Borovets: private ski lessons & instructors
Rila Mountains, Sofia ProvinceSee it on the map
About Borovets
Borovets is Bulgaria's oldest mountain resort. It began in 1896 as Chamkoria, a hunting retreat of the royal family in the pine forests of the northern Rila, and in 2026 it marks 130 years. It sits at about 1,350 m, some 70 km from Sofia, below Musala (2,925 m), the highest peak in the Balkans, and it has hosted Alpine World Cup races in 1981 and 1984 and the 1993 Biathlon World Championships.
The ski area has about 58 km of pistes in three linked sectors. Sitnyakovo and Martinovi Baraki, right above the hotels, are tree-lined and mostly gentle, with fast chairlifts and floodlit runs for night skiing. A six-seat gondola, nearly 5 km long, climbs about 1,000 m to Yastrebets, at around 2,360 m, and long runs lead back down through the forest. From the top of the gondola a short link reaches Markudjik, open terrain above the treeline that rises to about 2,550 m: the highest and most exposed part of the resort, with the most reliable snow.
Last reviewed 18 October 2026
Best suited to
- Beginners
- Families
- Intermediates
- Advanced skiers
- Night skiing
Featured instructors at Borovets
New instructors coming soon to Borovets
Snow Masters Sport has joined Alpine Pal and is adding its instructors. In the meantime, you can contact the school from its page.
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Where lessons start
First lessons usually start on the nursery slopes at the foot of the resort, around the Rila hotel, where short drag lifts serve gentle practice runs and children have the Borokids area. Up at the top of the gondola, Markudjik 0 is a short beginners' piste with its own drag lift. Once turns are linked, the long, easy runs of Sitnyakovo are the next step; keep Markudjik for a clear, calm day.
Resort areas
- Markudjik
- Yastrebets
- Sitnyakovo
- Martinovi Baraki
Getting there
Sofia airport is about 70 km away, an hour to an hour and a half by road through Samokov, the town 10 km down the valley, and most visitors arrive by airport transfer. Buses run from Sofia to Samokov, with local buses and taxis for the last stretch.
Qualifications required in Bulgaria
Teaching skiing or snowboarding for payment in Bulgaria is a regulated profession: an instructor must hold the Ski teacher licence (ски учител). Instructors listed as certified on Alpine Pal have either sent theirs to us for review or are vouched for by the ski school that invited them.
Find instructors in BulgariaBorovets: common questions
Is Borovets good for beginners?
Yes. The nursery slopes are at the foot of the resort, by the hotels, so a first lesson needs no lift ride up the mountain, and the gentle, tree-lined runs of Sitnyakovo come next. Yastrebets and Markudjik, reached by the gondola, are for when you can turn comfortably on red runs.
How far is Borovets from Sofia?
About 70 km: an hour to an hour and a half by road from Sofia airport, which makes Borovets the closest of Bulgaria's big resorts to the capital. That also makes it a weekend trip for people from Sofia, so Saturdays and Sundays are busier than weekdays.
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