Pamporovo resort is located in the beautiful Rhodope Mountain. Since ancient times it has been a source of legends and stories told through the centuries. The mountain received its name from the convoys of mules of the Raicho Belev, a man from the town of Smolyan, which followed one another as the wagons of a train (from the Turkish word for "train" - pampor) carrying goods. A man from Chepelare - Chichovski - built the first tourist hostel here in 1933 thus establishing the present resort.
Pamporovo, the pearl of Bulgarian mountain tourism, is the sunniest high mountain resort in Bulgaria. It is located 260 kilometers away from Sofia, the distance to Plovdiv is 85 kilometers to the north and Smolyan is only 15 kilometres away.

Climate

The specific combination of natural conditions makes the resort beautiful in summer and in winter alike - the large spruce forests, picturesque meadows, strange rocky forms (the Orpheus rocks and others), beautiful high peaks - Mt. Snezhanka (1925 m), Mt. Murgavets (1858 m), Mt. Orleto and others. The mountain where Pamporovo is located is composed of marble that drains the water and dries the whole region. The hill has a hunchbacked form and is very airy so the air is always fresh.

Due to the influence of the Mediterranean climate the temperatures in the resort have small daily variations. The surrounding high peaks keep it from the winds and in winter preserve the snow cover on the northern slopes of the Snezhanka and Murgavets peaks. The resort enjoys more than 240 sunny days a year. Its climate is mild and the influence of the Mediterranean is perceptible. The average annual temperature here is 8.5°C and its blanket of snow in winter is between 140 and 150 cm.

Skiing

Snow stays between 150 and 200 days a year and makes Pamporovo into paradise for all ski and snowboard maniacs. They can enjoy 17.5 kilometers of Alpine ski runs with different degrees of difficulty, 34 ski runs for long distance skiing, equipped with 6 different seat chair lifts and 13 ski drags with a total capacity of 9,500 people per hour. The central part of the resort is 1,650 m above sea level and the nearest peak Snezhanka is 1,926 metres high.

Pamporovo has no avalanches and no sharp changes in the weather and this guarantees its guests safe and pleasant holidays. Pamporovo, as a part of the Rhodope Mountains is a unique place, famous for its negative air ionisation - something extremely beneficial to your health. Ski runs have different level of difficulties and going down them is an unforgettable experience for both beginners and adept skiers. Highly experienced ski instructors are at the disposal of all who would like to experience the thrills of skiing. If you cannot ski, don't worry! Pamporovo ski-schools are among the best in Europe. Full ski suits of the latest models produced by the best companies in the world are available at the ski and equipment hire centres. The Ski Package Offer covers skiing school classes, unlimited lift usage, hire of ski equipment or the storage of own skiing equipment as well as a bus service to the slopes. The Emergency Ski patrol service is situated next to the Students Lorge and renders round-the-clock emergency assistance 24 hours a day. Children between 5 and 8 can visit the kindergarten at the ski school which is open from 8.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.

Accomodation


Pamporovo offers many accomodation opportunities for tourists. The only 5-star mountain hotel on the Balkans - Pamporovo Hotel is located in front of the church "Sv. Uspenie Bogorodichno". The 3-star hotels offer great comfort - Perelik Hotel, Arfa Hotel, Murgavets Hotel and Prespa Hotel. The following are the 2-star hotels: Euridika, Rozhen, Orpheus, Panorama, Snezhanka. The one-star hotels are Belite Kashti, Bor, Duke's Place, Maistor Manol, Markoni, Gorski Rai. A pleasant atmosphere is also offered in the Malina cottage village. Visitors who can not afford above hotels can also find lodging in the Studenets Chalet and the Smolyanski Ezera Chalet (located near one of the beautiful lakes between Smolyan and Pamporovo that could be reached from Mt. Snezhanka by the chair-lift).

Leisure - time facilities

A rich selection of leisure time opportunities is available in Pamporovo. Other sports available to the weary skier include toboggan rides in the region of Malina Holiday Village, bowling, archery in MURGAVETS Hotel, indoor swimming pool, sauna, a fitness center in PERELIK Hotel. There are shopping Arcades for souvenirs and sports goods, and boutiques at the mall next to the PERELIK Hotel.


Fascinating folklore and entertainment


Guests of Pamporovo would be well advised to try the original cuisine of the Rhodopes region and the world-famous Bulgarian wines, which are usually accompanied at the different taverns by excellent folk groups performing lively, centuries-old dances. You will be offered "kavarma-kebap", "rhodopska banitza" and lamb on ambers in CHEVERMETO Restaurant, trout, "marudnitsi", "vodenicharski kebap" in VODENITSATA Restaurant. There is another exclusive opportunity to visit a home of a family from the Rhodopes Mountain and get acquainted at site with the customs and folklore of the region. PAMPOROVO offers also a large choice of night-life opportunities with its many night-clubs, bars and discos. The ski carnivals and ski shows are great fun too.


A variety of excursions

Pamporovo offers scores of scenic routes for seeing the Rhodopes Mountain on foot, as well as opportunities to visit some interesting tourist attractions, such as: Pedestrian routes to the top of Rojen and the Smolyan Lakes; Trips to the Stoykite village and the picturesque rocks of Orpheus; Visits to the ancient town of Chepelare and the only Speleological Museum in Bulgaria, Smolyan and the Shiroka Laka architectural, ethnographic and folklore preserve; Trips to the centuries-old Bachkovo Monastery and to history-rich Plovdiv, founded millennia ago by Philip Makedonski; Trips to Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria and to the Rila Monastery - the most impressive monument of the Bulgarian Renaissance; Trips to Gabrovo and the open-air ethnographic museum Etura, to Veliko Tarnovo - the city of the Bulgarian Tzars, and many, many others.



Surrounding areas

The entire village of Shiroka Luka (population 850 inhabitants) is a museum and an architectural and ethnographic reserve, well known for its original Rhodope architectural style, traditional music and fascinating history. It is built in the basic form of an amphitheater in the narrow and steep Shirokolashka river valley, at an elevation of 1060 m above sea level and at the foot of the Western Rhodope Mountains and Chernatitza. The village is situated 24 km northwest of Smolyan and 11 km northwest of the winter resort of Pamporovo.

Coming into this fairy tale village visitors suddenly find themselves taken back to the period of the Bulgarian Renaissance. The numerous old houses, depicting typical Rhodopean architecture have been preserved in excellent condition, Winding narrow - pebbled streets, arched bridges spanning the river, and the traditional songs and colloquial speech of the locals give visitors the opportunity to let themselves be submerged in the past and to truly experience the Bulgarian culture and spirit.

The town of Chepelare (6067 inhabitants) is situated at 1100 m above sea level and about 10 km from the Pamporovo resort. Chepelare has Bulgaria's only ski and snowboard equipment factory, which produces more than 15,000 pairs of skis each year for domestic and international customers. The town became famous as the birthplace of Ekaterina Dafovska the Bulgarian Olympic champion of the biathlon competition at the Nagano games in 1998. Chepelare boasts the highest elevation of any town in Bulgaria and as a result has developed into a beautiful resort, specifically focused on winter activities.
Points of Interest in Chepelare - The 5th century St. Atanas church, The "Holy Mother of God" church, Museum of Ski Sport and the Cultural House "Rhodopska Iskra", Museum of Speleology and Bulgarian Karst is unique museum not only for Bulgaria, but also for the Balkan Peninsula and Europe.
The second largest Bulgarian monastery, the Bachkovo cloister, lies in the valley of the Chepelare River, about 10km to the south of the town of Assenovgrad. The complex and its neighbourhood have grown into a developed tourist sight where dozens of small and interesting shops, stalls, and restaurants line both sides of the walkway leading to the gates of the monastery.

In these shops one can find everything that grows or is manufactured in the Rhodopi Mountain including rare herbs, home-made wild fruit jams, yogurt and white cheese made from sheep or buffalo's milk, woolen carpets and much more.
The monastery was founded in 1083 by a Byzantine military commander of Georgian origin. Only the two-storey bone-vault, which lies about 300m to the east of the present-day complex, remains from that time. The bone-vault is a must-see building there, for its unique wall-paintings which rank among the most valuable works of Orthodox art of the 11th -12th centuries AD.
During the times of the Second Bulgarian State, the monastery was patronised by Tsar Ivan Alexander. A portrait of Alexander, added during his renovation of the site can be still seen in the arcs of the bone-vault's narthex.

Even though the Bachkovo monastery survived the first invasion of the Ottoman Empire, it was eventually raided and destroyed. It was restored at the end of the 15th century. The dining hall was rebuilt in 1601, and the present-day church, Virgin Mary, was constructed in 1604. The wall-paintings in the dining hall, created in 1603 by an unknown master, are particularly impressive for their pure artistic beauty. The church boasts beautiful frescoes, but its main attraction to visitors is its icon of Virgin Mary, believed to be the source of miracles. A long queue of pilgrims wishing to say their prayers to the miraculous image of the God's Mother, often starts far outside the entrance to the church.