Borovets in the Summer

The mountains are amazing with countless hiking opportunities throughout the thickly forested slopes and with stunning viewpoints overlooking valleys. Several of the gondola's and chair lifts work on several days of the week so you can be whisked to the top for photos and a picnic and then walk back down if climbing up the mountain isn't your thing.

Quick Tips:

Don't drive here unless you have to, they are crazy drivers and think nothing of overtaking on blind bends, weaving straight at you to miss a pot hole or just driving straight at you because they can. Even pedestrians have to be careful as cars are rarely on the side of the road they are supposed to be, so take extra care crossing roads.

Best Way To Get Around:

Public transport is limited but hotels often have minibuses and organise excursions to nearby sites and towns. The local bus service is better around Sofia than rural Bulgaria and taxis are plentiful if you are prepared to put your life in the hands of one.

You can't miss the Hotel Rila, it is probably the biggest hotel in Borovets and is centrally situated overlooking the mountains. As you come up the road from Samokov, you pass the Hotel Samokov on your left, take the next left and Hotel Rila is in front of you.

The hotel reception is smart and the staff efficient. The rooms are adequate, we had one overlooking the mountain and chair lift. It had a small balcony area which sloped forward (a bit scary didn't fancy falling over the edge from the 6th floor). The beds were very comfortable and the bathroom clean and compact. The room staff were very good and helpful. Food was on a half board basis and was a bit of a scurry as everyone arrived at the start time, thus causing a queue but with a bit of teamwork with other British hotel guests the art of grabbing a table and food can be achieved quite easily. The food it's self is good with a wide selection each meal time of fresh dishes including some Bulgarian specialities such as deep fried cheese (think cheddar rather than brie)- very tasty.

The hotel has a good size swimming pool with two smaller Jacuzzis, one of which doesn't work as well as the other. The showers in the changing rooms are very good and the hotel offers some other spa type facilities for a small charge. Additionally the hotel has a small minibus which provides a weekly Monday trip to the Samokov markets as well as other trips further afield such as to the Rila Monastery, a stunning must see World Heritage Site (see separate entry). They also run local walking tours but check the distance and how much climbing they are doing, these are steep mountains. Remember Borovets is already at 1300m so it's all up, up and up from here!!!

Overall, a good centrally located place to stay with a range of shops, a bank etc., within the complex.

This restaurant is situated at the base of the mountain opposite the reception area of the Hotel Rila. The menu is extensive and the grill is situated outside the front door of the place so you can watch your food being prepared. The service is efficient, polite and quick. After a morning's walking, try the mixed grill, you'll get a huge fresh meatball (resembling a home-made burger), a pork chop, a sausage, a long kebab style sausage and a kebab. All the meat is cooked for you and can be ordered with a salad, chips or sauteed potatoes, the latter are fantastic, not sure what they do to them but they are delicious. It is well worth trying to get a seat in this busy restaurant for a lunch or even dinner as the food is fabulous and well priced.

The walk from the Hotel Rila to Black Rock takes just over an hour. It's not that it is very far but it is uphill for most of the way. First you head out of the hotel reception to the left and follow the road past a semi built hotel and keep to the right of the building. The path continues past a vigorously barking Alsatian safely behind a fence and then descends slightly before meeting a road (rough mountain track). Continue up the hill for some time until you finally come to a bend that has a break in the trees and allows beautiful views of the valley towards Samokov. After a photo shoot, continue on until you reach a selection of picnic tables and take the path to the left which descends quite steeply. Within minutes you will find yourself on a large rock overlooking the valley with wonderful views in all directions. It is worth the effort and the return walk is almost all downhill. A round trip takes about 3 hours depending on how long you spend at the lookout taking photos and resting.