Bulgaria break snow much fun
HIGH-OCTANE THRILLS IN WINTER SPORT MECCA
WITH a satisfying lean to the left, I steered my snowmobile into a sharp turn and headed up the icy mountain path.
Had I made a mess of the bend, my new steed and I could have plunged down a sheer slope into the trees.
Instead, I picked up speed and confidence and, tearing after the rider ahead of me, lost myself in a 007 fantasy of high-octane adventure.
I was in the snowy pine forests above Borovets, the largest of Bulgaria’s ski resorts, attempting to master the Ski-Doo snowmobile.
Within 20 minutes I had learned to control the handlebars – the single forward gear, reverse button and brake are all idiot-proof.
Ski-Doos were the invention of Canadian engineer who wanted navigate his country’s snowy outback.
But they could easily have been dreamed up for a James Bond film.
It’s no surprise they made it into Die
Another Day, where
Pierce Brosnan’s spy is hotly pursued across frozen Icelandic wastes by gun-toting Ski-Doo riders.
If espionage intrigues you, Borovets has a history of Cold
War-era communism which should fire up your imagination.
After the party was thrown out in the early 1990s, German tourists began making the two-hour road trip from Sofia airport, climbing 4,430ft up into the Rila Mountains.
When they left, it became the British winter sports mecca it is today.
Around 90% of visitors are from the UK and most locals speak English.
The resort is more rugged and off-beat than its polished western rivals and its central area – the Golden Triangle – has a higgledy-piggledy look, courtesy of the bars and cafés with corrugated iron roofs which sprang up in the post-communist boom.
But locals say their slopes – two blues, two greens, 10 reds and five blacks – have more variety, criss-crossing down from 8,400ft through dense woods. Snowfall is reliable throughout the season but should there be too little or too much there are some fascinating places to visit.
Rila Monastery is a spectacular mix of domes, arched porticos, courtyards and a to frescos dating back 1,100 years. It is still home to 60 or so monks.
Or there is Tsarska Bistritsa, a former royal palace. This stunning white turreted building was built by Ferdinand, Tsar of Bulgaria, in the late 19th century.
Borovets is renowned for being cheap and its low prices – for ski equipment, rooms, food, drink and transport – left me cheerful.
Ski hire, poles, boots, passes and tuition for six days will typically cost you £177 here. In France’s Trois Vallées, £265 would only get you a pass.
The town’s vibe is happy, laid-back and friendly and there are plenty of nice places to stay, eat and drink.
The Rila Hotel, built in the communists’ twilight years and a favourite of senior party members, is very good.
All 500 rooms are smart, spacious and have all the creature comforts, including flatscreen TVs.
It has an excellent health centre and spa complete with pool, saunas, steam rooms and Turkish bath. There’s also a kindergarten, casino and play centre, ski hire shop and conference rooms.
The communal areas feature galleries of black-and-white photos celebrating the glory of two skiing World Cups staged in Borovets in the early 1980s. Its eight restaurants range from the cheap and cheerful Seasons buffet to the classy Les Arcs. My favourite, Samokovi, serves regional dishes in a cosy mahogany-rich setting.
Elsewhere, I encountered the famous Borovets nightlife, which doesn’t deserve its infamous reputation. One headline I read called it “Magaluf on ice” due to younger skiers’ boozy antics.
The town is in line for a £13million makeover which will sweep away many of the older shacks and replace them with modern buildings.
No dates have been set but the British architects William Matthews Associates plan to modernise the centre with a development linked by a multi-use pathway for skiers, pedestrians and cyclists alike.
Very nice. But I can’t help feeling what it really needs to liven it up is a Ski-Doo roaring up behind them at 25mph.