Bulgaria’s ski season: between artificial and natural snow

There is still no snow on the higher slopes, but winter is already in the air, and Bulgaria’s ski resorts are putting the finishing touches to their preparations despite the delayed start to the season. Pamporovo, in the southern Rhodope Mountains, is anticipating strong interest from Romania, Greece and Turkey, as well as from its established UK market. An official opening date has yet to be confirmed, as snow cover is still insufficient.

The picture on Vitosha Mountain is much the same. The ski season there usually gets underway in mid- to late December, but a formal start date will only be announced once conditions allow. Snow cover and the technical readiness of the lifts remain the key factors.

Plans are clearer in some of the country’s other major resorts. Borovets, situated on the northern slopes of the Rila Mountains, has already announced its opening date: 27 December 2025. This winter marks a milestone for Bulgaria’s oldest mountain resort, as it celebrates 130 years of history – from what was once Chamkoria to today’s Borovets resort – a theme that will be central to its festive programme.

Bansko, in the Pirin Mountains, will once again be the first ski resort to open for the winter season on 13 December, relying on low temperatures to ensure effective artificial snow production.

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Meanwhile, Malyovitsa, another Rila resort, is one of the few places where natural snow has already fallen. The ski centre officially opens on 14 December, with ski demonstrations and plenty of snow games planned for children.

Early bookings for the coming months point to a successful winter season in 2026, provided there is a stable snow base. What can we expect? Rumen Draganov, Director of the Institute for Analyses and Assessments in Tourism, explains:

“The tourism sector is fully prepared for the upcoming winter season. We anticipate a strong winter. More than three million foreign visitors are expected to enter Bulgaria, with over two million of them coming specifically for tourism. At the same time, we are already negotiating the next tourist season, which shows the level of interest in our country. We are set to end 2025 with more than 13.5 million foreign visits, compared with 12.5 million in the record-breaking year of 2019. From this point of view, our indicators are very positive.”

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Bulgaria continues to be viewed as one of the most affordable ski destinations in Europe. According to a Euronews survey, tourists pay several times less in Bansko than in many Swiss resorts. In Borovets, the price of a daily lift pass remains around €52, while early-booking discounts in November and December traditionally attract additional interest. The Telegraph has also highlighted Bulgaria, placing Pamporovo and Bansko at the top of its list of Europe’s most affordable ski destinations.

• The ski pass prices last season

“The tourist season opens on various dates until the end of December,” adds Draganov. “For now, ski pass prices are expected to remain at last year's levels, with a possible increase of around 3–4%. There should be no fear of a serious price hike as a result of joining the eurozone. Sustained price rises would require higher wages and pensions, which still need to move closer to the EU average. At present, prices in our resorts are in line with market competition. In some countries certain services are more expensive, others cheaper – and the same applies here. There may be price rises in some places and reductions in others, but no sharp overall increase is expected.”

Editor: Elena Karkalanova

Posted in English by E. Radkova