Pamporovo Voyage Tips and guide

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Pamporovo (Пампорово) is a ski and mountain resort in the Western Rhodope Mountains in southern Bulgaria, not far from Smolyan. Established in the 1930s, it's one of the most famous ski resorts in the country and hosts international winter sports competitions.

Pamporovo is scattered on the northern side of a mountain ridge called Bukova Planina ("Beech Mountain"), under the highest peak of the ridge, the 1,925-metre (6,316 ft) Snezhanka (Снежанка, 'zh' is pronounced like the S in leisure, pleasure). On the southern side of the ridge is Ezerovo, a suburb of Smolyan. The closest sizable settlements are the town of Chepelare to the north, and the province centre Smolyan to the south - both about 8–10 km (5.0–6.2 mi) "as the crow flies", but longer on the winding mountain roads.

Pamporovo is about 2 hours away from Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second biggest city. Access to the resort town is gained through a series of windy mountainous roads.

Pamporovo is relatively small and many places of interest are within walking distance of one another. Mini buses and coaches are organised during the winter by the surrounding hotels to get to and from the ski centre. They usually operate several times in the morning and evening. Buses to the town centre from the ski centre are also available throughout the afternoon. There are a substantial amount of taxis in the town for getting around at night.

The view from the ski slopes on Snezhanka is spectacular. The tower on top of the mountain stands another 110 m providing an even better view. On clear days you can see as far as the Greek coast.

• 41.63649424.6777751 Snezhanka Tower. One of the symbols of Pamporovo. Completed in 1978, with a total height of 156 m (512 ft). The top "disc" houses a cafe. (updated Apr 2025)
• 41.656224.69062 Dormition of the Mother of God Church. Orthodox church with an unusual appearance: an almost futuristic interpretation of neo-Byzantine architecture. It was built 1993-1999 with the donations from a campaign popularized by Bulgarian National Television. Analogous to the "Assumption" in Roman Catholicism, "dormition" ("falling asleep") refers to Mary's death; feast day is 15th of August. (updated Apr 2025)

See also the § Nearby section below.

Skiing is Pamporovo's main attraction. During the skiing season the ski centre and slopes at Snezhanka are open from 8:30AM to 4:30PM.

Snowmobiles are available for supervised use at night on the mountain when the snow fall is adequate.

An authentic Bulgarian folk feast is served in a nearby restaurant. Lamb is spit roasted and served while traditional Bulgarian music is played accompanied by traditional dance.

The town has a small supermarket located in the centre. There are also various shops all centred in the same area. Jewelers, souvenir and clothing shops are to name a few.

Pamporovo has several shops specifically catering for ski gear and ski related paraphernalia.

The town has enough restaurants with decent quality food so that you won't go hungry.

There are numerous cafés and places to eat on the mountain slopes itself so it's easy to find food for lunch or a snack when skiing.

The water in Pamporovo is quite pure. It flows down from glacial ice in the surrounding mountain range. If you're not used to the water it may cause an upset stomach, due to the mineral content.

Hotels seem to be the only place available for sleeping. The town has enough hotels of different status for anyone looking for a place to stay.If you want to rent an apartment there are plenty to choose from and are available all year round.

• ^{[dead link]} Hotel Finlandia, ☏ +359 30 218 367. 4-star hotel (updated Feb 2016)
• Hotel Orlovetz, ☏ +359 30 959 000. 5-star hotel (updated Feb 2016)
• Hotel Pamporovo, ☏ +359 89 336 5829. 5-star hotel (updated Feb 2016)
• Malina Village, ☏ +359 88 813 7007. 3-star hotel (updated Feb 2016)
• Murgavets Grand Hotel, ☏ +359 30 958 190. 4-star hotel (updated Feb 2016)
• Orpheus Hotel, ☏ +359 87 912 1445. (updated Feb 2016)
• Perelik Hotel, ☏ +359 30 958 511. 4-star hotel (updated Feb 2016)
• Prespa Hotel, ☏ +359 88 540 4606. 2-star hotel (updated Feb 2016)
• Snezhanka Hotel, ☏ +359 2 878 0101. (updated Feb 2016)
• ^{[dead link]} Stream Resort, Dunevski Livadi Area, ☏ +359 2 965 1229. 3-star hotel (updated Feb 2016)

Rozhen (Рожен) is the name of an area about 6 km (3.7 mi) north-east of Pamporovo (zh pronounced like s in treasure, leisure). The name refers both to a mountain saddle and the summit that overlooks it. Road 86 passes right through the saddle and the Rozhen protected nature area.

Main access to the observatory is by an asphalt road that splits off Road 86 about 2.5 km (1.6 mi) east from the exit to Pamporovo on the same road. You can also hike there from Pamporovo, but it's at least 12 km (7.5 mi), or more than 3 hr.

• 41.69333324.7378193 National Astronomical Observatory - Rozhen. Groups of 6 to 10 only, guided tours every hour 10:00-16:00; Mar-May and Oct-Nov closed M-W, Jun-Sep closed Tu, Dec-Feb no visitors. The largest observatory operated by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, at 1,759 m (5,771 ft) above see level. Its largest telescope has a mirror diameter of 200 centimetres (79 in), in a 20-metre (66 ft) dome. There's also a small chapel of the Trinity. Daytime tours do not include telescope observations. Adults: 8 лв, students/pensioners: 3 лв, younger children free. (updated Apr 2025)

A scattered village about 8 km (5.0 mi) by road west of Pamporovo. Pamporovo's Road 864 meets there Road 866 (Smolyan - Stamboliyski (by Plovdiv). The village is notable mostly for its relation to Bulgarian bagpipes. It was the birthplace of Apostol Kisyov (1924-2007), the founder and conductor of the One Hudred Kaba Bagpipes orchestra. Now the village has hosted the National Bagpipers Gathering (sabor) in Memory of Apostol Kisyov since 2018, and there's a museum.

• 41.6537224.635574 (Bulgarian) Bagpipes Museum (right on Road 866, south of the T-intersection where the Pamporovo road meets it in the village). You need to phone the number on the door to summon the curator; Tu-Su 10:00-12:00, 13:00-17:00 (closed M). Small museum in the fire-damaged building of the local chitalishte (cultural/community centre). Created in 2022 with exhibits donated from all seven of Bulgaria's folklore regions, the museum showcases both the use and the crafting of traditional bagpipes in Bulgaria. The old-looking building next door was a boarding school. Adults: 6 лв, children: 3 лв. (updated Apr 2025)
• 41.65677224.6287535 Sts. Peter and Paul Church (about 600 metres (660 yd) west along the small road that splits off Road 866 at the Bagpipe Museum). Picturesque old stone church, built 1874-1881 and considered an example of traditional Rhodopean architecture. Like most churches in remote villages, it's often locked up. If you want to find it open, you should try Sundays, or major church holidays (feast day of the saints is 29 June, or 12 July for those who follow the Julian calendar). (updated Apr 2025)

Routes through Pamporovo

Asenovgrad ← Chepelare ←	N  S	→ Smolyan
Devin ← Shiroka Laka ← Merges into ←	W  E	→ Ends at (N-S)