Neycho, look at this pretty Vitosha Mountain - it is the most beautiful thing on earth, renowned Bulgarian poet Aleko Konstantinov once said. Perhaps, the godfather of the ski zone above Bulgaria’s capital Sofia did not imagine that this beauty would turn one century later into the apple of discord between local investors and environmentalists. The oldest nature park in Bulgaria and the whole Balkan Peninsula has a rich eighty year-long history. However, Vitosha Park has not developed a lot over the years and part of its tourist infrastructure lies in ruins. This is due to the lack of a long-term conception about the development of that mountain. People voice different opinions about the development of that locality. Some say that the mountain should be left untouched and others insist that Vitosha must turn into a modern ski resort.  

It takes less than one hour by car to reach the Aleko ski slopes in Vitosha from the Sofia city center. The slopes are situated at an altitude of 2,000 meters above sea level. Each European capital would be proud of that fact. Unfortunately, the newest ski lift on Vitosha is over thirty years old and today it is the only functioning facility there. The concessionaire of the Vitosha Ski Zone wants to change that situation, because according to data of the Bulgarian Ski Federation, between 70,000 and 100, 000 citizens of Sofia practice ski sports. Nearly 1.5 million to 2 million people are directly interested in the adequate use of the mountain, the Vice-President of the Bulgarian Ski Federation Georgi Bobev claims. Currently Mr. Bobev is member of the Governing Council of Vitosha Ski Company. In his words, the ski lifts and slopes are in wretched condition and are quite insufficient.

“Unfortunately, Vitosha is not attractive to the skilled skiers due to its old infrastructure. We must realize that this mountain can offer modern conditions for summer and winter sports and for pedestrian tourism, if the current facilities and infrastructure go under full renovation and reconstruction.”

The old Vitosha management plan which regulates the activities on its territory expired last year. Currently a discussion on the new development plan is being held. The new plan is more liberal and would perhaps allow the change of the existing facilities with new modern ski lifts. Experts are unanimous: The old ski lifts are over fifty years old and their repair is practically impossible. Besides, the new development plan would not allow any enlargement of the ski zone. Despite the current state of the Vitosha Park, the mountain has many fans, including journalist Lubomir Boyadzhiev:

“Vitosha is not merely a national park and protected area. It is the lungs of the Bulgarian capital Sofia. That is why we must do our best to preserve this fortune. I am not sure whether people realize that Vitosha is actually a big treasure. I agree that the facilities must be serviced and kept in a good condition, but the main question is how it can be done. I believe that ordinary people must have their say. The dispute can’t be resolved in favor of one side or of the other. I believe that we should not choose either of the two extremes - to build a lot of facilities or refrain from any construction whatsoever. The answer is somewhere in the middle. Being an amateur skier, however, I wonder why nothing has been done over the years for the maintenance of the existing tourist infrastructure.”

Both the environmentalists and the fans of the ski sports are looking to find an answer to that question. In their view, Vitosha has been suitable for pedestrian tourism since the time Aleko Konstantinov enjoyed that mountain. Various public opinion surveys show that nearly 80% of the Sofia citizens say that the ski zone should be renovated and modernized, but nature must be preserved at the same time. The environmentalists, however, believe that Vitosha Mountain must not become a venue for professional skiing.

The new development plan of Vitosha Park reads that the bans for new construction are to be lifted. Moreover, sport and tourism will be developed in line with the fact that the park will be part of the Programme named Sofia -European City of Sport 2018. Apparently, this fact will allow the investor to fulfill its development plans, Georgi Bobev contends.

“We can’t change the sports facilities, if a full construction ban is in place. According to the current law, the change of old ski lifts with new ones is equal to new construction. People can learn how to protect nature, if they are allowed to go out and enjoy it.”

Since the new development plan of Vitosha Park has not been approved yet, it looks like that this winter Sofia skiers will have to enjoy their favorite sport somewhere far from their city.

 English version: Kostadin Atanasov