42.2668° N · 23.6058° E · RILA, BULGARIA
Mountain air, alpine terrain, changing seasons and a place that looks different from every angle.
ABOUT BOROVETS
Borovets sits high in Bulgaria's Rila Mountains, surrounded by dense pine forests and some of the country's most impressive alpine landscapes.
Established in the late 19th century, Borovets is Bulgaria's oldest mountain resort. What began as a summer retreat gradually developed into one of the country's best-known destinations for skiing, snowboarding, hiking and mountain adventures.
At around 1,300 metres above sea level, Borovets is one of the easiest gateways to the higher parts of Rila - close enough to Sofia for a day trip, yet high enough to feel distinctly removed from the city.
Borovets changes completely. The resort offers terrain for everyone from first-time skiers to experienced riders, with slopes extending from the resort toward the higher reaches of the Rila Mountains.
Beyond skiing and snowboarding, winter means snowy forest trails, cold mountain mornings and evenings spent among the lights of the resort.
Borovets doesn't disappear when the ski season ends. Summer opens the mountain to hiking, trail running, mountain biking and long days in the forests of Rila.
It is quieter, greener and a very different version of the same mountain - an excellent starting point for exploring the surrounding peaks and valleys.
THE MOUNTAIN
Above Borovets rises the Rila massif - home to Musala, the highest peak in Bulgaria and on the Balkan Peninsula.
The area provides access toward alpine trails, valleys, forests and high mountain landscapes. Down in Borovets you are surrounded by pine trees; a few hours later you can be standing above the tree line.
That change in scale is what defines the place: resort, forest and high mountain terrain stacked almost vertically on top of each other.
GETTING HERE
Borovets is roughly 70 kilometres southeast of Sofia. By car, the journey normally takes around an hour and a half depending on traffic and mountain conditions.
Samokov is the nearest town and the main local connection to the resort. From there, Borovets is only a short drive uphill into the forest.
Close enough for a day in the mountains. High enough to feel completely different from the city below.
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