Vitosha is the most visited Bulgarian Mountain. It rises above the Bulgarian capital - Sofia, and is one of the symbols of the city. With its highest peak Cherni Vryh (The Black Peak - 2290 m a.s.l.) it occupies the fourth place among the Bulgarian mountains. A unique natural phenomenon are the so-called "stone rivers" ("moreni") - piles of huge rounded granite stones on many of the river valleys reaching up to 2 km in length and 150 m in width. Vitosha is not from the mountains with best conditions for ski touring. This is due to the fact that the mountain is quite small. Two Biosphere reserves are located here - "Bistrishko branishte" and "Torfeno branishte". The mountains are good for skiing in winter, being very close to Sofia. The skiing period lasts for 3,5 - 4 months.

  Location
  Vitosha Mountains are situated in Western Bulgaria. The Bulgarian capital Sofia lies at the northern foots of the mountains, thus making it preferred place for active holidays for many people.

  Ski & Snowboarding facilities
  Vitosha offers good conditions for snowsports, with huge vast areas. However during the last few years the infrastructure was not developed to the level of the other ski resorts in Bulgaria, making the mountains good only for one-day trips for people, living or accommodated in Sofia. The hotels base in the Mountains itself by the ski runs is not in a perfect condition, but the short distance to the town makes this not an obstacle.

  How to get there
  There are regular bus lines, starting from bus station "Ovcha Kupel" in Sofia. The skiing facilities are concentrated by Aleko ski center, where it is possible also to get using the Gondola-lift starting very close by the ring road of Sofia in Simeonovo district. There is a chair-lift reaching also the areas by Aleko ski center, starting from Dragalevtsi district (the lift station could be reached by public transport, heading from "Hladilnika" bus station in Sofia). Exploring the mountains by car is always better, giving the opportunity to see also some remote villages at the southern parts of the mountains outside the popular skiing areas and on the other hand providing you with the independence to go to the Rila Monastery (the biggest in Bulgaria), the smallest town in Bulgaria - Melnik, famous for its local brand of red wine and many other places outside your ski holiday.

  Check the opportunities to rent a car from the cities of Sofia, Plovdiv and elsewhere to Vitosha Mountains with 10% discount.

  Weather conditions
  The average monthly temperature for January is minus 8.3oC, for July is plus 9oC. There is an interesting phenomenon - the inversion. When Sofia is covered by thick fog and cold, the Vitosha Mountains shine in sun and warmth. This happens at an average of 15 days per year, especially during late autumn and early spring. The winter in the high parts lasts between 5 and 6 months, while the true summer months are only July, August and September. The biggest snow coverage is formed in March, exceeding sometimes 2 m depth.

  Where to stay
  Small pensions and family owned hotels (3-4 stars) are quite numerous at the foothills of Vitosha Mountains in the outskirts of Sofia (especially within the districts of Simeonovo and Dragalevtsi). Many people coming on business trips in Sofia prefer them rather than the hotels in the very centre of the city (which could be reached by car from there for only 15-20 minutes).
  Ask here to book a hotel in Sofia on promotional prices.

Apres ski
  Being located by Sofia, Vitosha Mountains are in the vicinity of many other places of interest within the city centre and outside the capital. There are a number of valuable historical monuments, the most popular among them are: the Boyana Church, the Dragalevtsi Monastery, the Church of St. George, Alexander Nevski Cathedral, the city centre, offering many cultural sites as well as big shops, museums, opera, theatre etc.

  The ski runs of Vitosha Mountains are more suitable for beginners although advanced skiers will also find nice slopes for sure. There are 6 ski runs, varying in length and level of difficulty. All ski runs have the necessary facilities.

Ski runs in Vitosha Mountains

  There is a number of chair lifts and drags, as well as a Gondola lift starting from the outskirts of Sofia and reaching almost the top of the mountain near Aleko ski centre. This is the place where you could hire ski, ski boots, poles and other equipment.   Expect huge crowd and many people by these places during weekends and official holidays.

Lift system in Vitosha Mountains