Pamporovo guide
General affiliates and accommodation
Pamporovo is a beautiful skiing resort in the heart of Rhodope Mountains; where according to the ancient myths once lived Orpheus, the singer. It’s easy to access the resort from several places – there’s a regular bus from Sofia (260 km away) that takes 4 hours to arrive at Pamporovo; nearby is located Plovdiv (85 km), the second biggest city in Bulgaria; Smolyan is 15 km away and the small town Chepelare is only 10 km away. The bus lines are regular, several times a day. The resort is one of the sunniest with 120 sunny days and mild temperatures all year long. In the location operate several big hotels with restaurants and lobby bars, and for the seekers of adventurers who want to feel the mountain with the snowy nights and the bursting fire in the fireplace, the resort offers chalets.
Ski tracks
There’s a wide choice of ski runs that vary from easy to very difficult, there are 25 km alpine tracks and 38 km running tracks, 5 chair-lifts and 13 tows with total capacity of 8500 persons per hour. Although the resort offers many tracks, it’s also possible the off-piste skiing. Almost all of the tracks start from the peak Snezhanka which is the highest point of Rhodope Mountains – 1926 m. On the peak there’s also a TV tower with a restaurant from where all of North and South Bulgaria can be seen. There’s a ski-kinder garden and a ski school with very skilled instructors fluent in different languages that help with skiing and snowboarding. A mountain rescue service is available 24/7.
What’s worth seeing?
When not on the tracks, the skiers can visit the town of Smolyan, where several interesting historical monuments can be seen – preserved houses from the Revival Period of Bulgaria, an arc bridge built in XVIII century, a 250 years old tree in the reservation “Chinarat” and the beautiful Smolyanski lakes. A day trip to Plovdiv is another option; the city has an Old Town where people can take a walk in the past. There are numerous historical monuments to be seen and cultural heritages to be admired.
Near Pamporovo there’s the Bachkovo Monastery; it’s the second largest monastery in Bulgaria, the wall paintings date from 1643, and the icon of Virgin Mary is said to do miracles. The Marvellous Bridges are situated 40 km from the resort. They represent a rock formation from different in size boulders in the shape of bridges; beneath one of the “bridges” passes the Erkyupriya River. Most of the bridges can be walked over and some of the countless caves are safeguarded. A really superb sight can be seen from the Rozhen Observatory, founded in 1981. Situated 25 km away from Pamporovo, it’s the largest observatory in South Eastern Europe.
Nightlife
The nights in Pamporovo can be enjoyed in different ways. There are restaurants where the clients listen to live music and eat tradition for the region food and there are discos and bars. The Rhodope cuisine is interesting and rich. There are many dishes that are mainly prepared from potatoes but have different tastes, one of the most famous is “patatnik”. The “cheverme” is also very popular; in basic it’s an entire lamb cooked on barbeque. The oldest restaurant in Pamporovo is named after that dish in 1971 and ever since then there’s a tradition – every night at 20o’clock the chief cuts in pieces several lambs according to the local tradition. Then the meat is served to the customers. Another dish is the “klin” – a Rhodope pie like banitza, but made from rice, milk, butter and spinach leaves. The clubs and discos are stylish with various decoration themes. The main music played is dance hits, but any requests are welcomed and satisfied. The “Happy Hours” provide the customers with drinks on half the price which is a splendid way to start the evening.
Events
Pamporovo hosts different festivals and competitions. In February the Freestyle open 2010 took place in the resort with more than 130 participants, many prizes and live music. In March there was a round from the European FIS cup and after a 4 years break Pamporovo is going to host the FIS cup again next year. The official opening of the skiing season is a one-day show with music, professional skiers and special guests.
The traditional for the Rhodope Mountains fests are in the spring and are held in every village. There’s the Rozhen Fest, played every two years in the last weekend of august with many songs, dances and national costumes, called “nosiya”. Near the village of Gela, in the locality of Ilinden, every first Sunday of August, there’s an annual outplay with bagpipes. In the beginning of March in the village of Shiroka Laka there’s a carnival with mummers. The young men are dressed in leather masks, and play ancient scenes from the Rhodope folklore.
Car rental in Pamporovo
Pamporovo is one of Bulgaria’s major ski resorts. Close to Plovdiv (about 2 hours away), Pamporovo is small resort and most of the places of interest are within walking distance of one another.
There are mini buses during the winter, which will take you from your hotels to the ski runs. You can book a car hire in Pamporovo from Top Rent A Car. Buses to the town centre are also available. Pamporovo is situated high, up in the mountain, deep into the forests, with 30km of trails connecting Pamporovo with Chepelare (another Bulgarian ski resort). The view from ski slopes and the panorama tower on the Mount Snejanka is spectacular. The tower is 110 m tall, providing view to the whole north Bulgaria far away to Danube river and on clear weather days you can see far on south to the Greek coast. Book your cheap car hire in Pamporovo from Top Rent A Car.
During the skiing season the ski center is open from 8:30AM to 4:30PM. You can drive snowmobiles or ATV’s, too.The main cultural event is the Rozhen Folk Festival (late August).
If you are going to visit Pamporovo and you haven’t book your car rental, you can do this using our car rental booking engine on the left side of the web site. We have office next to Sofia International Airport on “Mimi Balkanska” 140 str. if Sofa is your arrival place or we can deliver your car to Plovdiv if you arrive at Plovdiv International Airport.
Top Rent-A-Car’s Car Renting Tips
Choosing a Vehicle To Hire
After choosing your pick up place, date and time, you will be taken to our result page with all available cars for the requested period. You have to think very carefully about what kind of vehicle you'll need to rent. If you're traveling with children or with a lot of luggage, you will probably need some large sedan, minivan or SUV. Or if you're looking for the best car rental deal, you'll need to reserve the smallest available model or some of the latest car rental discounts, which you can see at Top Rent-A-Car Car Hire Deals Section.
Top Rent-A-Car offers also, many optional extras like ski rack, roof racks, snow chains, baby seat or GPS system. You can choose any of the extras on the third step of the car rental reservation process.
Booking Your Car Rental
Top Rent-A-Car offers the best local rates, especially for long rental periods. Also, we provide 24 hour road accident assistance in case you break down, unlimited mileage, collision damage waiver and theft protection, all these for free!
If you haven't already, consider joining our car rental company's loyalty program. If you are Top Rent-A-Car Club Member, you will receive constant privileges when picking up your vehicle, we will have your affiliates saved, allowing you to simply get into the car you have booked and go forward to your journey, rather than filling out paperwork every time you pick up your car. You will also be eligible for specials and free upgrades. For more affiliates, about Top Rent-A-Car Club Card membership, contact us or ask the local representative.
Read Our Car Rental Terms And Conditions
Read Top Rent-A-Car General Terms And Conditions carefully before confirming your reservation. If you are not sure about any of the conditions of you reservation, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
The Total Cost Of Our Car Rentals
All rates of the car rentals on “Step 2” are with no local taxes included ( the local tax is 20% and you will have it calculated in the final third step of the car rental reservation process). In the total price you will get included:
√ Unlimited mileage
√ Third Party Liability
√ Road taxes
√ 24 hours road assistance
√ Airport surcharge
√ CDW – reduces the renter’s liability in case of damage of the vehicle up to the amount of the deposit (excess). CDW is valid only valid if a protocol from the Police Authorities is presented. Does not cover damage to the vehicle due to driving under the influence of alcohol, other intoxicating substances or due to violation of the Bulgarian Traffic Laws.
√ TP – reduces the renter’s liability in case of theft of the vehicle up to the amount of the deposit (excess). TP is valid only if a protocol from the Police Authorities is presented and the car keys and documents are returned.
There are No Car Rental Hidden Costs!
At Pickup Time
When you are picking up your car rental, you will be assisted by our car rental agent to inspect the car for any body damages, scratches etc. All details will be checked in your car rental contract. Be sure the lights and turn signals are working properly, and check the mileage odometer. If there are any defects, please report them to our local car rental agent.
It is important to make yourself familiar with the workings of the car before you start the engine and leave the parking lot. Check which side your gas tank is on, and learn how to use the headlights, windshield wipers and turn signal. It may seem obvious, but you'll also want to memorize the make, model and color of your car -- that way you won't lose it the first time you park in a busy lot!
Consult your map. Our car rental agency will give you a map of the area if you need one, so take it out and consult this map, and formulate your route. Next, hand the map to a copilot if you have one, who can conceive any enhancements to the plan.
Don’t forget to:
- Fix your mirrors
- Figure out how the radio is working
- Find the window controls
- Find the turn signals
- Find the windshield wipers
- Locate the lights
- Figure out the high beams
- Check the emergency brake
Returning Your Car
Always fill up the tank before returning the vehicle. Try avoiding the gas stations right near the airports, because the prices can be higher there. Before leaving the vehicle, please check for any personal belongings and don't forget to check the trunk! In case of forgetting some personal stuff, you will receive an e-mail. You can be sure that our car rental agent will inspects the car's body in your presence. Start your perfect trip in Burgas using Top Rent-A-Car services!
Top Rent-A-Car’s Tips for driving in Bulgaria:
Drive on the right side of the road in Bulgaria
There is a legal minimum age for driving, which is 18 years.
To drive on Bulgarian roads you must have a valid driving licence. All citizens of EU countries and Switzerland are allowed to drive with their valid national driving licences because Bulgaria is a member of the European Union. If you are a citizen of non-EU country, you may drive in Bulgaria with your national driving licence for one year only.
It is mandatory to wear a seat belt including in the back seats, the belts on the back seats must be fitted.
Children under the age of 12 may not travel in the front seat.
If you are motorbike driver, you must wear safety helmet.
Headlights must be on at all times from 1 November until 1 March. Top Rent-A-Car advice all
customers to drive with turned on daylights during the day, all year round.
Do not use mobile telephones without a "handsfree" system.
General speed limits in Bulgaria:
130 km/h on highways
90 km/h on roads outside built-up areas
50 km/h in built-up areas
Top Rent-A-Car’s Tips for parking in Bulgaria:
You can park only in the restricted parking areas in the big cities. In Sofia there are also parking zones marked as either Blue or Green where you can park and pay with text message (SMS) to 1302 or directly on the parking warden. The payment is by the hour. After sending the text message, you gets a confirmation that the payment is successful. Before the pre-paid hour elapses, you will receive a notification for renewing your payment. There are a lot of paid parking lots, too. The average fee is about 1 euro per hour. If you travel by plane, you will probably be interested in Top Rent-A-Car’s Airport Parking Service. It is a convenient way to guarantee your safe parking space and to receive meet and greet service on your way back.
In case of any emergency you can call the national emergency phone number: 112
Car Hire in Pamporovo
