Borovets is the oldest winter resort in Bulgaria, spread over a large area of altitude between 1230 and 1390m in the eastern part of the Rila mountain. Its establishment is told to originate back in 1896 when the then-mayor of the nearby town of Samokov (12km) built a mountain chalet here in hope of relieving the suffering of his wife sick with tuberculosis. Gradually, the resort has developed into a modern ski centre and a favourite place of middle and high-class tourists ever since the early part of last century. The authorities have recently designed an ambitious plan for further expansion and upgrade of the resort, called Superborovets, which, if successful, suggests that the ski centre is still far from its apogee.
Apart from the Vitosha mountain's ski tracks, Borovets is the only ski resort situated at such a close distance to the capital city of Sofia - just 72km, which makes it an easy weekend ride for Sofia dwellers and guests. The resort avails of more than 45km of ski runs, varying in difficulty and grouped into 3 regions - Sitnyakovo-Martinov woodsheds (8 runs), Markudzhik (4) and Yastrebets (3). When the winter is mild or during the warmer season, many tourists enjoy undertaking hikes in the beautiful region. One of the most popular routes leads to the Moussala peak (2925m, highest peak on the Balkan Peninsula). The trip takes approx. 6 hours from Borovets and 3 hours - from the last station of the cabin lift.
