Resort guide · Bulgaria

Borovets: Our Ski Guide

Bulgaria’s oldest mountain resort, founded in 1896 in the pine forests of the Rila, an hour from Sofia: a World Cup race venue with a gondola, floodlit night skiing four evenings a week and Bulgaria’s highest peak, Musala, above it all.

Plan your trip:Lift passes & ski area Our Sofia guide

The back story

Founded: 1896, as Chamkoria; renamed Borovets in 1942 (borovets-bg.com) · Lift pass: Adult day €54, 2025/26 (borovets-bg.com); 2026/27 list to come · Lifts and runs: 12 lifts and 31 runs on the resort’s live status board · Night skiing: Ten floodlit slopes, over 6 km, Wednesday to Saturday · Racing: 2 World Cups and 12 European Cups hosted (borovets-bg.com) · From Sofia: About an hour (Yastrebets Hotel); Sofia Airport is the nearest

The back story

Borovets: the back story

Borovets·In depth: history

From royal hunting lodges in a pine forest to a World Cup race venue: the story of Borovets, the first mountain resort in the Balkans, beneath Musala, the highest peak on the peninsula.

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Lift passes, ski schools and hire

World Cup venue

Borovets ski area

Borovets·Ski resort·€€

Three sectors in the Rila, Sitnyakovo–Martinovi Baraki, Yastrebets and Markudjik, served by a gondola, express chairlifts and drag lifts.

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Official prices, 2025/26

Borovets lift pass

Borovets·Lift pass·€€

Adult day pass €54, six days €279 in 2025/26, with 5% off on the reloadable card; the 2026/27 list follows before the season.

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Wednesday to Saturday

Night skiing in Borovets

Borovets·Night skiing·€€

Ten floodlit slopes, more than 6 km in all, with three surface lifts and the Martinovi Baraki Express, Wednesday to Saturday until 10pm.

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The resort’s own school

Borosport Ski & Snowboard School

Borovets·Ski school·€€

Group, children’s and private ski and snowboard lessons, booked online from 1 November; beginners’ groups start on Sundays.

In front of Hotel Rila, BorovetsExplore View on map
Book online, skip the queue

Borosport rental and ski service

Borovets·Ski hire·€

Standard, premium and race skis, snowboards and cross-country kit; an adult standard set is €20 a day for 2026/27.

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Where to stay, every budget

Who it suits. On a budget: Epic packages from €52 a day with pass, hire and lessons, and the five-room Finish Line guest house at the foot of the Popangelov run. Mid-range: Hotel Rila, ski-in, ski-out at the foot of the runs, with an Olympic-style pool and a crèche. Luxury: Yastrebets Wellness & SPA and Borovets Hills, five-star comfort among the pines above the resort.

The symbol of Borovets · In depth

Hotel Rila Borovets

Borovets·Ski-in, ski-out hotel·€€€

Borovets’ ski-in, ski-out landmark at the foot of the runs, with a 25-metre indoor pool, two jacuzzis, a thermal zone (Finnish sauna, steam, Turkish bath), Restaurant Samokovi and the After Eleven club.

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Among century-old conifers · In depth

Yastrebets Hotel Wellness & SPA

Borovets·Mountain spa hotel·€€€€

A forest hotel at about 1,500 m above Borovets with a spa included for guests (15-metre indoor pool, thermal zone), a fireside à la carte restaurant and a terrace in front of the slope.

Borovets 2010Explore View on map
Five-star among the pines · In depth

Borovets Hills

Borovets·Five-star spa hotel·€€€€

A five-star spa hotel in the pine forest of upper Borovets, 100 metres from the Yastrebets piste, with a spa of pools, steam bath, sauna, salt rooms and Turkish bath, apartments with fireplaces and its own ski depot.

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First chair on Yastrebets

Finish Line Guest House

Borovets·Guest house·€

A bed-and-breakfast of five double rooms at the foot of the Popangelov run, with a bar, restaurant and open terrace.

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Restaurants and mountain huts

Creative chef’s menu

Restaurant Samokovi

Borovets·À la carte restaurant·€€€

The 100-seat à la carte restaurant in Hotel Rila, with a creative chef’s menu and good wines.

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At the top of Sitnyakovo

Downhill Snack & Grill

Borovets·Mountain restaurant·€

Grills, snacks and big views a few metres from the top station of the Sitnyakovo Express.

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At the end of Popangelov

Finish Line restaurant

Borovets·Restaurant and bar·€

Food, drinks and cocktails on the terrace at the bottom of the Popangelov run.

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Comfort food by the fire

Champions Lobby Bar & Diner

Borovets·Diner·€€

Comfort food, sport on big screens and a fireplace in Hotel Rila, open from 7am.

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At Hotel Rila

Seasons and Les Arcs restaurants

Borovets·Hotel restaurants·€€

Hotel Rila’s two further restaurants, at the foot of the runs.

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Après-ski and bars

Borovets’ best après

The Terrace Lounge

Borovets·Après-ski lounge·€€

Crafted cocktails and fresh local food with views of the slopes and the pines, 10am–11pm daily in winter.

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At Hotel Rila

After Eleven Night Club

Borovets·Nightclub·€€

Hotel Rila’s nightclub, for when the Terrace Lounge closes.

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Shops

Borovets souvenirs

MyBorovets shop

Borovets·Resort shop·€

The resort’s own online shop of Borovets-branded rucksacks, penknives, lip balm and keyrings.

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Spas and wellness

Olympic-style pool

Rila Spa & Pool

Borovets·Hotel spa·€€

An Olympic-style indoor pool, hot tub, thermal zone, gym, massages and facial and body treatments.

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In the forest

Yastrebets Wellness & SPA

Borovets·Hotel spa·€€€

The spa and pool of the Yastrebets hotel, in the conifer forest above the resort.

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Five-star spa

Borovets Hills spa

Borovets·Hotel spa·€€€

The spa at the heart of the five-star Borovets Hills.

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Getting there

About an hour

From Sofia Airport to Borovets

Borovets·Airport·€

Sofia Airport is the nearest; the Yastrebets hotel puts Borovets about an hour from Sofia.

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Save the numbers

Borovets mountain rescue

Borovets·Safety·€

The resort’s mountain rescue service: +359 887 100 243 or +359 887 100 238.

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Property: the neighbourhoods

At the foot of the runs

Borovets centre

Borovets·Neighbourhood

The resort centre around Hotel Rila and the base of the Sitnyakovo and Martinovi Baraki lifts, a short walk from the gondola.

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Quiet and green

The pines above the resort

Borovets·Neighbourhood

The forested slopes above Borovets, home of the Yastrebets hotel and Borovets Hills, for calm and space.

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Share your Borovets tips

Been there? Share your runs, huts and tips with other skiers.

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