we are increasing our annual production capacity through investments in Europe A new Nordic ski factory is nearing its completion in Bulgaria while preparations have begun for an Alpine binding factory in Romania We are excited to announce the upcoming full opening of a new ski factory in Bulgaria in the second half of this year This expansion initiative is designed to support the ambitious growth plans of our brands and meet the growing demand from our consumers the factory will be our second one in Bulgaria Asenovgrad is located just 50 kilometers Northeast of our existing facility in Chepelare Construction in Asenovgrad is well underway and proceeding according to plans with full operational readiness expected in 2024 Our factory in Chepelare will exclusively focus on Alpine ski production, while the factory in Asenovgrad will specialize in Nordic skis. Meanwhile, our ski factory in Altenmarkt Austria will continue to produce both high-end Alpine and Nordic skis Altenmarkt continues to develop as a ski technology hub and supplying components and raw materials to the other sites we’re preparing to build a new Alpine binding factory in Oradea we aim to reduce our dependence on third-party manufacturers We will integrate Alpine binding manufacturing in Romania by transitioning from our current partnership model to a fully in-house Amer Sports production by 2025 Our new facility will enable us to better fulfil the Alpine binding needs of our brands Salomon “As Amer Sports expands its manufacturing footprint in Europe we are driven by a steadfast commitment to fueling our brands’ growth ambitions Our investment in in-house production underscores our dedication to quality and innovation Senior Vice President Winter Sports Operations at Amer Sports A pianist and conductor with a world-class career Ivan Yanakov has been performing on several continents for decades He has played as a soloist with prestigious orchestras in famous halls The Night of Musicals takes place tonight at the Vasil Levski Palace of Culture and Sports in Veliko Tarnovo The first major ballet event in the festive jubilee programme celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Stara Zagora Opera is the premiere of "Parisian Nights" english@bnr.bg Chepelarska River Springs tourist trail was established by the idea of ​​Marin Gospodinov The route starts from the fork of the old road to the village of Levochevo It is circular and has a total length of about 9 km passing through several interesting and emblematic places in the Rhodope Mountains used in the past as an underground laboratory by the cave club in Chepelare and in the 1950s it was a favorite place for excursions for vacationers in Pamporovo the path goes to the remains of the old border of Bulgaria as well as to more recent military structures (trenches famous for the legendary Captain Petko Voyvoda It is an abyssal cave in which he hid the combat equipment of the squad he commanded including his cherry cannon so that it doesn’t fall into enemy hands tourists will see the popular Rozhen Pylon It is the highest in the European Union and is placed at an impressive altitude of 1430 m The choice of the height of the pylon of 111 meters is not accidental - the area of ​​Bulgaria is 111,000 square kilometers Continuing from the left of the building with the round windows along the dirt road you will reach the springs of the Chepelarska (Chaya) River Information signs have been placed at the sites along the route It's also the perfect idea for a weekend getaway especially if you've covered most of the routes in the region Община Чепеларе (Municipality of Chepelare) Please sign in with your Snow-Forecast account details below Create a free account to receive instant Snow-Alerts and save your favourite resorts on your personal MySnow page Chepelare Weather (Next 3 days): The snow forecast for Chepelare is: Moderate rain (total 16.0mm) Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Tue afternoon Chepelare Weather (Days 4-6): Heavy rain (total 20.0mm) Several North American ski areas that are still open plan to celebrate the unofficial Star Wars Day tomorrow The above table gives the weather forecast for Chepelare at the specific elevation of 1510 m. Our sophisticated weather models allow us to provide snow forecasts for the top, middle and bottom ski stations of Chepelare. To access the weather forecasts for the other elevations, use the tab navigation above the table. For a wider view of the weather, check out the Weather Map of Bulgaria Click here to read further information on freezing levels and how we forecast our temperatures Overall 4.3 Based on 9 votes and 7 reviews Overall: 4.3 Based on 9 votes and 7 reviews Read 6 more reviews of Chepelare or submit your own View detailed snow forecast for Chepelare at:snow-forecast.com Unique occurrences of diamond in pelitic gneiss variably overprinted by granulite facies metamorphism are known from several areas of the Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria Diamond-bearing gneiss from this study originates from a strongly deformed lithologically heterogenous zone (Chepelare Mélange) located between two migmatized orthogneiss units (Figure 1; Petrik et al. (2016) on monazite petrochronology indicates that ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism of this unit occurred in Late Triassic to Early Jurassic time in the framework of collision and subduction of continental crust after the closure of the Paleotethys multistage metamorphic and deformational history of this gneiss and surrounding units major element mapping of garnets was nearly homogenous without any compositional or microtextural evidence of re-growth Considering the complicated metamorphic history of these rocks preserved in accessory phases such as monazite trace element mapping of garnet has a high potential to provide additional information regarding mineral growth and dissolution during metamorphism and increase the resolution of the P-T-t path previously developed Geologic map of the Rhodope metamorphic complex and surroundings from Petrik et al The sample location for this study is found within the rectangle Previously obtained EPMA major element garnet maps from Petrik et al Diffusional zonation appears to have been completely lost either during the initial ultra-high pressure metamorphic event or during partial melting the diamond-bearing pelitic gneiss shows inhomogenous fabrics with mafic bands of garnet and kyanite alternating with leucocratic bands of K-feldspar with abundant garnet and kyanite forming porphyroblasts up to 3-4 cm Segregations of leucocratic veins and pods indicate partial melting Previously mapped garnet compositions correspond to almandine-pyrope-grossular-spessartine solid solution (Petrik et al. Field photographs from the sample location of the migmatitic garnet-kyanite gneiss (A) Photograph highlighting the inhomogenous (B) Close-up image of the large diamond-bearing garnet porphyroblasts Amer Sports is increasing its annual production of winter sports equipment through investments in Europe with a new Nordic ski factory nearing completion in Bulgaria while construction has started on an Alpine binding factory in Romania The Amer Sports winter sports portfolio includes Salomon “We are excited to announce the upcoming full opening of a new ski factory in Bulgaria in the second half of this year,” the company said “This expansion initiative is designed to support the ambitious growth plans of our brands and meet the growing demand from our consumers.” the new factory is Amer Sports’ second manufacturing plant in Bulgaria and the third in Europe It is located 50 kilometers northeast of the company’s factory in Chepelare “Our factory in Chepelare will exclusively focus on Alpine ski production while the factory in Asenovgrad will specialize in Nordic skis,” the company stated will continue producing high-end Alpine and Nordic skis setting industry benchmarks and supplying components and raw materials to the other sites.” Amer is preparing to build a new Alpine binding factory in Oradea The company said it aims to reduce its dependence on third-party manufacturers through this strategic move “We will integrate Alpine binding manufacturing in Romania by transitioning from our current partnership model to a fully in-house Amer Sports production by 2025,” the company noted “Our new facility will enable us to better fulfill the Alpine binding needs of our brands Salomon SVP Winter Sports Operations at Amer Sports “As Amer Sports expands its manufacturing footprint in Europe we are driven by a steadfast commitment to fueling our brands’ growth ambitions Read More SGB Executive Stories ©2025 SGB Media. All rights reserved. Use of this Site constitutes acceptance of our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of SGB Media. Officials in Bulgaria reported earlier today that the provinces of Plovdiv emergency services responded to 146 calls for assistance due to flooding and storm damage In Plovdiv Province evacuation orders were issued for residents living along the Chaya River in Sadovo Municipality after river embankments had been breached in two locations Over 50 houses have been flooded in the province and the road between Plovdiv and Haskovo is closed Over 30 homes were flooded in Smolyan province where a state of emergency was declared in  Chepelare and in the municipality of Smolyan where the Cherna River has overflowed Around 26 homes were flooded or damaged by the storm in Pazardzhik province and 24 in Bourgas province. Homes and roads were damaged in Varna, Bourgas province, earlier this month after 71.5 mm of rain fell in 24 hours between 04 and early 05 June a small number of evacuations were carried out in villages near Etropole Bulgaria’s National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology has warned of further heavy rain and flooding Flood and heavy rain warnings were issued in Romania prompting the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) to mobilize emergency teams across the country including 12,000 police and gendarme officers 3,200 firefighters and over 6,600 technical staff Flooding was reported in north eastern areas, in particular in the counties of Iași and Bacău. MIA reports that between 28 and 29 June around 400 homes have been flooded and around 15 roads and bridges damaged or closed. Local media said that 20 households in Trifesti The Prime Minister has called for damage assessments to be carried out as soon as the severe weather has passed so the Government can put in place concrete measures to help the population and affected communities https://twitter.com/deZabedrosky/status/1012363594888110081 Richard Davies is the founder of floodlist.com and reports on flooding news Cookies | Privacy | Contacts © Copyright 2025 FloodList manufacturing happens in someone else’s backyard The biggest skiing company in the world boasts equipment made in Austria Cradled between the Alps in a town of 4,500 people sits the global headquarters of the biggest skiing company in the world Atomic manufactures Alpine and Nordic skis just meters from where they are designed in Altenmarkt 30 to 40 different steps—and plenty of craftsmanship We visited the Altenmarkt factory to learn more We begin our tour by stacks of laminated hardwood — strong and long-lasting material that goes in the core of high-performance Atomic skis.  all sourced nearby from Central Europe,” explains Ronald “Ronny” Schwarzenbrunner This by-product is then recycled into chipboard “We ran comparisons for sawdust processing and found that recycling makes most sense,” says Ronny By recycling sawdust from its skis into chipboard Atomic saves 18.9 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year—a reduction of 84% compared with wood composting Burning sawdust for energy would have an even higher environmental footprint.  Further down the pre-production line we witness the seamless collaboration of robots and humans one of the few automated parts of the process two wood wedges are glued together and precisely cut into the shape of a ski.   We see skilled workers shave and grind the wood and add reinforcement The reinforcement of the core is one of the most sensitive parts of the process Humidity and grease are detrimental for ground aluminum Other typical reinforcement materials include fiberglass and steel.  “All the different layers from base to wood core need massive amounts of pressure and heat to bind together That’s what the ski press is for,” says Herbert “Herbi” Buchsteiner Business Unit Director for Alpine Ski & Binding at Atomic Ski presses run on exceptionally high heat By using renewable local wood chip heating instead of oil Atomic has reduced its impact by 95% and kept 2,176t of CO2 out of the atmosphere each year.  “Everything in the factory runs on renewable energy,” says Ronny “We’ve been using renewable heat from the power plant since 2005 and bought 100 percent renewable electricity since 2014.”  In addition to delivering heat for ski pressing Ronny explains: “The plant generates high temperatures—too high for households—for our factory which gets pumped to local households and a spa as district heating.”   Renewable local wood chip heating, LED lighting, heat recovery systems, and waste material recovery capability make the factory the standard-bearer for lower-impact ski production.  We arrive at the assembly station where each ski is assembled by hand clean the mold to get rid of glue and residue.   Any dirt or residue can cause a faulty ski,” explains Herbi as we follow Yenner’s process which he repeats 50–60 times each day.  and a layer of fiberglass again.   “We can also use a transparent top sheet to show the presence of the wood,” says Ronny.   a top sheet with a QR code with information on who assembled the ski and when.   “The code allows us to trace back in the rare case of abnormalities to get everything right,” says Herbi.  “And the sustainability team and I are doing everything we can to take it all apart again,” adds Ronny, laughing. He’s referring to how Atomic is exploring ways to re-use or utilize and recycle the ski materials and components.  The team has carried out detailed life-cycle assessments (LCAs) across a range of skis and boots The goal is simple: to conduct an LCA every time a product comes up for renewal in its lifecycle This will allow Atomic to have a baseline emissions figure and an opportunity to reduce it through innovative design.  “I get to build the most important skis: the racing skis.” We’re off to see how the skis get their nifty looks with logos We watch Zurafet and her colleagues place badges on each ski.   with two breaks due to maternity leave and then covid I’m so happy to be back again,” says Zurafet with a big smile on her face.  In the printing room, air quality is constantly monitored In the Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM) audit in 2020 Atomic got 95% out of 100% in the area or “air emissions” which helps to guarantee healthy and safe working conditions.  and different top sheet and base materials.  “Digital and sublimation printing are great for multiple colors Screen printing is better suited for just a few colors,” explains Ronny Final grinding is only the second — and last — automated part of the process we spot experts perform manual griding.  “This was done all manually up until two to three years ago but the ski tip is always ground manually,” says Ronny as we watch sparks fly in the hands of a skilled worker.  At the quality control station an expert with an eye for detail carefully checks each ski and manually bends it to the point of perfection matching two identical skis together.  and it forms less than one percent of the climate impact of the ski,” Ronny knows.   With climate change presenting a clear and urgent threat for the winter sports industry, Atomic is committed to being part of the solution. The team together with the Amer Sports group are taking a range of steps to reduce impact and operate more sustainably.  As you enjoy the last rides on spring slopes or fresh Nordic tracks in early winter it’s worth appreciating not only the opportunity to do so but also the many skillful hands that have touched your skis before they hit the snow.  *) Amer Sports is proud to manufacture Atomic and Armada skis under the same roof in the Altenmarkt factory One of the largest manufacturers of ski equipment in the world and the owner of the ski factory in Chepelare (Bulgaria) - Amer Sports - plans to go public on the New York Stock Exchange The company is targeting a market capitalization of about $8.7 billion with plans to raise $1.8 billion by selling 100 million shares at a price between $16 and $18 The initial public offering is expected to be the largest since the beginning of the year Amer Sports operates in three sectors and is home to iconic brands such as Salomon The company is present in 41 countries worldwide and employs more than 10,000 people It manufactures about one-fifth of its products at its own facilities located primarily in Europe and North America The Chepelare factory is one of the most important for the company along with production facilities in Austria the ski plant in Bulgaria ranks among one of the largest in the world the company also announced its project for a new plant in Bulgaria - this time With a traditional march to Mechi Chal peak will celebrate in Chepelare the national holiday of Bulgaria on March 3rd The start will be at 08.30 am at the Olympic Square in the city The march will be accompanied by patriotic songs and national flags The march will first visit the memorial of the killed in the wars local people who had to become heroes and then it will go on to the peak you can take part in the march to Chelevishka cave near the village of Orehovo The program for the celebration of March 3 in Chepelare will continue at 05:30 pm in the “Olympic” square Then you can hear folk songs and watch traditional dances as well as call the Children’s Theater of the Rhodope Spark 1880 National Community Center thanks to night skiing until 10pm and nightclubs Just 40km (25mi) from Borovets and with only 4km (2.5mi) of runs Malyovitsa is more commonly frequented by alpine mountaineers looking to summit the 2,729m (8,953ft) peak It’s also popular with advanced skiers who come here for backcountry skiing starting at 1,730m (5,676ft) and ascending 1,000m (3,281ft); it takes around seven hours in total The best conditions are usually between February and April Don’t miss the incredible views stretching across the nearby Balkan lakes Sign up to our newsletter to save up to $800 on our unique trips See privacy policy where you can rent ski equipment for just 8 leva (£3.80) per day for adults Relax in the hotel sauna and Jacuzzi afterwards Pamporovo in southern Bulgaria is a smaller complete with gentler slopes and less lively nightlife with a majority of the runs being easy green and blue but do bear in mind that this is more of a novice hill Pamporovo reportedly has 270 days of sunshine each year but there are plenty of snow-making facilities to keep the pistes in prime condition you can climb the Snezhanka TV Tower (1,926m/6,219ft) for 360-degree panoramic views you can also visit the 16th-century Troyan Monastery and the nearby town of Tryavna Additional reporting by Nina Zietman Did you know – Culture Trip now does bookable, small-group trips? 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Bulgaria experienced a remarkable surge in winter tourism from December 1 with a total of 1.8 million tourist check-ins recorded across the country comprising 1.3 million of the total arrivals visitors from neighboring countries and beyond contributed significantly to the influx with Romanian tourists numbering over 62,000 and visitors from Turkiye exceeding 53,000 Great Britain made a substantial contribution with 53,000 visitors exploring Bulgaria's offerings the Municipality of Sofia emerged as the top destination Bulgaria's winter tourism sector is expected to witness a 5% increase in visits compared to the previous winter season with notable growth anticipated from key markets such as Turkiye The Unified Tourist Information System (UTIS) shows that the largest share of tourists fell within the age group of 30 to 44 indicating a broad demographic appeal for Bulgaria's offerings We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria Bulgaria commemorates one of its most significant national holidays – the Day of Saint George the Victorious and the official Day of the Bulgarian Army Residents of Sofia who are customers of "Toplofikatsia Sofia" can now benefit from a new mobile application "My Heat," which offers a more accessible and user-friendly way to manage heating-related services all retailers in Bulgaria will be required to display prices in both leva and euros Employers in Bulgaria are legally required to implement all necessary measures to prevent and minimize workplace accidents a major British tour operator specializing in holidays to Bulgaria has halted all its operations effective April 24 Wage growth in Bulgaria is projected at 9.3 percent for 2025 a 15.4 percent rise in the minimum wage since January chairman of the Bulgarian Hotel Association highlighted a major issue in Bulgaria’s tourism sector: a significant decline in the workforce executive director of the Bulgarian Association of Hotel Management Professionals one-third of Bulgarian hoteliers are planning a modest price increase of about 10% Tourism in Bulgaria has made significant strides toward recovery in 2024 though it still hasn't returned to pre-pandemic levels of 2019 Bulgaria continues to lag behind neighboring countries in achieving significant growth in its tourism sector Despite the global escalation of the trade war there have been no significant negative trends in Bulgaria’s tourism sector so far Google Street View Cars Return to Bulgaria for Major Mapping Update Housing Prices Soar in Bulgaria’s Major Cities as Demand and Supply Strain Increase Subscribe to newsletters to receive our hottest offers: The town of Chepelare nestles at the foot of Mechi Chal peak near one of Bulgaria’s best alpine ski runs There is a four-seater lift operating all year round Mechi Chal peak is the starting point of several more ski trails with a total length of 20 km The area is a true paradise for skiers and snowboarders Here tourists can also enjoy the famous Rhodope hospitality Chepelare is famous for its guest houses and small family hotels offering delicious local food after Ekaterina Dafovska earned the first gold medal for Bulgaria at the Winter Olympics which traces the city's long history of sports The Museum of the Rhodope Karst displays a unique exhibition of minerals various types of rocks and cave formations found in numerous caves in the area who made dozens of kaba bagpipes,also lives in this Bulgarian town His productsare popular all over the world You can learn why it is worth visiting this small Rhodope town in Radio Bulgaria’s article: Chepelare, the town of ski and Olympic Glory the entire Christian world celebrates the Bright Resurrection of Christ this is the most radiant and joyful day - the Feast of Feasts - which proclaims the victory of life over death With a scent of spring and anticipation of the great Resurrection of Christ Palm Sunday is among the most beloved holidays in Bulgaria people fill the churches and share their joy through prayer at the festive. The day of Saint Theodore known in Bulgarian as Todorovden is a significant Bulgarian holiday which is celebrated on the Saturday after Cheesefare Sunday - this year its date is March 8 Todorovden combines pagan beliefs and Orthodox canon. Once again fans of the Bulgarian rhythms will have a meeting in Chepelare the final concert of the Seventh National Competition “New Bulgarian Music in the Size of 7/8” will take place Then the guests of the picturesque Rhodope Town will be able to hear the 12 finalists in both categories – instrumental and vocal works The new folklore works will be presented by the BNR Folk Music Orchestra conducted by Dimitar Hristov and The Cosmic Voices Choir with conductor Vanya Moneva The prize pool for the participants is 10 000 BGN /approximately 5000 Euro/and is provided by the “St Georgi Pobedonosets” foundation- Baltimore The finalists are selected by a 5-member jury In the vocal category will be played the songs “In the village haidouti” and “Vrit is gathered” by Iliyan Yurochki “Lazarka” and “Prolet” by Julian Slabakov Denichko” by Nikolay Gurbanov and “Ludo Biele” of the Duet  Crystals Among the instrumentals that the audience will hear in Chepelare are “Devoiko “Waste Calves” by Vasil Notetekov “Graovski Horo” by Kiril Notetekov “Merry Coping” by Ralph Averyson and “Vlasko” by Angel Chakarov Undoubtedly there are a lot of amazing places around the world worth visiting at least once in life Bulgaria is such a place where you will wish to come back again and again In every season and every region of this small country Bulgaria will become the largest producer of ski in the world by 2013 the industrial manager of Amer Sports Bulgaria Yordan Lambrev announced at the Bulgaria: Business UP investment conference in Sofia Finnish company Amer Sports bought the ski manufacturing plant in the southern Bulgarian town of Chepelare four years ago and has invested more than EUR 30 M in it since Amer Sports Bulgaria was hoping to reach the production figure of 1 million pairs of ski but the belated winter in Western Europe foiled these plans with Amer Sports Bulgaria producing 860 000 pairs of ski in its plant in Chepelare last year; the factory employs 700 people "We hope that next season the winter will be favorable to us and we will reach the figure 1 million pairs of ski," stated the Amer Sports manager The First International Investment Conference "Bulgaria: Business Up" started in the Bulgarian capital Sofia on Friday "Bulgaria: Business UP" is a new initiative designed to analyze and promote Bulgaria's advantages as a foreign investment destination The goal of the "Bulgaria: Business UP" investment conference is to present to the international business community the highly favorable investment climate in Bulgaria as well as the variety of opportunities for successful and sustainable business that the country has to offer "Bulgaria: Business UP" is organized by Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency) the largest Bularian English-language media A recent survey by digital payments company Visa reveals that most Bulgarians planning a winter vacation prefer to pay digitally at ski resorts A man has died while skiing in the Bansko resort located in the Pirin mountains Albert Popov has achieved a historic milestone in Bulgarian alpine skiing securing his first World Cup victory in the night slalom at the Italian resort of Madonna di Campiglio Bulgaria's ski resorts are operating at full capacity this winter season thanks to an early snowfall that helped kick off the season one of Bulgaria's most popular ski resorts has been left entirely without electricity as confirmed by a statement on the resort's official Facebook page The Borovets ski area is set to open for the winter season on Saturday Bulgaria's exports of alcoholic beverages totaled 30.4 million euros Bulgarian garment companies are struggling to find new markets due to the recent increase in tariffs on industrial goods under Donald Trump’s administration Bulgaria recorded the highest annual growth in construction output among EU member states The digital entertainment landscape is evolving rapidly with new platforms and experiences reshaping how we spend our leisure time Bulgaria has seen a record influx of workers from non-EU countries in recent years yet the demand for labor in various industries remains unmet Industrial production in Bulgaria continued to experience a downturn at the start of the year The municipality of Chepelare is organizing today a sports festival in honor of Ekaterina Dafovska who won the only Olympic gold medal for Bulgaria in biathlon This year marks 26 since the Bulgarian athlete claimed the Olympic gold i Nagano Many games and competitions await the visitors of the Rhodope town The program will be opened with greetings from Ekaterina Dafovska Chepelare Mayor Boran Hadzhiev and Bulgaria‘s best snowboarder Radoslav Yankov Then there will be a tire and rope pulling competition Ski and snowboard competitions are also planned One of the attractions will be the demonstration of shooting with a laser rifle performed by the members of the sports club "Rozen Chepelare - 2016" with chairperson Ekaterina Dafovska After the awards ceremony there will be a snow party with delicious food and drinks DJ Damyanov will also participate at the event The websites of two key institutions - the Customs Agency and the National Revenue Agency (NRA) - as well as the website of the Ministry of Electronic Government (MEU) were temporarily unavailable The technical problem affected the work of. Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev has left for Washington where he will participate in the Munich Leaders Meeting (May 5-7 The forum is organised by the Munich Security Conference The foundation Unity- Kočani has sent an open letter to key Bulgarian institutions expressing gratitude for the support and humanitarian assistance provided by Bulgaria after the tragedy of the fire at a nightclub in Kočani people will be able to withdraw money  from ATMs only in the new currency according to the website of the Bulgarian. helicopters of the Bulgarian Air Force will fly at low altitude over Sofia in preparation for a military parade marking the Day. Funding has been secured for the European programs “Care at Home” and “Hot Meal” Workers in the tourist industry describe the ski season in the resort of Pamporovo and in the nearby town of Chepelare as surprisingly good The galloping spread of Omicron in this country and the anti-epidemic measures have not stopped Bulgarians from going to ski vacations in the mountains the current weather conditions are perfect for winter sports 75-80% of the hotel beds in Pamporovo are currently occupied but hotel owners expect the level to reach a record 99% during the upcoming school recess during the first week of February Bulgarian tourists are those who predominate But there are also foreign guests - from Ireland It seems that those working in the industry are better prepared to deal with the challenges of the Covid pandemic this season For the others there are special points for quick testing so that they can get access to the restaurants Kostadin Belenozov from the municipality of Chepelare has told us In key places around the resort the so-called pick-up devices are placed That is how one can receive their lift pass without contact The one-day pass for the ski area in Pamporovo is 75 levs (about 38 EUR) A daily pass in the area of Mechi Chal above Chepelare costs 55 levs (28 EUR) per day Of course there are discounts for children "Mountain biking has been popular for several years," Kostadin Belenozov says “There are many routes in the area and bikers who practice this sport on snowy slopes come in the winter Chepelare has been declared European City of Sports for 2022 The city is currently hosting the European Ski Orienteering Championships the world championships for veterans and youth under 23 also take place here “About 250 athletes are accommodated in the town They contribute to the atmosphere of Chepelare run in large groups on the main streets and people watch them,” Kostadin Belenozov says What other experiences does the town offer in addition to winter emotions and the restaurants "We have two museums, which are unique. One is dedicated to skiing and tells the story of the establishment of the resort the first skis in the town and how it all happened here in Chepelare Our guests also visit the Rhodope Karst Museum Bulgaria’s Minister of Tourism Miroslav Borshosh and Zurab Pololikashvili Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) have officially signed the agreement for Bulgaria to host the 9th Global Conference on Wine Tourism,. The Mini Bulgaria Park is an unusual place for a tourist tour spiritual culture and natural landmarks of Bulgaria meet Gorna Oryahovitsa often remains undeservedly hidden from the eyes of tourists even though it is only about 10 km away from Bulgaria's old capital which lies at the foot of the Balkans on the banks of the. Hotel managers and entrepreneurs in the town of Chepelare located in the central portion of the Rhodope Mountains can now take a breath of relief and get down to work The long-awaited snow that came at the end of January has at long last created perfect conditions for winter sports and has brought crowds of impatient skiers to local hotels and pubs all tracks in the ski zone below Mechi Chal peak are open Now it is obvious that following a long snowless January the Bulgarian resort town wreathed with Olympic glory stands very good chances of catching up Chepelare is a favorite of many Bulgarian skiers owing to value for money: cheaper tow-lift tickets and cheaper accommodation glitzy nightclubs or big sports facilities Bulgarians however love Chepelare as they associate it with the very first steps of skiing in this country and above all with a high distinction that has promoted both Chepelare and Bulgaria to Olympic stardom Chepelare-born biathlon skier Ekaterina Dafovska won the first and so far only Olympic gold medal for Bulgaria at the games in Nagano On this occasion a group of enthusiasts suggested to open a museum to feature the development of skiing in the town from the 1930s to the present day unique for Bulgaria and most probably across the Balkans one comes across a nice motto that welcomes visitors Curator Svetla Terziiska tells us that the first ski race in the region was held in 1929 down one of the town’s steep streets The oldest object in the museum’s collection is quite touching – a pair of rough skis dated in 1934 “Back at that time there was no place to buy ski from Some used straight shingles that were first left in boiling water and after that fitted into a special sheath to achieve the ski’s characteristic bend Manufacturing of skis in Bulgaria started in 1961 with the launch of a factory for cross-country skis.” A ski factory opened in Chepelare in 1980s and its produce was successfully exported to Europe In the recent years this biggest Balkan ski-manufacturing enterprise has been making ski equipment under license from the leading Austrian brand Atomic Its owners have outsourced most of their ski boots manufacturing to the Rhodope town known for its excellent skiers We can learn more about them through the rich photo collection of the museum who has become the living emblem of Chepelare we are acquainted with the achievements of a dozen  famous Bulgarian skiers born in the town One of them is cross-country skier Krastana Stoeva who was the first Bulgarian skier with excellent rankings that she achieved in 1960 at the Squaw Valley Winter Olympics in USA It is beyond doubt that the Chepelare people have got the sporting spirit It is also true however that their successes have been strongly promoted by the great natural givens of the lovely mountain town offering excellent conditions for skiing So it is not for nothing that Chepelare has got so many fans during snowy winter months and the owners of the tourist centers cannot be happier about their numerous clientele nature smiled favorably on the Rhodope winter resort Unlike the ski centers in the rest of Bulgaria when almost summer temperatures brought those working in the industry and lovers of snow emotions to the brink of despair part of the slopes in the resort were covered with snow This is also the reason why this year many skiers chose the Rhodope resort over the Alps which has become one of the most sought after in Europe after the heavy snowfalls over the whole country all tracks in Pamporovo are already working at full steam an expert on tourism in Chepelare municipality: "The occupancy of the hotels in Pamporovo is over 80% The guests from Turkey and Ireland predominate The conditions are excellent and everyone is very satisfied The resort complex did the best with the situation and got it under control Even though there was no snow throughout the country and in Europe our skiing conditions were the best in Bulgaria the pistes became skiable because the Pamporovo team managed to cover enough pistes with artificial snow The prices of half-day and one-day ski passes kept the values from last year and generally vary between BGN 52 and BGN 85." After winter finally returned to Bulgaria last week the neighboring resort town of Chepelare quickly filled up with skiers eager to catch up the so-called the red track of the ski center "Mechi chal" above the town chairman of the Association of Hoteliers and Restaurateurs in Chepelare does not hide his relief: The ski center Mechi chal is open from Friday What is new this year is that the municipality is financing the construction of a children's ski center with a mini ski tow one lane and many attractions for children And the most interesting thing is that all this will be free of charge But for us the most important thing was to have skiing conditions The temperatures have dropped and you can also do artificial snow And the forecasters promised that more snow will fall during the week and then the other slopes of Mechi chal will also work the season is very strong during February and until March 10 In addition to the new children's ski center in the "Dyortevoto" area which will be opened at the beginning of February Chepelare awaits its winter guests with two brand new marked routes One of them starts from the city itself and leads to a centuries-old water mill and the other - from the lower station of the "Mechi chal" lift and crosses the "Yanchovitsa" area where traces of an ancient cave dwelling from the Stone-Copper Age have been found they can be traversed both on foot and with sleds," says Madankov Follow Novinite.com on Twitter and Facebook Write to us at editors@novinite.com Информирайте се на Български - Novinite.bg Six Russian tourists lost their lives on Thursday when a submarine carrying passengers on an underwater excursion near Hurghada bringing snowfall and a sudden drop in temperatures Israeli Ambassador to Bulgaria Yossi Levi-Sfari expects an increase in Israeli tourists to Bulgaria following the recent Gaza ceasefire The Road Infrastructure Agency has urged drivers to ensure their vehicles are properly prepared for winter conditions in the coming days as meteorologists forecast rain and snow in Northwestern Bulgaria and the Fore-Balkans During recent inspections in Bulgaria's winter resorts tax authorities uncovered several establishments failing to issue proper sales receipts Tourism Minister Evtim Miloshev stated that addressing the personnel shortage in Bulgaria's winter resorts will not be possible without employing workers from abroad On the 8th of February for the 21st time in Chepelare will celebrate the anniversary of the winning of a gold medal in the biathlon at the 1998 Nagano Olympic race by Ekaterina Dafovska The victory was actually won on February 9 but the date was changed for the celebration the lift to the ski area of ​​Mechi Chal will be free of charge you will have to join the games and competitions organized on the occasion of the holiday A ski and snowboard slalom race is planned in different groups Attractive games and races are also planned for the youngest children the holiday will not go without music and dancing I love to travel because of the encounters with diverse people and cultures and the chance to touch other worlds And this can happen even without leaving the borders of your own country you can travel thousands of years and dozens of borders without leaving your place the journey is not only beautiful landscapes and ancient landmarks but also thousands of human stories has arrived to the southern Bulgarian town of Chepelare to continue filming his documentary movies about Bulgarian cities and towns the rock musician had already visited Mount Mechi Chal and the sports center in the town Lawton entered the world of television by presenting the Bulgarian travel documentary series "John Lawton presents." The films are made by the Bulgarian TV company Skat and they feature interesting historical landmarks of Bulgarian towns and cities traditional festivities and interviews with the city mayors and local people Filming and editing of 11 documentaries are now completed including the towns and cities of Karnobat At the opening of the ski season in the winter resort Pamporovo the Smolyan mayor Dora Yankova pointed out that the documentary had a great success and that it was a "wonderful advertisement of the tourism industry in the region." Bulgarian businesses are actively recruiting students to fill seasonal positions for the upcoming summer offering earnings ranging from 4,000 to 6,000 leva A Romanian family paid 3,084.60 leva (1,500 euros) for medical treatment at the Burgas University Hospital following a serious road accident A 33-year-old man from the village of Semchinovo has been taken into custody by the police for physically assaulting a 10-year-old child Bulgarian educational institutions have witnessed a growing presence of Russian cultural initiatives raising concerns about potential propaganda targeting young students Grigor Dimitrov advanced to the round of 16 at the Madrid Masters after securing a straight-sets win over Britain’s Jacob Fearnley The Bulgarian mobile operator A1 has confirmed that it is experiencing technical difficulties affecting both calls and text messages across its network Bulgaria is steadily establishing itself as a leading destination for digital nomads from across Europe and beyond the Orthodox Church marks Bright Wednesday a day dedicated to honoring the Holy Virgin Mary regarded as the most significant Christian holiday is celebrated annually in Bulgarian homes with great joy Holy Saturday marks the final day of Holy Week positioned between the sadness of Christ’s entombment and the joy of His anticipated resurrection An extremely rare natural phenomenon with a brown bear has been recorded with a photo trap on the territory of the Karabalkan Hunting Range near Bulgaria's Chepelare in the Rhodope Mountain A bear was filmed taking care of her four cubs and teaching them to forage for themselves Only on the Day of Bravery and Holiday of the Bulgarian Army (May 6) we will provide our visitors with the opportunity to enter three of perhaps the most interesting machines from our outdoor exhibition Dozens of enthusiasts and nature lovers will kick off the 44th edition of the Move and Win campaign with a spring hike to Bozhur Hut The meeting point will be the Vladishki Bridge in Veliko Tarnovo The third edition of the Samardala Festival will be held on 3 May in the central square of Nova Zagora is used as a spice and is harvested at the peak of its flowering in May we will provide our visitors with the opportunity to enter three. along with experts in winter sports and infrastructure development has spearheaded discussions on Bulgaria's potential bid to host the 2028 Winter Youth Olympic Games Radev and prominent figures in the sports community explored the feasibility and benefits of Bulgaria's candidacy highlighting the nation's rich history in winter sports and its favorable natural conditions Participating in the discussions were key stakeholders including Vesela Lecheva a member of the International Olympic Committee Secretary General of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee they underscored Bulgaria's strong foundation in winter sports noting the century-old establishment of the International Ski Federation and the Bulgarian Federation President Radev emphasized the potential economic and social benefits of hosting the Winter Youth Olympic Games He highlighted efforts to address administrative challenges and ensure environmentally friendly access to Vitosha The consensus among participants was that Sofia's potential candidacy for hosting the Winter Youth Olympic Games offers distinct advantages particularly due to the proximity of Vitosha mountain success hinges on timely modernization of sports infrastructure to meet international standards and garner support from the public The prospect of Bulgaria hosting the 2028 Winter Youth Olympic Games represents an opportunity to showcase the nation's sporting prowess and bolster its international standing With concerted efforts from government authorities Bulgaria aims to position itself as a leading contender for this prestigious event novinite.bg The World Bank has revised down its forecast for Bulgaria’s economic growth in 2025 Olympiacos made a strong start to the Euroleague playoffs with a convincing 84:72 victory over Real Madrid in the first game of their quarterfinal series On the latest episode of WWE Raw in Las Vegas Bulgarian wrestling star Miroslav Barnyashev Bulgaria will once again have a representative in the English Premier League Bulgaria secured second place in the overall medal standings at the European Acrobatics Championship in the age groups Bulgaria's Angel Rusev secured his fifth European weightlifting title which causes multicolored lights to dance in the sky Photos are "raining" from all over the country The phenomenal optical phenomenon was also visible in neighboring countries Citizens observed the light show in Plovdiv Targovishte and other cities in the country In comments under posts on social networks Sofia residents complained that they had not seen the northern lights Physicists claim that the glow is not the Aurora Borealis which is otherwise in less concentration in the air is an incredibly beautiful natural phenomenon that is traditionally seen in the sky above the Earth's polar regions It is an optical phenomenon formed as a result of the interaction of charged particles from the solar wind with the magnetosphere as a result of which a light spectacle is observed in the sky The collision of charged particles and gases in the atmosphere is what causes the light dance which is actually the result of the release of photon energy The National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology forecasts that May will bring temperatures ranging from 2°C to 33°C across Bulgaria the weather will be mostly sunny—around and after midday cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds will develop Bulgaria and Greece have signed a draft Joint Declaration regarding the use of the Arda River waters over the next five years following a decision by the Bulgarian Council of Ministers The weather across Bulgaria on May 1 will begin with sunshine in the morning followed by an increase in cloud cover during the afternoon The Constitutional Court of Bulgaria has repealed legislative changes made two years ago that permitted the installation of photovoltaic (solar) systems on arable agricultural land Bulgaria will experience mostly sunny weather accompanied by a light to moderate east-northeast wind Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism Mariana Nikolova has presented an award to the oldest skier in Bulgaria - 96-year-old Ivan Raev from the town of Chepelare in the Rhodopes Minister Nikolova presented him with a diploma for exceptional merits in the development of tourism and a statuette of the symbol of this country - the Bulgarian rose Raev’s family were some of the founders of the ski resort of Pamporovo in the 1940s "Life on our planet exists thanks to 3 things - sun Ivan Raev reveals the secret of his longevity in an interview for BNT has climbed one place in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) rankings Last week Dimitrov took part in the Masters 1000 tournament in the Spanish capital Madrid Bulgaria’s junior group won all three gold medals at the 2025 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Cup in Baku (Azerbaijan) Bulgaria won the gold medal in the Senior Group Cross Battles at the 2025 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Cup in Baku (Azerbaijan) Danaya Atanasova and Viktoria Georgieva performed. The Rudozem-Xanthi border crossing between Bulgaria and Greece as well as the road leading to it on Bulgarian territory are fully ready for operation The Government will insist before the Greek authorities that the crossing become operational at least for cars and tourist traffic no later than next year Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov told journalists in Chepelare on Thursday He was in the southern town for the official opening of the completely renovated town centre and pedestrian street the Government Information Service reported “You know that we have bilateral issues that are currently subject to resolution and this issue should be taken out of context and away from other bilateral issues to be resolved in the best way for both sides,” he added The Prime Minister said the Rudozem bypass was also nearing completion A working meeting will be held next week with the Mayor of Rudozem to review the updated technical design for this road as well as its financing Funds for this will be budgeted for next year we will complete the work projects on the third lane in three sections - one before Chepelare and two sections on the Chepelare-Smolyan road and eventually next year we can expect the tender and the start of construction which will certainly ease the heavy traffic and the traffic jams that form in the critical parts of the road,” Zhelyazkov explained Contacts +359 2 9262 210 By accepting cookies you can enjoy a better experience while browsing pages RIEW-Smolyan experts received a new signal about a bear cub located near the town of Chepelare (under the main road Smolyan - Chepelare - Plovdiv) and carried an on-site inspection The inspection established that the cub had spent more than two hours alone in proximity to the main road A team was immediately formed to search the area The bear cub was captured without anesthesia The Ministry of Environment and Water has contacted the Four Paws Foundation and the cub is already on its way to the Dancing Bear Park in the village of Belitsa where it will be accommodated and provided with the necessary care More than 700 skiers dressed in traditional costumes skied down the slope from Snezhanka peak to Studenets ski area in Pamporovo resort carrying the national flag Bulgarians from all ages and regions of the country took part in the procession At the end of the descent to the sounds of the anthem of Bulgaria they waved together a huge national glad and performed together a national round dance They were greeted on the square by Chepelare bagpipers and a singer Bulgaria celebrates the country's National Holiday March 3rd – the 132nd anniversary of its Liberation from five centuries of Ottoman dominance The Team of Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency) congratulates its Bulgarian readers on the occasion of Liberation Day including hoisting of the national flag in front of the Unknown Soldier Monument in Sofia was held at 11 am European Parliament Preisdent Jerzy Buzek is on a special visit to Bulgaria for the celebrations of its Liberation Day The 132nd anniversary of Bulgaria's Liberation will be honored with ceremonies particularly solemn in towns and cities boasting victorious battles of Russian and Bulgarian soldiers in the 1877-1878 Liberation War This March 3rd such ceremonies will be held in Pleven March 3 was honored for the first time in 1880 in the occasion of the Enthronement of Russian Emperor Alexander the Second March 3 has become Bulgaria's Day of Liberation but it was not declared National Holiday until 1978 March 3 was included in the list of Bulgaria's official holiday Russia was moved to declare war on the Ottoman Turkish Empire after the atrocities against the Bulgarian population during the April Uprising of 1876 which were made known to the world by US journalist working for the British press Finnish, and Romanian soldiers were killed and about 140 000 were wounded on the Russian side of the war. About 30 000 Bulgarians were slaughtered by Ottoman troops and irregulars during the fighting the Peace Treaty of San Stefano (a tiny town near Istanbul) between Russia and the Ottoman Empire was signed bringing Bulgaria back to the political map The Peace Treaty of San Stefano marks the revival of the Bulgarian State dominated by the Ottoman rule since the end of 14th century the San Stefano Treaty was not final and was revised at the Congress of Berlin which took place a couple of months later in 1878 It ended with the redistribution back to the Ottoman Empire of certain Bulgarian territories that the previous treaty had given to the Principality of Bulgaria 1878) was a meeting of the European Great Powers' and the Ottoman Empire's leading statesmen the meeting's aim was to reorganize the countries of the Balkans undertook to balance the distinct interests of Britain The congress was aimed at the revision of the Treaty of San Stefano and at keeping Constantinople in Ottoman hands Bulgaria marks 147 years since its reappearance on the European map President Rumen Radev stated last night in his address on the country’s national holiday a national holiday that commemorates the country's liberation from Ottoman rule Today marks the 147th anniversary of Sofia's liberation from Ottoman rule the Sofia Municipality announced plans to lay wreaths Bulgaria took a momentous step in its history by declaring independence from the Ottoman Empire Bulgaria commemorated its 146th anniversary of liberation from Ottoman rule with grand celebrations spanning across the nation on the revered national holiday of March 3 thousands of Bulgarians congregated at the historic Shipka peak and its surroundings to commemorate the sacrifices made for the country's freedom with 45.2% of those aged 16–74 having bought goods or services via the internet in the past year The fourth edition of the LUNAR Festival of Lights in Sofia will illuminate 10,000 square meters of art across some of the city's most iconic buildings and public spaces from May 8 to May 11 a trend that has persisted for over 30 years born in 1990 in the Rhodope town of Chepelare was voted Bulgaria’s best athlete for December 2015 after his two wonderful victories for the Men’s World Cup parallel slalom Yankov scored his first victory in December last year when he placed first in the parallel slalom in the Italian ski center of Carezza In the final race he managed to overtake the current world champion Andrey Sobolev of Russia Radoslav Yankov finished 0.05 seconds ahead of Sobolev His second victory for the World Cup in Bad Gastein Yankov finished 1.79 seconds ahead of Italian athlete Maurizio Bormolini Yankov headed the current World Cup ranking with a total of 2.290 points followed by Mirko Felicetti of Italy with 1,400 points “I am happy that you valued my success scored at such a high level I hope that I will continue scoring good results” “I am confident that I can win the World Snowboard Cup because I am the current leader in the rankings I have to take part in four more competitions Each event is different and I do not have any specific expectations about the forthcoming contests At the end of the sport season we will draw conclusions about my overall performance” Radoslav Yankov further told journalists According to Yankov’s personal coach Georgi Atanasov the athlete’s big leap this season is due to his excellent physical condition we have been always very close to the finals but we always lacked something to go there we made some changes in our sports equipment which gave us the impetus to place among the world’s best snowboarders” More form Bulgaria’s best snowboarder Yankov: “I am slowly approaching the peak age in our sport and our disciplines We are usually in our best sports shape between the age of 25 and 30 I was suffering from an injury in the past which helped me make such a big progress in my sports career in the past two years.” What is Radoslav Yankov’s favorite discipline - the parallel giant slalom or the parallel slalom “I try to be well prepared for both disciplines and I train hard for either one I can’t say that I prefer one sports discipline to another I always train hard for the forthcoming event We wish Radoslav good luck for the remaining four competitions of the World Snowboard Cup which will be held until the end of March this year Located in the western part of the Rhodope Mountains in Chepelare municipality the picturesque village of Orehovo is among the most preferred Rhodope villages to visit It is located 60 km southwest of Plovdiv and about 200 km from the Bulgarian capital Sofia the village has been developing active rural ecotourism with more than 10 guest houses available for its visitors Numerous trails for mountain hikes in this part of the Rhodopes start from the village One of them winds its way to the highest peak in this part of the Rhodopes – Mount Golyam Persenk (2191 m.) The village of Orehovo is notable for its crystal clear air tranquility and mountain beauty that it offers to its guests.‎ It is believed that the current village is nearly 450 years old – it was first mentioned in sources in 1576 The first Bulgarian school was opened in the village in 1866 According to the latest census data from the end of 2021 The main livelihood of local people is cattle breeding If you are looking for a destination for a pleasant walk in the heart of the mountain you can choose the Lakatitsa section of the Rila Mountain We suggest you start from the village of Govedartsi near Samokov the village of Dobarsko attracts tourists from all corners of the country year-round A legend has it that some of the first settlers in the area of today's village were the blinded soldiers of Tsar Samuel The 31 st edition of the international mummer festival Surva has asserted its standing as the biggest masquerade festival in Europe There were more than 12,000 participants in the festival this year residents and workers in Pamporovo ski resort blocked the traffic on the main road Smolyan - Plovdiv The protest was staged over the intended closure of the firefighting service in the resort The people insist that the service be kept in place because the fire fighting teams in Pamporovo cover not only thearea of the resort Shiroka Luka and especially during the active tourist season when Pamporovo ski resort is visited by 15,000 tourists The protesters were visited by the Head of Chief Directorate “Fire Safety and Protection of the Population” together with the mayor of Chepelare and the mayor of Samokov came to a meeting in the Council of Ministers dedicated to the issue of closing down the fire station Prime Minister Boyko Borisov held a working meeting with the mayor of Chepelare Slavka Chakarova and the mayor of Samokov Vladimir Georgiev; Minister of Finance Vladislav Goranov and representatives of the Ministry of Interior It will seek to solve the problem with the closure of the fire service in the winter resorts of Borovets and Pamporovo A wind farm project proposed in Bulgaria’s Varna region has sparked public outcry The protest organized by public transport workers in Sofia concluded in front of the Sofia Municipality building Urban transport employees in Sofia staged a protest on Monday morning Sofia's public transport employees will stage a protest blocking three major intersections in the city to demand higher wages have organized protests in response to a mass poisoning of dogs within the city Public transport workers in Sofia will stage another protest on Monday with plans to block three major intersections in the capital "Everyone wants positions – in regulatory bodies and ministries," he emphasized Bulgaria’s toll system now has the technical capability to track average vehicle speeds as announced by the National Toll Management following a meeting with Regional Development Minister Violeta Koritarova The income required to cover living expenses for a working individual and a three-member family with a child under 14 has remained almost unchanged compared to June according to an analysis by the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CI The Council of Ministers has adopted a resolution to set the minimum wage at 1,077 leva fire alerts are received from across Bulgaria answering a question whether he would apologize to the Bulgarian people for violating the Constitution In the Bulgarian Winter Center of Pamporovo in the Rhodope Mountains the ski season has opened with new snow The sunniest Bulgarian ski resort offers tourists three new free wifi zones and improved links between the slopes Pamporovo Chief Executive Marian Belyakov announced there was growth of more than 60 percent on the British market and increased interest in the resort from neighboring Balkan countries “The new and nice thing for our guests is that skiers will ride on much better runs which thanks to the new grooming machines,” Marian Belyakov says “We have modernized the artificial snowmaking equipment because it is clear that at the backdrop of changing weather conditions our resorts need artificial snow to function.” in the next few years a serious modernization and improvement will be seen in the Mechi Chal ski zone near Chepelare the ski areas of Pamporovo and Mechi Chal were united and started offering to the lovers of white sports greater variety The forthcoming expansion of ski slopes in Bulgaria always raises concerns among environmentalists It is more about correcting existing routes The reason is that over time old runs have become overgrown with low vegetation that just needs to be cleaned we will not go beyond the boundaries defined by the resort’s plan There are no protected areas in the region that are subject to a special regime And if it is necessary to cut trees in private lands which are part of the resort's territory this would happen with consent of the owners and respective afforestation provided elsewhere,” Belyakov said And while enjoying strong interest in Pamporovo the resort's chief executive is firm in his view that Bulgaria should once and for all stop promoting itself as a cheap tourist destination the resort is also expecting a world-class event - at the end of February Pamporovo will host the World Ski Championship for Journalists nearly 200 representatives of world-leading media from over 30 countries from around the world will arrive in the resort as well as our cuisine and culture will be shown by these media I hope that colleagues will show the positive sides of Bulgaria says chairman of the Bulgarian section at the Journalists International Ski Club,” Alexander Bogoyevlenski “Participants have already expressed interest in Bulgarian topics including the upcoming presidency of the Council of the EU and the European integration of the Western Balkans; Plovdiv as the European Capital of Culture in 2019; the production of essential oils One more interesting event has been announced by the only Bulgarian Winter Olympic Champion Ekaterina Dafovska we mark 20 years after she won her gold medal in biathlon The event will be properly celebrated in her hometown of Chepelare and nearby Pamporovo European wrestling champion Kamen Penev has passed away This was announced by the Bulgarian Wrestling Federation on its website Penev left us just five days before his 66th birthday The date and place of the funeral will be announced later Kamen Penev has two bronze medals from world championships in his collection He is a silver medalist from the "Friendship" tournament which replaced the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984 (for the boycotting nations from the Eastern Bloc - ed.) He achieved all his great successes as a CSKA competitor and after the end of his sports career he worked as a coach He was the national coach of the junior representative team and an assistant to the men's team led by Simeon Shterev Kamen Todorov Penev was born on January 15 He completed his primary education at the "Filip Sakelarievich" elementary school in his hometown and later graduated from the "Olympic Hopes" secondary school in Chepelare During his sports and competitive activities he won all the republican championships in his category he was second among the youth at the European Championship in Finland he won third place at the World Championship in Skopje and became a deserved master of sports at the European Championship in Budapest for men in the category up to 68 kg and third place at the World Championship in Kiev For his ten years of active sports activity and for his contribution to the development of sports in Svishtov he was awarded the prize “Honorary Citizen of Svishtov“ More news from Sport The lifts and the ski area of Pamporovo in the Rhodopes will work until March 21 and after that the ski season there ends The runs and the lift in the Mechi Chal area in Chepelare will stop working on March 19 The earlier end of the ski season is caused by the complicated pandemic situation and the introduction of new anti-epidemic measures Text version Standard version   edoc@tourism.government.bg Republic of Bulgaria and Republic of Macedonia will work actively towards expanding bilateral cooperation in tourism and strengthening mutual tourist flow This was agreed in Skopje by the Bulgarian Minister of Tourism and the Minister of Economy of the Republic of Macedonia The working meeting was also attended by the Mayors of the Bulgarian municipalities of Smolyan Chepelare and Bansko and the Mayors of the Macedonian municipalities of Skopje The discussion was joined by business representatives from both countries  „Thank you for this meeting that has further consolidated our good relations in tourism Albeit more than 470 thousand Macedonians have visited Bulgaria last year Minister Angelkova said after the discussion She explained that during the talks they had agreed with Minister Neziri on concrete measures to stimulate the exchange of tourists from both neighboring countries “Within two weeks we are going to designate members of joint working groups that will focus on measures to promote the tourist flow as well as on the positioning of Republic of Bulgaria and Republic of Macedonia as a common tourist destination for distant markets” the working groups will channel their efforts towards creating a single “Balkans” destination encouraging partnerships with other countries in the region Bekim Neziri confirmed that tourism is a key priority for his country and expressed hope for the number of Bulgarian tourists to the Republic of Macedonia increase as a result of the future cooperation In the words of Minister Angelkova the format of the working meeting is very effective as it provides for an intensive dialogue between state administration Active part in the talks was taken by the Mayors of Bulgarian and Macedonian cities who supported the proposed steps for expanding bilateral partnership pointed out that the Republic of Macedonia is the second largest market in the region and that so far feedbacks from Macedonian tourists are extremely positive Measures have been undertaken to turn Bansko into a year-round destination whereas the Balkan Summer Festival "La Boheme" represents yet another attraction expected to induce more tourists from Bulgaria’s western neighbor off the high season The proximity to Republic of Macedonia is a prerequisite for increasing the number of tourists from this market This became clear from the words of Blagoevgrad Mayor Atanas Kambitov “We have almost 12 thousand Macedonians living here which also makes it an attractive destination for the Balkan countries” the "Francopholie" festival which is held every May 19 and 20 attracts numerous admirers of French culture The municipality works actively to the development of sports tourism as well presented the opportunities for ski tourism in the region and the prospects for development of year-round and rural tourism They shared the idea of connecting the ski runs of the two popular winter resort  “To us it is important to work in cooperation with Bulgarian cities because relations between the Balkan countries are strong - we share common traditions and customs,” said the Mayor of Skopje stressed that Bulgarians are familiar with the city as a tourist destination but the last five years have seen a decline in the domestic market He welcomed the idea the two countries to present a joint product at the tourist fairs which in order to attract visitors from distant markets and Scandinavia boasts of over 20 thousand university students and is a well-known winter destination Industry representatives from both countries presented concrete ideas for collaboration According to the Director of the Macedonian Tourism Promotion Agency tour operators in her country are urging for more active contacts with their Bulgarian colleagues The Agency is a traditional participant in the International Tourism Fair VACATION/SPA EXPO held under the patronage of the Ministry of Tourism Krstevska invited Bulgarian businesses to tap into local specialized forums closest in time being the conference on prospects of tourism in Ohrid from 10 to 12 May BATA Deputy Chairperson Donka Sokolova noted that Bulgarian tour operators have been working successfully for years with the Macedonian business and are currently ready to float concrete ideas for creating a single “Balkans” destination to be offered to third markets        Contacts:   Sofia 1000, 1 Saborna St.   phone.: +359 2 904 6809,   edoc@tourism.government.bg 2016 © Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Bulgaria Plovdiv Airport continues to develop its network of destinations with new charter flights that will start in the winter season With the cooperation of Romanian and Czech tour operators charter flights will be launched in the following directions: Bucharest – Plovdiv Prague – Plovdiv and Plovdiv – Bucharest „These flights will facilitate the access of tourists from Romania and the Czech Republic to the popular ski resorts such as Pamporovo and Chepelare providing a fast and convenient way to travel to the regions of Plovdiv and Smolyan.“ said the Executive Director of Plovdiv Airport Doychin Angelov These charter lines are expected to contribute significantly to the growth of tourist flow and the development of the local economy during the winter season Plovdiv Airport is adding new flights with Ryanair for the upcoming season the new direct flight to Birmingham will be launched Ryanair continues to operate flights to Manchester and London and is considering expanding its network with new destinations which will offer even more options for travel to and from Plovdiv it is important to promote Plovdiv and the region as an attractive tourist destination,” noted Alicia Wojcik-Golebiovska - Ryanair manager for Central and Eastern Europe and the Baltic States She added that in this way countries such as Croatia Albania and Poland have developed unknown tourist routes there will be charter flights from Plovdiv to Antalya and from Plovdiv to Belfast which will strengthen the connectivity of Plovdiv Airport and provide new travel opportunities The management of Plovdiv Airport emphasizes that the expansion of flights is possible thanks to the active support of the Plovdiv Airport Development Fund The fund plays a key role in attracting new airlines and developing air connections that are of strategic importance to the region More news from Business Oblast Smolyan has a high level of seismic activity Based on data from the past 55 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900 there are about 63 quakes on average per year in or near Oblast Smolyan Oblast Smolyan has had at least 5 quakes above magnitude 7 since 1900 which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently probably on average approximately every 23 to 27 years Oblast Smolyan has about 40 quakes of magnitude 2 or higher per year The quake had a very shallow depth of 5 km (3.1 mi) and was too small to be felt by people Oblast Smolyan has had 8 quakes of magnitude 2.0 or above There were also 7 quakes below magnitude 2.0 which people don't normally feel The quake had a very shallow depth of 13.2 km (8 mi) and was not felt (or at least not reported so).