General Information

Pamporovo is called ´the sunny pearl´ of the Bulgarian mountain resorts. Its altitude is 1650m. It is situated in the inside of the Rhodope Mountains and at the foot of the Snejanka peak (1926m). Many ski tracks start on the Snejanka peak and finish at the resort complex and near the lakes of Smolian. The resort and the ski tracks are surrounded by age-old fir-trees which makes the resort extraordinary beautiful and attractive for the visitors in the summer as well as in the winter. It is situated 10km from the resort town Chepelare, 11km from the administrative center Smolian, 17km from the resort Momchilovci, 10km from the ethnographic village Shiroka Laka, 85km from Plovdiv, and 260km from Sofia.

 

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Sights

You can visit:

• The Rojen area is a valley where springs sprout and fabulous meadows are surrounded by age-old spruce forests;
• The ´Three town´ gorge is stunning with its size, shape and majesty. The flora and fauna in the gorge are very rare and are protected;
• The ´Throat of the Devil´ cave is located in the end of the gorge. The ´Three town River´ runs through the cave and forms a waterfall and a small lake in the very cave;
• The lakes of Smolian are amphitheatrical situated and are between the Cherna River valley, the rocks of Orpheus and the Snejanka peak. There used to be 20 lakes, but only 7 lakes are well-formed now. It is interesting that the lakes and the springs in the Bostina area are actually connected underground.
• The ´wonderful bridges´ are natural marble rock bridges formed by the sliding collapse of a cave. The thickness of the vault arch of the big bridge is about 20m and the abyss under it is 45m deep. The bridge is 45m wide. The second bridge, 200m from the first, is actually a tunnel which is 60m long. The entrance of the Ice cave is near it. You can still find ice in this cave in the late summer;
• The ´Krastova´ forest which is a picturesque area shaped as a cross. There is also the ´St. Trinity´ monastery which is a Christian holy place for worship and is very famous. According to a legend a part of the Christ´s holy cross was preserved here;
• ´Bachkovskia´ monastery which was founded in 1038. Three centuries after its foundation, the Bulgarian tsar Ivan Alexander renovated the monastery and became its founder. The monastery impresses with its architectural composition and the wall-paintings of Zahari Zograf (1840). East of the monastery along the valley of the Kluvia River is a big Karst spring, the holy spring ´St. Archangel´.

History

The resort was founded in 1933. It is named after the Old-Bulgarian word ´pampor´ which means a caravan. According to the legend many trade caravans went through Pamporovo and the landowner Raicho Hadji Belev built shelters for spending the winter. Thus the settlement was called Pampor and the lands that Raicho bought later were called Pamporovi.

The Pamporovo resort is situated in the Rodophe Mountain. It has a centuries-old culture and traditions. The first clues of human presence date from the Stone Age 20 – 15 000 years b. c. Remains from these ages (objects and paintings) are found in the ´Iagodinskata´ cave, ´Haramiiskata´ cave in the ´Three town´ gorge, etc. The Thracian civilization started its existence in The Rodophes during the second millennium b. c. Many fortresses, churches, chapels, monasteries, public buildings and architectural complexes dated from The Medieval are preserved.

 

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Entertainment

You can Enjoy

• A walk in the beautiful nature with age-old fir-trees, lush green meadows;
• Food bars in various styles, tea-rooms, cafes and authentic Rhodope taverns which are close to the ski tracks. You can taste the traditional Rhodope dishes in authentic atmosphere while enjoying the Rhodope folklore program;
• Souvenir shops;
• Rehabilitation centers;

The resort offers:

• Different trips around Bulgaria;
• Many fairs are held, including singing competitions. Rojen has become the largest stage for Rhodope songs which has made it famous world-wide.

 

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Sports

Here are held:

• International and national ski competitions for men and women, ski orientation, biathlon, snowboard, etc.
• mountain cycling – many youths with mountain bikes are attracted of the natural tracks in the mountain;

You can enjoy in the winter:

• The winter sports: ski and snowboard, ski running and biathlon, ski orientation,
• Assured are:
• Excellent ski tracks for beginners, advancers and masters, rope lines, lifts and /влекове/
• Ski lifts: ´Avtogarata-Studenec´, ´Studenec-Snejanka´, ´Ardashla-Studenec´, ´Smolianski Ezera-Snejanka´, ´Ardashla-Snejanka´,
• Several ski and snowboard schools with high skilled teachers,
• A kindergarten which offers all-day nursing and ski teaching of children from 3 to 6 years old.

You can enjoy in the summer:

• Children´s grounds, playgrounds, alpine cycling, fishing, sports shooting grounds and archery grounds.

You can also enjoy:

• Swimming pools, bowling, tennis courts, fitness centers and massages, balneology and rehabilitation, solariums, conference halls.