Pamporovo, Bulgaria

Pamporovo is a small un-assuming resort that is set amongst the Rhodope Mountains which are located in the south of Bulgaria. This is also a resort that claims to be the sunniest in Europe and the home to the mythical singer Orpheus. Pamporovo is only an hour or so away from Bulgarias second city Plovdiv which makes this a popular destination for weekend city dwellers. The mild winters in this part of the country give rise to two distinctions, great sunny mountain but not always great snow capped slopes, due mainly to the weather patterns coming from the nearby Aegean sea. However when the mountain is covered in snow Pamporovo becomes the ideal place for beginners with a nice selection of easy slopes, along with a number okay trails to please intermediate riders. But this is not a resort for hard-core freestyers or riders of an advanced level, although fast carvers will find a number of cool runs to take at speed, notably the area of The Wall which is often used for major ski events. But the dominating feature at this the 500 ft giant TV tower and restaurant which sits on the summit of Snezhanka at 1926m.