Borovets is Bulgaria’s oldest ski resort, sitting in the Rila mountains about 70km south of Sofia, and it remains one of the best-kept secrets in European skiing. The prices are roughly half what you’d pay in France or Austria, the snow is usually reliable in February, and the resort has a warmth and unpretentiousness that the bigger Alpine stations have long since lost.
The skiing itself is best suited to intermediates — the main Sitnyakovo and Martinovi Baraki areas have good blues and reds, and the views across the forested Rila peaks are consistently beautiful. The pine trees heavy with snow on the lower runs give the whole place a fairy-tale quality that photographs very well. More serious skiers head to Yastrebets for the steeper faces, though even those won’t challenge a strong skier for long.
The après-ski situation is cheerful rather than sophisticated, which suits the whole tone of the place. Mehana restaurants serving Bulgarian mountain food — grilled meats, hearty stews, good local beer — are exactly what you want after a cold day on the hill. We stayed in a small hotel at the edge of the resort and paid less for the week, flights included, than a long weekend in Chamonix would have cost. Borovets deserves more attention than it gets.