Only mountains can be better than mountains. The best ski holiday 2017

Bulgaria is associated with the Bulgarian pepper, Philip Bedrosovich, the Soviet past and, more recently, the beach holiday on the Golden Sands. The least I will think to go there for a first-class ski holiday. And it is very in vain, because most of the country is occupied by mountain ranges and very serious money is invested in this branch of tourism.

Some experts believe that, perhaps, the best price-quality ratio is possessed by local ski resorts, which can be proud of the developed infrastructure, trails of varying complexity and very comfortable weather throughout the season (-3, -5 degrees) with a price category lower by one and a half to two times than in Western European resorts.

Perhaps the most popular resort can be called Bansko, which is located 15 km from Sofia on the Pirin Mountains. The absolute plus of the resort is the largest amount of snow on the slopes and the longest ski season (December to April). There is reason to believe that Bansko is not only the best resort in its country, but also in Eastern Europe. What else can you do at the resort besides skiing? The town itself is curious: it is very cozy, elegant, with many colorful taverns with Bulgarian cuisine and national alcohol and a lively nightlife. There is an opportunity to take excursions to the town of Melnik, the local winemaking center or go to the gray-hydrogen springs in Pos. Ognianovo is an hour's drive from Bansko. Ski rest can be diluted with SPA procedures in the SPA complex "Roman Bath", located 4 km from the resort. The resort is designed more for beginners and the average level of skiing, well, you should take into account the reverse side of the popularity of the resort - queues on lifts (especially on weekends).

The oldest ski resort in Bulgaria Borovets, located 72 km from Sofia, began its history in the 19th century. Prestigious resort adds the fact that it was founded as a hunting ground for the Bulgarian kings. Borovets has a very good location on the Rila Mountains and is characterized by picturesque landscapes, mild winter and an excellent ski school with Russian-speaking instructors.

The sunniest ski resort in Europe should be found in Serbia. In the Serbian resort of Kopaonik, the number of sunny days a year is 200, and the winter temperature is 8 degrees, in addition, the ski resort is equipped with 100 snow cannons, which means that there will be no shortage of snow. The resort is located on the territory of the national park of the same name on an impressive mountain range of more than 100 km. Kopaonik was known as a ski resort in Soviet times, and now it is rapidly gaining momentum skiing with a total length of trails of 55 km of any complexity. Hotels here are located almost at the foot of the mountains, so skiing places are within walking distance. The resort is located in a picturesque corner of nature with crystal mountain air and crystal clear snow. From the village itself, many trails lead to the mountain ranges of Zlatibor, Berezovitsa, Gocha. Dilute the rest by excursion to the ancient monastery of Žiča (Royal Lavra) and the Studenica Cathedral. Holidaymakers in Kopaonica are all enthusiastic about the local cuisine, hospitable Serbs and reasonable prices. As a minus, it is quite far from Belgrade 290 km.

Romania is not spoiled by tourists in the ski season, which means that someone more will get excellent trails and a fabulously beautiful forest. It is worth mentioning that you should not compare the service in local resorts with fashionable resorts in France or Switzerland. Here you should go for the romance of spruces buried at the very top of the spruces on the slopes of the Carpathians and the colorful atmosphere of medieval towns with Gothic architecture. Most of the resorts are located in such a curious area as Transylvania. The most popular are Poyana Brasov, Sinai and Predal, by the way, they are located not far from each other. Their beauty lies in the fact that they are very convenient to go on interesting excursions to the surrounding castles and cities.

From the largest ski resort Poyana Brasov 13 km away is the town of Brasov with intricate medieval architecture and narrow streets. Buses run between the resort and the town during the day. In Brasov, it is worth visiting the monumental Black Church, the construction of which lasted a century, starting from 1383.

And in the Southern Carpathians there is another ski resort town Sinai, in which the absolute must see of Romania is the royal palace Pelesh. It is difficult to find words to describe its beauty, you can only notice that Pelesh is a palace for all palaces. Predial is considered a more youthful resort because of the rich nightlife. In general, ski resorts will be interesting to beginners and those who are not in a hurry to iron the slopes and walk through the ears of medieval towns.

Without leaving the country, you can also count on a memorable holiday. The title of the most prestigious resort is expected to receive Krasnaya Polyana in Sochi. The complex has been on everyone's radar since 2014, after the Olympics, and can please the European level of recreation and the corresponding prices. The resort is distinguished by an interesting combination of mountain and sea climate due to the close location of the Black Sea (40 km) and excellent transport accessibility (40 km from the Sochi airport). The ski resort consists of 2 villages (Krasnaya Polyana and Esto-Sadok) and 3 independent ski complexes. The largest complex Rosa Khutor with trails of all types is most suitable for a skater with medium training. The family complex is positioned by Gazprom (Laura), suitable for beginners due to the large number of gentle slopes. And the choice of advanced skiers stops at the Mountain Carousel. Many tourists complain about the lack of a single subscription for all complexes, but the positive aspect of this situation can be noted active competition for tourists. Choosing between the villages of Krasnaya Polyana and Esto-Sadok, it should be noted that Esto-Sadok is closer to the slopes (you can walk to the Mountain Carousel), and almost all entertainment infrastructure is concentrated in Krasnaya Polyana, but you will have to go to the mountain slopes by bus for 10-20 minutes. When choosing a place to live, do not forget about the private sector.

Pictured: Red Polyana

In search of a real ski exotic do not need to cross the border, just go to the Murmansk region of our country. Here is the ski resort of Khibiny (according to some sources called Kirovsk), the resort is located on the same ridge north of the Arctic Circle, which means that from mid-December to mid-January the sun does not set at all and the region covers the polar night. But the climate here is still not as severe as you expect from the Arctic, affects the proximity of the warm Gulf Stream, softening crackling frosts. The Khibiny is still at the stage of its development, so the infrastructure does not reach the level, but this is fully compensated by such a stunning natural phenomenon as the Northern Lights, which can be observed from December to January. You can get to the resort from the nearby cities of Murmansk, Apatity or Kirovsk.

Text by Diana Yusupova

Photo: skipedia.ru, miraterra.ru, kudarf.ru