I arrived at London Gatwick’s South Terminal for the 10.30 Bulgarian Airways daily connection to Bulgaria’s capital Sofia, a flight time of just under 3 hours. Despite a full flight I was delighted that check-in was swift and painless which gave me ample time to check out the comprehensive array of duty free shops!
I was relieved that the flight was ‘on time’ and we were soon airborne at our allotted time. As the duration of my stay was only two days I had managed to pack enough clothing in a cabin sized case saving valuable time at baggage reclaim. I was met by my driver and was soon on my way to the ski resort of Pamporovo in the south west of the country some 40km from the border with Greece.
As we drew nearer the resort we were greeted by the first snowfall of winter which magically transformed the resort into a winter wonderland overnight, which totally enhanced the whole experience for me. I checked into the newly opened Hotel Orlovetz and was greeted by courteous English speaking staff. The hotel is complete with 210 beds and 7 suites all offering comfortable accommodation with telephone, satellite T.V, mini bar, safe, shower, hairdryer and a balcony offering mountain views. Other facilities on offer included a unique spa area offering gym, swimming pool and massage facilities.
After a leisurely drink at the hotel’s piano bar I set off in snowfall to explore the nearby facilities and settled on a restaurant for my first meal in a Bulgaria Ski Resort. A very traditional tavern greeted me with Bulgarian musicians and singers entertaining you all night long and encouraging you to take part in local dancing! Food was plentiful and delicious and comprised several courses complete, of course, with local wine and drink. Nearing midnight and with the snow still falling I walked back to my hotel. After watching the snow fall from my bedroom balcony a warm bed was very welcoming.
The following morning the snow had stopped but a blanket covered the resort and alpine trees showing just how beautiful this Bulgaria Ski Resort was. After breakfast at the hotels extensive buffet there was a full days exploring ahead including, of course, the site of the development I had come to see, The Grand Hotel & Apartments Zarena. I discovered that Pamporovo is the oldest ski resort in Bulgaria nestling in the beautiful, natural and legendary mountains of Rhodope.
Pamporovo provides a variety of excellent ski runs for all degrees of difficulty, most of them starting from the Snejanka peak above the resort. Snow, on average, covers the mountains for 150 - 200 days per year and with its strong influence from the Mediterranean, is the sunniest mountain resort in Europe with more than 250 days of sunshine per year. When the snow disappears, Pamporovo is also a very popular “mountains and lakes” summer resort when guided walking, cycling tours, hiking and horse riding amongst other activities area available making Pamporovo a truly all year round destination with something for everyone.
In February 2005 Pamporovo was voted by the Bulgarian Parliament as a tourist area of national importance. This means that the nature will be preserved intact and residential construction limited. Therefore The Grand Hotel & Apartments Zarena will give the opportunity of investing in a truly wonderful part of Bulgaria. The apartments on offer comprise of 51 one bedroom and 8 two bedroom apartments starting at a little over 71,000 euros. Snowmobiles and mountain will be allocated to the complex as well as facilities from the adjoining 5 star luxury hotel being available.
My initiation to Bulgaria was over as quickly as it had begun returning from Pamporovo to Sofia airport for the early morning flight home to Gatwick airport. Again check in was painless and our flight was on time. During my two day stay in Bulgaria I was impressed by the friendliness and welcoming nature of the Bulgarian people and plan another visit soon to the ski resort of Bansko located to the south of Bulgaria’s capital Sofia.
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on Thursday, January 11th, 2007 at 4:01 pm and is filed under Bulgaria.
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