Bulgaria's ski resorts keep last year's prices

Daily ski passes for Bulgaria's major ski resorts for the 2010/2011 season will remain unchanged on last year.

This means that prices will have stayed the same for three seasons.

Prices in Bansko, Bulgaria's most developed ski resort, and arguably the most modern in south-eastern Europe, will remain at 50 leva a day. A daily ski pass for Pamporovo in the Rhodope is also pegged at 50 leva, while skiing in Borovets, in Rila, will cost 55 leva a day for all facilities on a weekday and 35 leva on a weekend. In Vitosha, south of Sofia, skiers will be able to enjoy the delights of the mountain for 35 leva a day.

On average, prices for rented ski equipment will also remain similar as last season – 30 leva for the kit for a day (the same rate goes for snowboard equipment) and 50 leva an hour for a ski instructor.

The new skiing season in Bulgaria's top mountain resort of Bansko will launch on December 11 2010 with a parallel slalom event featuring eight former ski legends.

The Legends Race, as the event is called, will host Marc Girardeli, Luke Alphand, Andreas Wenzel, Maria Valizer, Leopold Stock, Josef Strobl, Michael Von Groningen and Bulgaria's best ever alpine skier, 1977 European champion Petar Popangelov.

The event is scheduled for 12.30am at the Alberto Tomba slope.