Bulgaria, Sofia 5B, Triaditza Str Tel.: +359 2 980 10 68; 986 79 03, Mobile: + 359 889 137 478 Fax: +359 2 980 53 94 [email protected] www.planettours.bg www.sporttoursbulgaria.com License N ° 05565, IATA Member Pamporovo (Smolyan) COORDINATES: Latitude in decimal degrees: +41.35 Longitude in decimal degrees: +24.42 Elevation in meters: 1620 m. asl Smolyan is a town and ski resort in the very south of Bulgaria not far from the border with Greece. It is the administrative and industrial centre of the homonymous Smolyan Province. The town is situated in the valley of the Cherna ("Black") and the Byala ("White") Rivers in the central Rhodopes at the foot of the mountains' highest part south of the popular ski resorts Pamporovo and Chepelare. As of February 2011, it has a population of 30,283 inhabitants. Pamporovo is a popular ski resort in Smolyan Province, southern Bulgaria, one of the best- known in Southeastern Europe. It is set amongst magnificent pine forests and is primarily visited during the winter for skiing and snowboarding. It is also a popular tourist place in summer. The hub of Pamporovo comprises a number of excellent hotels and bars. It is also one of the southernmost skiing resorts in Europe. It is a family-friendly resort and suited for complete beginners and intermediates. Skiing: The resort has 25 km of ski-runs and 38 km of cross-country skiing tracks served by 18 lifts with a total capacity of 8500 persons per hour. Four snow-levelling machines and six snow cannons guarantee skiers comfortable and enjoyable downhill rides. More than 100 highly qualified ski instructors, fluent in various languages, are available to aid both beginners and intermediate skiers as well as snowboarders. Some new runs have been created and there is now another chairlift in operation. Bulgaria, Sofia 5B, Triaditza Str Tel.: +359 2 980 10 68; 986 79 03, Mobile: + 359 889 137 478 Fax: +359 2 980 53 94 [email protected] www.planettours.bg www.sporttoursbulgaria.com License N ° 05565, IATA Member Geography: The resort is set in the southern Rhodope Mountains at an altitude of 1620 meters above sea level. The highest peak in the area, Snezhanka (Bulgarian: Снежанка ) at 1928 m, is several hundred meters above the resort. Pamporovo is around 260 km away from Sofia, 85 km south of Plovdiv, 15 km north of Smolyan, and 10 km south of Chepelare. Culture and Sport: Due to its suitable location on top of Mount Rozhen, the Bulgarian National Astronomical Observatory is located nearby, with a planetarium in operation in the town. There is one theatre, the Rhodope Drama Theatre, and a gathering of theatre practitioners and scholars known as The Rhodopi International Theatre Laboratory is held every summer. There is also a regional historical museum founded in 1935.Smolyan has an elite division football team, PFC Rodopa Smolyan, that had been playing in the A Professional Football Group between 2003- 2007.The largest church in southern Bulgaria, the Cathedral of Saint Vissarion of Smolyan, was inaugurated in the city in July 2006. The most popular sport in the region is skiing. Pamporovo ski resort has 25 km of ski-runs and 38 km of cross-country skiing tracks served by 18 lifts with a total capacity of 8500 persons per hour. Four snow-levelling machines and six snow cannons guarantee skiers comfortable and enjoyable downhill rides. More than 100 highly qualified ski instructors, fluent in various languages, are available to aid both beginners and intermediate skiers as well as snowboarders. Some new runs have been created and there is now another chairlift in operation. Bulgaria, Sofia 5B, Triaditza Str Tel.: +359 2 980 10 68; 986 79 03, Mobile: + 359 889 137 478 Fax: +359 2 980 53 94 [email protected] www.planettours.bg www.sporttoursbulgaria.com License N ° 05565, IATA Member Climate: The winters in Pamporovo tend to be mild, but have around 150 days of snowfall each year. This combination allows for a long skiing season at the resort. Pamporovo is renowned for its large number of sunny days during the winter, often topping 120 days from December to May. The average January temperature is −3 degrees Celsius (or 26.6 F). Climate data for Smolyan 1.8 3.7 6.3 11.8 16.4 19.7 22.2 22.7 19.3 14.3 9.0 4.2 Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Average high 1.8 3.7 6.3 11.8 16.4 19.7 22.2 22.7 19.3 14.3 9 4.2 12.6 °C (°F) (35.2) (38.7) (43.3) (53.2) (61.5) (67.5) (72) (72.9) (66.7) (57.7) (48) (39.6) (54.7) Average low −5.2 −3.4 −2.1 2.9 7.2 10.6 12.6 12.4 9 5 1.8 −3 4 °C (°F) (22.6) (25.9) (28.2) (37.2) (45) (51.1) (54.7) (54.3) (48) (41) (35.2) (27) (39) Precipitation 80 70 90 90 200 100 80 30 10 90 180 210 1,290 mm (inches) (3.15) (2.76) (3.54) (3.54) (7.87) (3.94) (3.15) (1.18) (0.39) (3.54) (7.09) (8.27) (50.79) % humidity 72 74 69 70 70 69 66 57 62 74 72 77 69 Airport: Distance to Sofia airport: 250 km .