In ’The mountains of Orpheus’, as some call the Rhodopes, at the feet of Snezhanka peak, lies one of the oldest Bulgarian resorts – Pamporovo, founded in 1933. Its name derives from the Old Bulgarian word “pampor”, which means “caravan”. According to legend, the trade caravans from the White Sea to south-western Thrace passed through Pamporovo. A local landlord, who built winter shelters for the caravans, was called Pampor, and his lands Pamporov’s. So, to this day, the name of the area remained Pamporovo.

This is the only resort where the lifts work during the summer. All year round tourists can choose between rural tourism and sports activities: bowling, tennis, archery, mountain-biking.

It is easy to reach the nearby holiday resorts, Progled, Momchilovtsi, Gela and Stoykite, and the ethnographic complex, Shiroka Laka. Another attraction is the Bachkovo monastery, the second largest and most significant after the Rila monastery, and Narechenski Bani, with its mineral and medicinal springs. One of the places of interest in the ‘Mountains of Orpheus’, as some call the Rhodopes, are the lakes of Smolyan. There used to be about twenty, but now there are only seven left, dispersed in picturesque locations over the whole valley, from the Orpheus cliffs to Smolyan itself. The most familiar are the lakes Trevistoto (The Grassy), Bistroto (The Limpid) and Matnoto (The Turbid).

The most interesting place for tourists is the panoramic bar of the Snezhanka tower, at 2,030 m above sea level. When the weather is clear, you can view plainly the whole resort and all the ski-trails from there. To the south is the Smolyan terrace, and in the distance is the outline of the Greek part of the Rhodopes. To the west the Golyam Perelik peak and the village houses of Gela and Stoykite can be seen, and a panoramic view to the Rila and Pirin mountains opens out. To the north is the ridge of the Stara Planina mountains, and to the east the Rozhen Plateau, the dome of the National astronomical observatory and the hills of the Eastern Rhodopes.

Of course, Pamporovo is associated mainly with the magic of winter. There are more than 150 winter days, and the mantle of white is often more than two metres thick. You can ski and snowboard from the end of November until the end of April. The ski-pistes with the highest level of difficulty are at Snezhanka peak (Studenets), Snezhanka 3 and Snezhanka 4. Several ski-runs and mini-drag-lifts are available for novice skiers. Some ski-runs around Snezhanka peak and the shooting range in the Yazovira area are built for lovers of the ski-run and the biathlon.

Pamporovo is a resort with traditions and ready-built infrastructure; it is an attractive place for tourists, not only during the winter, but also during the summer. The resort complex is a profitable place for investment, because it offers all-year round use and occupancy of the accommodation. This is an attractive place for both Bulgarian and foreign tourists, with its climate permitting ski sports and active and healthy holidays. The prices of the property here are lower than those in Bansko and Borovets, but they are on the increase. Steve Avery, Director of Bulgarian Properties Ltd., thinks that this is a good long-term investment for a period of 5 to 10 years.

The Chairman of 21st Century Real Estate agency, Mr. Borislav Stoyanov, shares this view, and thinks that the investment here will be the most profitable compared with the other resorts because of the forthcoming development of the “Super Pamporovo” project, which will extend the resort in the direction of the Perelik peak. After the completion of this ambitious plan, Pamporovo will become the biggest ski resort in Bulgaria, with a huge number of beds and a rich choice of ski-trails of various lengths and difficulty.

In brief:
- The closest international airports: Sofia – 2.5 hours by car; Plovdiv – 1 hour by car
- Highest ski-piste – 1,932 metres above sea level
- Total length of the ski-pistes – 31 km
- Longest ski-piste – 4 km
- Lift system – 6 chair-lifts, 13 drag-lifts, 1 gondola-lift, small children’s drag-lift
- Main exposure of the slopes – north, east, west

Information courtesy of "Tourism & Property" magazine, Plovdiv - November 2005.

Details about price madness in Bansko, golf developments in Bulgaria, and new apartments in Bansko and Borovets can be seen at the Bulgaria Properties Ltd web site www.BulgariaProperties.net. You can e-mail questions to advice@BulgariaProperties.net, or, if you have no Internet connection, call the company (in UK) at 0871 226 2296 to order a free 30-page hand-out, or just for a chat, if you prefer. They always have time for you.

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