement. Other fortresses were also built in the surrounding area of Hisarluka on the eastern end of the Shumen Plateau.

The nineteenth century saw Shumen, and many other Bulgarian cities and towns, as a center for the country’s National Revival. On May 11, 1813, the first theatrical performance was held to commemorate Saints Cyril and Methodius of Bulgaria. The birth of enlightenment began to engulf the country and the demand for the performing arts and national identity was greatly spurred. In 1850, the first Bulgarian symphony orchestra was established in Shumen. Also, in 1850, the Hungarian politician and revolutionary leader Lajos Kossuth became an icon for the city. He was very influential and was known throughout Europe and the rest of the world. He was later recognized as a freedom fighter who struggled hard for European democracy. He was exiled in Shumen and the house he lived in is now a museum.

Hungarian emigrants also played a big role in the city’s performing arts. The first symphonic orchestra was conducted by Shafran. The first works of Bulgarian drama were written in Shumen, the first of which was “Mihal” by Sava Dobroplondi in 1853. Vassil Droumev, founder of Bulgarian theater, wrote the short story “Miserable Family” in Shumen in 1860. Another short story written in Shumen is “School Theatre-the Wealthy Man” (1864) by Dobri Voinikov. The great Bulgarian composer Pancho Vladigerov was born in the town.

Bulgaria was eventually liberated from the Ottoman rule. Markets for the crafts crashed due to the comparatively cheap quality goods from the West which competed with the local market. On June 22, 1878, Shumen yielded to Russia and became part of the Principality of Bulgaria. One of the first breweries of Bulgaria was established in Shumen and this gradually became the key to the recovery of its economy in 1882. The Shumen beer has since been sought after by many connoisseurs and enthusiasts from all over the world.

In 1981, Bulgaria’s rich historical past was celebrated in Shumen due to its close proximity to some of the country’s important locations. Shumen is close to the first capitals of Danubian Bulgaria, namely, Pliska and Preslav, and the Mandara Knight or Horseman that is now a World Heritage Site, being as ancient as 710 A.D. Virtually, the whole history of Bulgaria is also present in the country’s Monument to 1300 Years of Bulgaria which is also found in Shumen.

The Shumen area has also been important in the field of archeology. Archeologists from Shumen have found well preserved tombs from the Khan period, the period of the Mongol emperor. Excavations were made at the areas of Chair Dere near Makak, one of the town’s districts. The Chair Dere findings date back to the period between the seventh and ninth centuries. At the grave, significant artifacts were found preserved in an earthen vessel in good condition. Some of the artifacts are the head of a horse, riding equipment, and part of a human skeleton.

The town was given a new name during the Roman Empire to honor Emperor Marcus Ulpius Traianus and was called Ulpia Augusta Traiana, “the most flamboyant city of the Traians”.
During the Byzantium period, it was renamed Irinopolis for a short period of time when the Byzantine Empress Irina visited the town.

The city was a member of the First Bulgarian State in 812 AD using the name Vereya. Meanwhile, it was called Boruy during the Second Bulgarian State. The symbol of Stara Zagora, a lioness with a cub, came from this period when a number of the most amazing medieval stone plastic arts were discovered.

The Turks captured the medieval city in 1364 and renamed it “the Old fortress Zagora” or Eski (Hissar) Zagra. It was transformed into an important center of trade and crafts when the Bulgarian Revival came. The Bulgarian name Zheleznik replaced the Turkish name when the 1850s ended.
The city’s current name, Stara Zagora came out for the first time in 1875 on papers from the Church Council of Tsarigrad. In 1878, following the Liberation of Bulgaria before the Unification of Bulgaria, it became a member of the Autonomous Eastern Rumelia.

Stara Zagora (Стара Загора in Bulgarian Alphabet) is in the central area of Southern Bulgaria with a size of 1,019.37 square kilometers. It is in the crossing area of European Pan European Transport Corridors 4, 8, and 9. It is one of the largest cities in the country.

Its total population is about 178,000 and an estimate of 155,000 of the people reside in Stara Zagora city. The first people to inhabit Stara Zagora were farmers. They were in the area at around the conclusion of the seventh millennium BC.

Stara Zagora city is the focal point for the major Bulgarian railroads and is only 220 kilometers from Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia. In 2006, the airport development program was declared. The runway provides right of entry to civil tourism and commercial aircraft. Currently, the airport has a capacity of approximately 60 aircrafts.

The plain is 150-180 meters above sea level, and the Moruley peak, the highest point, is 895 meters above the sea. It has one town with fifty villages. It stretches from the base of the Sarnena Sredna Gora Mountain to the greater Thracian Lowland. The city’s climate is temperate continental with an average annual temperature of +13°C. Rain falls usually in summer and spring.

There are three short and shallow rivers crossing the town namely, the Sazliyka, the Bedechka, and the Banska Reka. The plants on Sarnena Sredna Gora Mountain are composed mainly of hornbeam, oak, beech, and a number of coniferous trees.

Over twenty wild animals inhabit this area. There are red deers, wild boars, hares, jackals, wild cats, foxes, and wolves. Some imperial eagles can be seen hovering over Stara Zagora since their nests are near the city.
Stara Zagora is one of the economic centers of Bulgaria because fertile lands abound in the area. Industries consist of metals, chemicals, electronics, manufacturing, power generation, food processing, textiles, and wine brewing.

The city of lime trees is also known for being the city of straight streets, poets, and painters. It is also the native land of the writers Georgi Bakalov, Dimitar Podvarzachov, Kiril Hristov, Veselin Hanchev, Nikolai Liliev, the famed opera singer Hristina Morfova, the painters Vasil Kostakiev, Anton and Georgi Mitovi, Mario Zekov, Dimitar Gudjenov, and Atanas Mihov.
In the city, there are museums, galleries, parks, orthodox churches, and an astronomical observatory. The museums and galleries like the Regional Historical Museum and the Art Gallery feature historical art, places, and artifacts that highlight the richness of its culture. In its history, the city had been restored to life several times, has continued to exist, has survived many changes, and still strives to flourish. It has always been a center for economic, cultural, and political development.

Parks like the Ayazmoto Park (Metropolitan Metodi Kussev Park) and the Stara Zagora Zoo feature various flora and fauna right in the heart of the city. Majority of the people embrace the Eastern Orthodox bishopric religion, hence, the five main Orthodox churches: the Holy Trinity Church, The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, St. Martyr Dimitar Church, St. Nikolay the Thaumaturge Church, and St. Theodore Tyron Chapel. Lastly, the Yuri Gagarin Astronomical Observatory, one of the firsts in the country, offers educational lectures, introduction to sky maps, observation of the sky, and multimedia presentations.

Stara Zagora has venues for various kinds of entertainment. It has cinema opera theatres like the Geo Milev Drama Theatre, where the first play in Stara Zagora, “Malakova”, was staged in 1870. The city also boasts of the State Puppet Theatre, the Septemvri Open-Air Cinema, and the Arena Cinema.

There are also several restaurants and cafes located in the city. Young people can visit the popular discos and bars, entertain themselves in the bowling halls, play bingo games, or go to the casinos. Its wide range of cuisine offers the traditional Bulgarian “mehana” and gourmet cuisine. Chefs take advantage of the abundance of local fruits and vegetables in preparing their dishes. Their locally produced wines can complement any meal.

As one of Bulgaria’s most modern contemporary towns, Stara Zagora is an important industrial, educational , and cultural center with well-established private and secondary schools, specialised language schools, technical schools, and cultural and research institutes. In this city, the Thracian University and the internationally distinguished Trakia University can be found.

While Stara Zagora is one of the freshest and most modern cities in Bulgaria with big prospects for tourism, sports, spa treatments, and other modern amenities, you can also experience a taste of history by visiting the Roman Baths, The Antique Forum, the Roman Amphitheater, and the Thracian Tomb, to name a few.

After an enjoying day at the slopes, the many bars and nightclubs found in the resort provides a different kind of enjoyment for the resort’s visitors.  Most of the famous drinks are available, together with local and imported alcohol, beer,  and vintages.  Music is provided by live DJ’s, and no entrance fees are charged in any bar or nightclub in Pamporovo.  A few of these most notable establishments include The White Hart, Dak’s Bar, and Night Flight in hotel Rojen.

Getting around in the town usually does not require much use of transportation vehicles.  Pamporovo is a relatively small town and many places of interest are within walking distance from each other.  Nonetheless, many busses and coaches are organized by the surrounding hotels to get to and fro the ski center during the winter.  They operate several times  during the day and night,  while taxis offer additional transportation for getting around the town at night.

Most certainly, the foremost attraction in the resort is skiing.  Pamporovo features ski runs of varying degrees of difficulties that which has a total length of 25 kilometers.  Beginners are recommended to start on the nursery slopes of the ski school of Pamporovo.  On the other hand, intermediate skiers use the 20 kilometer ski runs, which can be accessed by riding the lift from the Molina or the middle stations going up to the Snejanka peak.

Advanced skiers are most fit to face the challenge of the “The Wall”, which is considered as the most difficult ski run in the resort.  Some of the other difficult piste, called Snejanka, in the resort are Turisticheska, which is slightly difficult and runs at a length of 4,200 meters at a 476 meter incline; Ardashla, which is medium in difficulty and runs at a length of 3,500 meters at a 474 meter incline; Smolyan Lakes, also of medium difficulty and runs at a length of 3,000 meters at a 390 meter incline; Dvata mosta, which is a difficult ski run and has a length of 2,200 meters at an incline of 405 meters; and Evropeiskata, which is of difficulty level also and runs at 2,000 meters at an incline of 476 meters.

There are also 3 cross country runs in the resort, with a total length of approximately 40 kilometers.   The whole expanse of the ski and cross-country runs  is served by eight 5-chair lifts and  nine drag lifts, with a capacity of lifting and transporting  8,600 persons per hour.  Other attractive features and services in the ski resort are the Pamporovo Ski/Snowboard school, ski kindergarten, and professional mountain guides.

Pamporovo winters tend to be mild, albeit 100 days of snow falls each year.  This combination allows for long skiing seasons in the resort.  Sunny days are also not unusual during the winter season in Pamporovo, wherein 120 days of sunshine could be expected between the months of December to May.

Pamporovo, however, offers more than a wonderland for ski and snowboarding enthusiasts.  Located within or near its vicinity are other resorts and attractions that visitors could explore.  First amongst these is the Rodope Mountain, which is the oldest mountain  massif in Bulgaria.  It is divided into two differentiated parts, namely the Western Rhodopes and Eastern Rhodopes.  The former has an extremely mountainous character, while the latter is characterized by hilly reliefs, cut by valleys separated by gorges and steep slopes.  As a recreational area, the settlements in the mountain have turned themselves into climatic resorts.  This has been pushed by the mild climate and the abundance of salt mineral springs.

Another notable resort near Pamporovo is the Chepelare mountain resort.  Chepelare occupies a small valley at the heart of the Rodoppi Mountain, where it stands 10 kilometers away from Pamporovo.  Its deep snow slopes during winter is very ideal for some of the longest ski runs in Bulgaria, all of which  are housed within the resort.  There are a total of 11,400 meters of runs, all of which vary in difficulty, classified from black  to green.  The foremost and most difficult of these runs is Mechi Chal, 3,150 meters long with an incline of 720 meters.  This run is qualified to be used for international competitions. The Mechi Chal 2, on the other hand, is a combination of a red/green run that extends 5,250 meters and with an incline of 720 meters.  A cross-country track,  a 5 kilometer biathlon track, a parallel slalom for skiers, Ski Schools, outdoor winter carnivals, and various ski competitions, such as the Chepelare Cup and the  Orion Cup are also found and held in the resort.  Other interesting attractions in the town include the St. Atanas Church, the St. Virgin Mary Church, and the Rojen Observatory.

Fifteen kilometers away from Pamporovo, at the heat of the Rodope Mountains, is the picturesque  town of Smolyan.  It enchants its visitors with the combination of old and modern architecture, which is influenced by the magnificence of the mountain.  A lot of historical monuments, dating from the Ottoman rule, are found in the town.

The village of Momchilovtsi, located 12 kilometers east from Pamporovo high in the Rodopi Mountain, is dubbed as the “Snowboard Park” as the area is largely unexplored and has not been touched with intense commercialization.

As Pamporovo is one of the well-known ski resorts in Europe, Pamporovo properties may just present itself as a most ideal investment.  Although its property market is not as developed as the one in Bansko, Pamporovo properties offer a great potential for growth with demands from smaller or bigger investors.  This anticipation is pushed by the development of a new and bigger skiing area and resort called Perelik.

The property prices in Pamporovo have been growing between 10% to 15% per annum, with a premium on new developments.  And with its proximity to the Plovdiv airport and to the Greek border and the Aegean Sea, these property prices can only be expected to grow as tourists and international property hunters are provided with easy access to the city.   These prices, however,  vary depending on their distance from the ski lifts and the property’s facilities.

Properties in Pamporovo range from both ends of the property spectrum.  Specific properties found in the resort town that are priced below 50,000 Euros include apartments in Mursalitza Residence, Dream Lake, Pampora Residential Complex, and Izvor Resort.  Specific properties priced above 50,000 Euros can be found in Evridika Hills Apartments and Spa and  Orpheus Valley, among others.  Properties tagged at above 100,000 Euroes can also be found at the aforementioned property developments.

Varna lies northeast of Sofia and surrounded by the cities of Dobrich to the north, Shumen to the west, and Burgas to the south.  It is accessible by air through the Varna International Airport, by sea via the Port of Varna Cruise terminal, by railroad via the Central Train Station, and by various European routes.

As a much desirable beach resort, Varna offers prized blue flag golden beaches that stretch for kilometers.  During the holiday season of July and August, the summer sun shines for long hours without the cold Baltic winds or the summer Riviera heat.  Its tideless and gentle slopes makes it an ideal seaside location for children, while its pleasant sea temperature is most suitable for the various water sport activities found in the area.

The city’s beaches, also called sea baths, are dotted with hot sulfuric mineral springs, which are used for spas, swimming pools, and public showers, punctured by small, sheltered marinas.  In addition, the waterfront promenade has beach clubs that are lined side by side offering vibrant and lively hip-hop, rock, techno, and chalga scenes.  The 50 meter high Asparuhov most (Asparuhovo Bridge) is a popular bungee jumping spot.

Varna also rivals the cities of Sofia and Plovdiv with its offerings of artistic, cultural and historical attractions.  Having existed as a settlement for thousands of years, Varna boasts of a wealth of interesting ancient sites, as well as Medieval and Renaissance structures interspersed with museums and contemporary art galleries.

The city center predominantly features a local interpretation of Neo-Renaissance, Neo-Baroque, Neo-Classicism, Art Nouveau, and Art deco in its building designs. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Varna was rebuilt by the emerging Bulgarian middle class.  This had wiped out much of the Ottoman architecture and monuments that had once dominated the city’s landscape.  Today, only a very few of these relics remain in the city.

Nonetheless, Varna still has other notable landmarks and monuments that would satisfy the interest of any art and history lover who visits the city.  One of the city’s famous landmarks is the Varna Archaeological Museum, which is situated in a Neo-Renaissance building designed by renowned architect Petko Momchilov, and houses exhibits from Varna’s various periods of history, from the prehistoric to the Bulgarian National Revival.  Its most noted exhibit is the Gold of Varna, which is the oldest gold treasure in the world that dates back to 4600-4200 BCE.

Part of the museum’s open-air exhibits is two other prominent landmarks in the city—the Roman baths at the city center and the medieval grotto of Aladzha Monastery at the Golden Sands Nature Park.  The former were the public baths of the prosperous Roman city of Odessos, while the latter is a monastery dug high above the ground into  a steep rock., wherein one could find impressive frescos all dating back to the early Middle Ages.

Another prominent landmark in the city is the Sea Garden, which is Varna’s largest and oldest landscaped park, as well as in the Balkans.  Found in the park are the Varna Aquarium, an open-air theater that had been the site of the International Ballet Competition the Museum of Natural History, the Nicolaus Copernicus Observatory and Planetarium,, a terrarium, a zoo, and a children’s amusement park.

Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox churches also abound in Varna.  The most outstanding examples of these structures  include the Theotokos Panagia, which was built atop an old church that was said to have been the burial of Ladislaus III; Saint Athanasius, which is a former Greek metropolitan cathedral; Saint Petka Parashkeva chapel; the metropolitan Dormition of the Theotokos Cathedral; the seamen’s church of Saint Nicholas; the Archangel Michael Chapel, which was the site of the first Bulgarian secular school from the Bulgarian National Revival era, and the Saints Constantine and Helena church.

Just as Varna’s unique position on the north shore of the Black Sea
And its rich resources has made it as one of the most well-known and frequented resorts in Europe and the Black Sea region,  it had also given rise to the city’s attractiveness for property development.  This is further supported by the city’s highly developed infrastructure, determined by its telecommunication network, port, and airport, as well as Varna’s industrial and trade development.

It is not surprising then, that Varna has emerged as a much sought-after city to live in, and the most expensive one as well, in terms of newly built apartments.  This trend, which had left the previous leader Sofia in second place, has emerged in 2007. Newly built apartments in Sofia averaged at 1,043 Euros per square meter, while newly built apartments in Varna averaged at 1,188 Euros per square meter.   Residential property prices in Sofia, however, saw a greater increase by 45.7% than in Varna with 33.9% over the same year.

This trend in Varna’s property market is due to the lack of newly built apartments in the face of a growing preference of people to live in the central area of the city.  This was further pushed by Varna’s lack in large-scale residential complexes as compared with Sofia and Plovdiv.

Consequently, just as recent as 2008, rental prices in the city have been the highest in Bulgaria.  Luxury apartments registered the greatest increase by 22.1%.  Rents of unfurnished housing, on the other hand, increased by 19%, while rents in furnished houses increased by 17%.  Two-bedroom apartments were the most preferred choice, with rental prices of apartments located at the downtown area starting at 300 Euros per month, while apartments located at remote burrows, such as Mladost and Vuzrazhdane, start at 250 Euros per month.  Meanwhile, the rental price of a newly built house of 250 square meters in the seaside vacation town of Trakata was around 2,500 Euros monthly.

With the supply and demand gap in properties in the city center, interest in suburban areas will continue to grow, particularly near major office, lifestyle, and transportation hubs.  The districts that have been receiving much focus recently are Mladost and Troshevo, which had been developing into major commercial centers with the several shopping centers being built in these areas.

All of these trends had resulted to the Bulgarian property market’s most outstanding performance in the global price index of properties in 2008.  This is evident with the price increase that registered at 31.5% in the first quarter of 2008.

Aside from being a major industrial and economic center, Burgos also possesses significant resources as a major tourist center in the region.  For years, Burgas has been the renowned tourist center of the south Black Sea coast.  Aside from the few beautiful beaches found within the city itself, Burgas is the most ideal starting point for visiting other seaside resorts in the area, such as Sunny Beach (Slantchev Bryag) and Elenite Village, located in the north, and Duni Village in the south.

Aside from the beaches, Burgas also offers outdoor and rustic cultural attractions to its visitors.  The city is the starting point to the Ropotamo Reserve, which is famous for its lilies and one-of-a-kind plant species.  The city is also the gateway to the Nature Park Strandzha.  The park is situated within the territory of the Strandzha Mountain, where many well-preserved villages with unique architecture are found.  For a genuine rustic Bulgarian cultural experience, the local inhabitants offer accommodations in their traditional-style homes.  These areas are also most ideal for outdoor activities like hiking, fishing, and hunting.

Other natural attractions found in Burgas are the lakes found within the vicinity of the city.  The lake of Pomorie, located 20 kilometer north of Burgas, is surrounded by salt mines and resorts.  The Atanassovo Lake, found to the north between the airport and the city, is a nestling site of many marsh and sea birds migrating from the Bosphorus and Gibraltar.  The Burgas Lake, on the other hand, is a nestling site of ibis, herons, and pelicans.  The Mandren Lake, found 10 kilometers south of the city, is also an important ornithological reserve that nestles a large population of birds during the summer.  All these locations offer facilities for fishing, canoeing, swimming, and resting near the water’s edge.

Although the city appears to be like any modern industrialized metropolis, Burgas also boasts of a past rich in culture and history.
The beginnings of the city are widely believed to have been founded by colonists from Apolonia as a military and observational post.  Subsequently, the city came under Roman rule and was used as a settlement for its veteran soldiers, wherein it was referred to as Deultum.

During the Middle Ages, the fortress of Pirgos was erected to be used as a watch tower in place of the old settlement.  By the 17th century, a town named Ahelo-Bourgas grew in the present location of the city.  Renamed into Burgos and inhabited by just 3000 by the time of the liberation, the town grew into the modern city that it is today.

However, much of the monuments and architecture found in the city dates to as recent as the 19th and the 20th centuries.  And as the city was left largely untouched by the Communist urbanization, much of these are well-preserved for all visitors to see and appreciate.  Amongst these important structures are the city’s church buildings, such as the Saint Cyril and Methodius Cathedral.  The cathedral is known for its magnificent frescos and wooden altar.  Another one of these impressive structures is the Armenian Church, which was built in 1855 by the local Armenian minority, with the support of the Bulgarian majority.

Art and culture are also major attractions in the city.  Found within it are more than ten galleries, the most prominent of which is the City Art Gallery.  It is housed in a former Jewish Synagogue the was built at the beginning of the 20th century and designed by an Italian architect.  While the synagogue itself is proclaimed as a work of art in itself, it also houses the works of most major contemporary Bulgarian artists and sculptors.

The museums found in Burgas are just as interesting cites as the city’s other attractions.  The most remarkable of these is the Burgas Regional Historical Museum, which features an archeological hall that exhibits items that dates back to the old colonies along the Black Sea coast.  The Burgas Regional Historical Museum, on the other hand, is also notable for its exhibits that feature masks of koukeri, traditional Bulgarian costumes, ritual   accessories, and traditional fabrics and embroidery.   Also worth of note is the Museum of Nature and Science, which features over 1,200 exhibits of insects and reptiles, over 140 species of fish, as well as endemic species of plants that grows in Strandzha.

Other notable structures found in the city that is dedicated for the propagation of art and Bulgarian cultural values in the city include an opera house, a philharmonic hall, a drama theatre, and a puppet theater.

Burgas is also known as the ”city of Festivals”, all of which are huge attractions for the young visitors in the city.  First of these is the “Burgas and the Sea”, which is a festival renowned for popularizing many songs and a threshold for many talented performers.  The festival is held every summer, on the stage of the Summer Theater in the Sea Garden.  Held in the same venue is the International, Folklore Festival, which presents folk songs and dances of people from all over the world.  Other much anticipated festivals in the city include the Festival of the Bulgarian Rock Music, Beer Fest, an annual theater festival, and the traditional classical music festival.

With all the features of an important modern city and a lot more, investing and purchasing properties in Burgas could be both financially and culturally rewarding.  Burgas has the most developed market amongst the coastal property markets in Bulgaria.  And in the last three to four years, it has seen incredible movement in its market, wherein it has been one of the top four Bulgarian cities in terms of property prices.

Residential property prices in the city center are much more expensive than in the outlying regions as there is a gap between supply and demand, which  had been brought on by a virtual lack of large plots on which to build new residential developments.  On the average, apartments are tagged at 400 Euros per square meter, while the average price of a 1-bedroom apartment under construction varies between 380 euros to 506 Euros per square meter.  2-bedroom apartments under construction, on the other hand, vary between 457 Euros to 661 Euros per square meter.  Meanwhile, 3-bedroom apartments under construction have their prices varying between 507 Euros to 776 Euros per square meter.

Outside the city center, the residential district of Sarafovo is quickly becoming the hottest investment location in the country’s Black Sea coastal region.  Property prices in this residential district had reached 750 to1,100 Euros per square meter, which are similar to the property prices of the famous resort cities of St Vlas and Sunny Beach.  The properties that are often found in Sarafovo are apartments, studios, and villas which had been largely purchased by foreigners, particularly Russians and British nationals.  As Sarafovo’s main attraction to property buyers and investors is its proximity to the beach and to the Burgas airport, Sarafovo properties present a significant potential for property investments.

Sunny Beach is also home to 500 hotels with over 110,000 beds.  These hotels are located in the resort’s park region in close proximity to the beach, while the main strip of high-rise hotels are primarily located on a 70 kilometer beach strip that extends along an extensive bay connecting Sveti Vlas and Nesebar.  Some of the five-star hotels found in Sunny Beach are Helena Park, Helena Sands, and Royal Beach, while some four-star hotels found there are Bellevue, Chaika, Delta Palace, Victoria Palace, and Korona.  Three-star hotels, such as the Azurro, Delfin, and Kontinental, are also housed in the resort, together with the two-star hotels of Orel, Venera, and Yunona.

More than 150 restaurants and numerous lively bars, cafes, night clubs, and discos are also found in Sunny Beach.  Most of the restaurants, folk-style establishments, snack bars, and cafeterias in the resort serve traditional Bulgarian dishes prepared from ecologically pure products, some of which include Shopska salad, kebapcheta, and kavarma.  These sumptuous dishes are ideally washed down with Bulgaria’s excellent vintages and brandy.

With Sunny Beach surrounded with warm and calm waters, the opportunity for various water sport activities is endless.  Some of the aquatic activities found in the resort include yachting, wind surfing, water skiing, parasailing, and hang-gliding.  Other sports facilities are also found in Sunny Beach, such as tennis and riding, where tennis and riding enthusiasts can enjoy a game or a ride in one of the resort’s riding facilities. Tennis and riding Schools are also available in Sunny Beach.

Sunny Beach is also a paradise for children.  The resort features various activities, services and amenities that would ensure the enjoyment of both the young ones and their parents.  Some of these features include 24-hour kindergartens, sport schools, children’s menus, play areas and children’s pools, kids’ discos, and other various games.

The most appealing attraction in Sunny Beach, particularly for young visitors, is the festivals that showcase various lively and colorful Bulgarian traditions.  Celebrated in Sunny Beach are the Golden Orpheus International Festival for popular songs, Decade of Symphonic Music, and the International Folklore Festival.  Fashion shows and various beach competitions are also held in the resort.

Also housed within the resort are two campsites, casinos, a shopping center, as well as arts and crafts bizarre.

The construction of the resort started during Communist times in 1958.  Through the years, it had gone through continuous expansion, with several luxury hotels and apartment complexes were constructed.  Nonetheless, the resort has long been popular with tourists since before the fall of Communism.  Boasting of a warm Mediterranean climate and tons of sunshine throughout the year, Sunny Beach has grown popular with German, British, Irish, Scandinavian, and Serbian tourists, all of whom find Sunny Beach a much inexpensive alternative to the established Mediterranean resorts.  These tourists have added to the already large number of Bulgarian and Russian tourists who visit the resort.
Sunny Beach is certainly not just a popular beach resort; it is also a much sought-after location for buyers seeking properties overseas.  The most obvious attraction for Sunny Beach is the sand and the sun.  Sunny Beach is one of the largest and the most developed property market in Bulgaria.

An active market for villas and apartments exists, wherein properties are often being sold out off plan.  Much of the buyers are second home buyers, who have chosen Sunny Beach for establishing their second home, and property investors, who are anticipating a further tourism boom.  This is due to the ever increasing likelihood of Bulgaria’s joining with the European Union.  Without doubt, with the resort’s ever growing popularity with tourists, the properties in Sunny Beach would offer the most considerable rental returns in the entire country.

Much of the properties in Sunny Beach are built along the main beach road that connects the resort with Nessebar and Saint Vlas.  The property prices in Sunny Beach start at around 600 Euros per square meter and could reach up to 2,000 Euros per square meter.  The prices, however, varies based on several factors.  These include the property’s distance to the sea or the beach, the available facilities in the residential complex, the present sales availability, level in which the unit is located, the quality of the construction materials used to construct the building with, and sometimes, on which side of the main road is the property located—the beachside or the other.  The types of properties most often found in Sunny Beach are houses, villas, and apartments.

With beach properties in Sunny Beach cost a fraction of what is found in Spain, France, and Portugal, the resort’s local property market can only be expected to expand and grow in the following years.  This is already seen with the rising property prices and doubling rental rates in the last three years.  It won’t be long before Bulgaria follows the markets of Turkey and Greece, with Sunny Beach as its largest property development.  Numerous property developments in the resort are still located within walking distance from the beach.  Hence, these properties present not jus greater value for money, but a spectacular location for one’s investments and second homes.

Although it has existed for no more than ten years as a ski resort, Bansko has excellent features and ideal settings, setting it as one of the most best developed ski and winter resorts in Europe.  It is set high on the Pirin at 925 meters above sea level, with its skiing area located at 2,000 to 2,600 meters. The highest peak in the Pirin Mountains is Virden at 2,914 meters.  It has excellent snow conditions, with great snow cover of at least 2 meters from the months from December up to May.

Bansko houses various features and amenities that provide new opportunities for skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, biathlon, and winter extreme sports.  Foremost of these are the ski runs located in Bansko, which totals in length at 70 kilometers, with the longest track at 16 kilometers on a downhill race.  These tracks vary in their degree of difficulty, ranging from beginners to advance.  The Bansko ski runs which are classified for beginners are Shiligarnika that runs for 2,047 meters, with an inclination of 487 meters. This is along with the Shilingarnika 2, which runs at the same length and inclination as the previous, the Plato-south, that runs at a length of 1, 148 meters and inclines at 320 meters, and the Plato-north, which runs for 1,015 meters with an inclination of 300 meters.

The ski runs classified as medium include Todorka, which runs for 1,690 meters at an inclination of 470 meters, Old piste, which runs for 970 meters at an inclination of 205 meters, and Chalin Valog-east, which runs for 775 meters at an inclination of 75 meters.  Meanwhile, one of the ski runs in Bansko that are classified as difficult is Tomba, which runs at a length of 2,567 meters with an inclination of 925 meters.

Snowboarders, on the other hand, can take advantage of the first on the Balkans fun – Park, wherein   snowboard enthusiasts to ski over present artificial bumps and jumps, as well as the opportunity to jump over  bumps  that they could build on their own.  Meanwhile, extreme skiers can take full advantage of Bansko ski zone’s so-called fun – park zone.  It features a 7-kilometer lighted ski road between Banderishka polyana and the town.

The ski zone in Bansko is serviced by 22 kilometers of lift and gondolas.  The types of lifts found in Bonska include gondolas, four-seat chairs, tree-seat chair lift; anchor type tow lifts single tow lifts, anchor type tow lifts, and children draggers.

During the summer, Bansko offers numerous outdoor activities among the lush forests and verdant sceneries of the Pirin Mountain.  One of the most common outdoor activities in Bansko during the summer is hiking tours.  The Pirin Mountains offers verdant scenery, numerous crystal lakes, and interesting flora and fauna.  Some of the marked hiking routes in the resort include Mountain track from Bansko to the Moratovo – Ribno and Okoto lakes, Mountain track from Bezbog Chalet to the Popovo Lake, which is the larges in Pirin, and a climb to the summit of Mount Virden, the highest peak in the Pirin.

Mountain biking and horse-back riding are two other outdoor activities that visitors can engage in to travel on especially marked trails.  These two activities can afford the visitors a different venue to experience the stunning views offered by the Kresna gorge.  In addition, Bansko also provides excellent facilities and the most ideal settings for extreme adventures.  Some of these adventures include off road jeep safari, rafting, and rock climbing.

Bansko is not only known as an alpine skiing, hiking, and climbing center, it is also a town that boasts of a wealth of history, culture, and folklore.  While many of the old relics and monuments from its past have been preserved, the town in itself offers a peak of its past as it has retained the appeal of an ancient 10th century Bulgarian town.  Aside from the ancient Bansko town, visitors can also visit other notable locations found within the area, such as the Bear Park, the Yagodinska Cave, Rozhen Monastery, Rila Monastery, and the Kovatchevitsa village.

After a day in the slopes on the mountain tracks, travelers can have their pick of accommodations offered by the hotels and apartments housed in the resort.  Some of these include Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena, Lucky Bansko Hotel, Park Hotel Gardenia, Redenka Palace Hotel, Grand Montana Apartments, Mountain Residence Apartments, and Redenka Chalets.

Entertainment during the night in Bansko is not as lively as the other ski resort towns.  This old-fashioned town takes it tone from the quiet residents who prefer to while away the evenings in the numerous taverns and pubs found in the area.

As this ancient town is Bulgaria’s best and most modern ski resort, and has attracted not only tourists but investors as well, Bansko is the best location to invest in mountain resort properties.

The massive investment process that the area has undergone had resulted in the construction of new hotels and resort facilities being constructed, together with new residential developments.  Bansko’s property market is quite competitive and offers an enormous potential for rental returns due to the popularity of the ski and mountain resort.  Tour operators report that ski-flats in Bansko offers up to 10% of rental returns.
The area is also growing popular with foreign expatriates who seek a mountain resort property with the fraction of the cost in France or Switzerland.  Prices usually vary depending on the property’s proximity to the lifts and the facilities available.  For instance,
A studio close to the ski-lift in Bansko is tagged at around £22,000, while 1-bedroom apartments cost at around £31,000. Meanwhile, Two-bedroom apartments cost around £45,000.

Property prices are only predicted to steadily rise due to the growing popularity of Bulgarian ski resort properties, supported by an airport plan in Razlog, which is located 10 kilometers from Bansko.

Situated up the Rila Mountains at 1,350 meters, Borovets features three ski centers with the highest skiing area set at 2,560 meters.  First of the three is the Central Borovets, which starts from an altitude of 1,337 meters up to 1,780 meters.  Yastrebetz, the second ski center, has an altitude of 1,340 meters up to 2,369 meters, while the last of the three, Markudjik, has an elevation of 230 meters to 2,550 meters.

Within the resort are 19 ski runs of varying degrees of difficulty, which totals to a length of 58 kilometers.  These tracks are divided according to their level of difficulty, from green to black, and can satisfy any skill level from beginning to advanced skiers.  Some of the ski runs found in Borovets are the following: Sitnyakovo ski track, classified as green, and runs for 6,000 meters with no inclination, Sitnyakovo 1a, classified as blue, and runs for 5,800 meters with an inclination of 400 meters, and Martinovi Baraki 5, classified as green, and runs for 5,000 meters with no inclination.

The several ski tracks in Borovets that are classified as red are the following: Sitnyakovo 2, which runs for 4000 meters with an inclination of 250 meters, Yastrebets 3, which runs for 2,350 meters with an inclination of 617 meters, Markujik 3, which runs for 1, 240 meters at an inclination of 390 meters, Martinovi Baraki 2, which runs for 1,160 meters at an inclination of 280 meters, and Sitnyakovo 3, that runs for 1,000 meters at an inclination of 220 meters.

Lastly, the ski tracks that are classified as black are as follows: Yastrebets 1, which runs for 2,300 meters at an inclination of 860 meters, Lavinata, which runs for 830 meters with no inclination, and Yastrebets, which runs for 800 meters and has no inclination.

The cross-country trails in Borovets are 35 kilometers long at a minimum width of 6 meters.  The design of the trails was according to the specifications of the Federation Internationale de Ski (FIS).  Other attractive features of Borovets include the ski school, wherein the instructions may  be given in a grouped or by individual and the lessons may last for a few or several days, ski kindergarten for children aged 4 to 8 years, facilities for biathlon, night skiing, ski-doos, and ski jumping.

Borovets is also a hiker’s paradise with its numerous hiking trails that start from the resort along marked routes that leads to various sites in the Rila Mountains.  One of the signatures hiking from Borovets is the one leading to Chernata Skala, more commonly known as Black Rock.  It takes the hikers through centuries-old pine forests, passing flower-filled meadows, and across idyllic streams.

Visitors can also ascent the highest peak in Bulgaria from Borovets, which is Mount Moussala at 2,925 meters.  The Yastrebets hotel is the starting point for the ascent, where one could start on foot, or by gondola, to the first leg    of the trail, which is Moussala hut at the foot of the mountain.  Hiking from the foot of the mountain to the summit takes less than two hours.

On the other hand, starting off from the Rila Monastery allows one to set out on several marked hiking routes around the Rila Mountains.  Some of the signature destinations one could get to when starting off from the Rila Monastery are the Ribni Ezera Chalet, Macedonia Chalet, Ivan Vazov Chalet, 7 Rila Lakes Chalet, and to the peak and chalet of Malyovitsa.

Mountain excursions are most ideal during the months of June, July, August, and September,  During these months, the meadows of the higher elevations are lush and in full bloom, offering picturesque scenery and verdant views.  Winter climbing is also possible, with February and March as the most suitable months.

After a day in the slopes or a trek in the mountain, the numerous hotels in Borovets provide the most ideal accommodations.  Visitors can have their choice of budget or luxury accommodations from the list of hotels and apartments found in the resort.  Some of the well-established hotels in Borovets include the Rila Hotel, Chalet Mariela, Hotel Bor and Edelweiss, Hotel Breza, Villa Stresov, Flora apartments, Villa Park Apartments, Malina Villas, and Yagoda Villas.

All-year round entertainment in Borovets is provided by the bars, nightclubs, and discos in the resort, complimented by restaurants that serve typical Bulgarian cuisine and vintages.  Folklore evenings provide visitors a cultural connection to the area’s rich folklore traditions, a taste of the hearty local food, and a visit to quaint villages and historic sites.

An investment and development project in Borovets, dubbed as the SUPER BOROVETS PROJECT, is currently on the way which aims to transform the area into a year-round resort featuring amusement facilities, swimming pools, football fields, tennis courts, and other playgrounds for practicing active sports.  It ultimately aims to develop the tourism sector, with the help of the locals, whilst maintaining the eco-balance of the region.  And upon completion, the current Borovets town will have encompassed the neighboring towns of Samokov and Beli Iskar.

The resort will be divided into three levels, in which the prices in each level will cater to a wide range of visitors.  Level 1, or Low Borovets, is aimed to cater to the less well-off visitors but will have good connection and transport to Borovets and the main ski areas.  5,000 hotel rooms are expected from this project.  Level 2, or Borovets, consist of the existing Borovets with extensive investments and developments, where in, it will be the main accommodating area.  Level3, or Super Borovets, will cater to visitors who are in search of luxury accommodations, although it will only provide 2,500 rooms.  Twelve additional lifts will be built to cope with the higher demands for lifts and gondolas.  One of these lifts will be a multi-station gondola which connects Borovets to Samokov.

The project started in 2004, and was originally estimated to be completed by 2009.  However, several setbacks have somewhat delayed the project.

In spite of years of being a popular mountain resort, the property market in Borovets is not as well-developed as the property markets in Bansko or Pamporovo.  However, the SUPER BOROVETS project has increased the investment interests, consequently leading to increases in property prices in Borovets town and the near-by villages.  In addition, the predicted influx of tourists into the bustling ski resort provides an ideal rental market that has considerable potential for investment returns.  Securing an excellent off-plan property whilst the project is still in its development stages could provide investors enormous return of investment as the property prices in Borovets will undoubtedly increase once the development is complete.

Property prices in Borovets vary, depending on their location from the ski lifts and property facilities.  The most common off-plan properties available in Borovets are apartments and  ski chalets, while the type of resale properties are often traditional villas with larger living space and offers greater value for money.