News and Articles related to Ski resort Borovets
Current date: 2010-02-09 05:12

Surprised by Bulgaria

If, like me, your cultural knowledge of Eastern Europe is limited to Cold War spy novels and images of grey Soviet bloc-style housing estates, you will be surprised and enlightened by Bulgaria.

A recent member of the European Union, Bulgaria has the second highest standard of living in south-eastern Europe and is enjoying something of a tourism boom.

It isn`t difficult to see why, as it is a beautiful country and boasts some of the warmest, kindest people you could wish to meet. My trip with the Riding Company centred on riding and relaxation, and was based at Bulgaria`s first boutique hotel, The Lodge, in Borovetz.

The English-owned Lodge is a small but perfectly formed hotel and ski school, featuring beautiful apartments overlooking the resort.

It is brand new and extremely stylish, although there`s no need to worry about being underdressed - as you stomp through reception in your riding boots, you are likely to see fellow-guests padding down to the spa in their fluffy dressing gowns and slippers, or snowboarders dressed like multi-coloured Michelin men striding out into the car park.

The Rila mountain range includes the Balkan Peninsula`s highest mountain peak, Musala, which stands at a lofty 2,925 metres. The Iskar Hunting Reserve itself, where guests ride, is a sprawling, 10,000-acre estate of outstanding natural beauty.

The ranch, stocked with game and brimming with wildlife, is stunning. You can expect to ride side by side with a herd of inquisitive fallow deer, and as the reserve is stocked with game, may also encounter other wildlife such as wild boar and red deer.

In the summer months you may fancy a dip in one of the reserve`s many shimmering lakes, although when I travelled in autumn, I saved my swimming for the hotel spa! However, one guest from Bleckede in Germany, Marion Mandix, was much braver.

Marion first went to the Iskar Ranch in Bulgaria in 2004. "I liked the sound of seeing free, wild animals, as well as riding in such a beautiful area," Marion says of her first trip. She has since formed a special bond with a grey stallion at Iskar called Kamai, and returns every year for three weeks to ride independently through the reserve.

"Kamai is a nine-year-old stallion. He took some getting used to, but I believe it was love from the first moment I saw him," Marion says. "I`ve ridden him through rivers and in mountainous regions where some humans would struggle to pass and he always remains very calm," Marion says.

"Kamai and I go out for hours at a time, regularly swimming together in the lakes. There are routine times for riding at Iskar, but it is no pro blem to say that you`ll ride later or earlier, or to take a picnic and ride for the whole day. We can gallop for as long and as far as we want, and nearly every morning at Iskar, I get up at 6am to walk through the forest, look at the animals and take photos."

During my trip I was partnered with Sonata, a chestnut gelding. Most of the ranch`s horses are Bulgarian warmbloods, which are more stocky than the warmbloods seen in Britain, probably due to the fact these are bred for physical work such as pulling carts; a fairly frequent sight during my stay. I began on a western saddle before swapping to an English version; it is fine to chop and change, and guests may try different horses too, to find their perfect match.

The riding is usually guided by one of the ex-military rangers, or guests are free to ride unaccompanied once assessed, at whatever pace they like. Our group was delighted to find the horses are well mannered and snaffle-mouthed, and are as happy to meander along the lakeside as they are to gallop along a sandy forest path.

This trip is really suited to experienced riders, as currently no tuition is provided, but a very game beginner in our group joined in the fun and was soon charging about with the rest of us.

Optional highlights include a mounted photo safari, or a longer ride to the beautiful Rila monastery, a Unesco World Heritage Site founded in AD 927. I took a day trip there organised by the lodge`s fabulous activities staff, and can report it is a breathtaking place to visit.

Back at the hotel, your own personal "activities butler" is on hand to organise other sporting activities such as rafting, kayaking, hunting, hiking or fishing (weather and seasons permitting). The ski season runs from December until April, and private or group tuition in skiing and snowboarding is also available. Riding is accessible all-year-round, but expect crunchy snow and chilly temperatures if you hit the saddle in winter!

To round off the excursions, the hotel spa offers a wonderful way to relax and unwind at the end of the day. I had a wonderful Swedish massage and a Thalgo facial, both of which I still remember fondly - pure relaxation.