About Pamporovo and the Surrounding Area
The Rhodopes
The impressive Project “Perelik” is the new modern face of Bulgarian tourism. This is proved by the use of the best contemporary architectural and construction practices as well by the combination of the authentic Rhodope architectural style and the most up-to-date and environment-friendly technologies. The resort will be the greenest on the Balkans.
The Rhodope mountain range is located in the south-eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula; its highest summit is Mount Perelik (2192 m). Over 83% of the mountain stands on Bulgarian territory and the rest is in Greece. The Rhodopes are among the earliest formed mountain ranges on the Balkans.
The border between the Rhodopes, Rila and the Pirin mountains is carved out by the Yadenitsa River valley, the Yundola Saddle, Avramov’s Saddle, the Dreshenets River and the Mesta River valley. The northern slopes of the Rhodopes are significantly steeper than the southern where the mountain gently settles itself down onto the plains of Aegean Thrace.
Certain geographical peculiarities have divided the Rhodopes into two parts – Western (high), and Eastern (low). The division between these two parts is drawn by the rivers Kayaliyka and Borovitsa.
Average Temperatures
The average annual temperature in the Eastern Rhodopes is 12-13°C, with maximum rainfall in December and minimum in August. The Western Rhodopes cover a territory of 8732 sq. km., and the average annual temperatures reach between 5°C and 9°C.
The nice climate coupled with other factors, enables a thick snow cover to be preserved for a long period of time – a veritable paradise for skiers.
Pamporovo
In ’The mountains of Orpheus’, as some call the Rhodopes, at the feet of Snezhanka peak, lies one of the oldest Bulgarian resorts – Pamporovo, founded in 1933.
Its name derives from the Old Bulgarian word “pampor”, which means “caravan”. According to legend, the trade caravans from the White Sea to south-western Thrace passed through Pamporovo. A local landlord, who built winter shelters for the caravans, was called Pampor, and his lands Pamporov’s. So, to this day, the name of the area remained Pamporovo.
Year-Round Activities
This is the only resort where the lifts work during the summer. All year round tourists can choose between rural tourism and sports activities: bowling, tennis, archery, mountain biking.
Places of Interest
It is easy to reach the nearby holiday resorts, Progled, Momchilovtsi, Gela and Stoykite, and the ethnographic complex, Shiroka Laka.
Another attraction is the Bachkovo monastery, the second largest and most significant after the Rila monastery, and Narechenski Bani, with its mineral and medicinal springs.
Then there are the lakes of Smolyan. There used to be about twenty, but now there are only seven left, dispersed in picturesque locations over the whole valley, from the Orpheus cliffs to Smolyan itself. The most familiar are the lakes Trevistoto (The Grassy), Bistroto (The Limpid) and Matnoto (The Turbid).
The most interesting place for tourists is the panoramic bar of the Snezhanka tower, at 2,030m above sea level from where, on a clear day, you can view the whole resort and all the ski-trails.
To the south is the Smolyan terrace, and in the distance is the outline of the Greek part of the Rhodopes.
To the west the Golyam Perelik peak and the village houses of Gela and Stoykite can be seen, and a panoramic view to the Rila and Pirin mountains opens out.
To the north is the ridge of the Stara Planina mountains, and to the east the Rozhen Plateau, the dome of the National astronomical observatory and the hills of the Eastern Rhodopes.
A Paradise for Skiers
Of course, Pamporovo is associated mainly with the magic of winter. There are more than 150 winter days, and the mantle of white is often more than two metres thick.
You can ski and snowboard from mid December until mid April. The ski pistes with the highest level of difficulty are at Snezhanka peak (Students), Snezhanka 3 and Snezhanka 4.
Several ski-runs and mini-drag-lifts are available for novice skiers. Some ski-runs around Snezhanka peak and the shooting range in the Yazovira area are built for lovers of the ski-run and the biathlon.