Mount Vitosha, whose foothills begin some 7 km from the centre of Bulgaria’s capital, is very much a part of the city and is the source of its pure water and fresh breezes. Vitosha is the cradle of hiking tourism in Bulgaria and every year thousands of hikers climb its highest peak, Cherni Vrah (2290m). It is a typical dome-like mountain, which northern slopes descend steeply into the Sofia plain and where the concentration of facilities is at its best. Two cabin lift lines, numerous cable-ways, catering facilities, mountain shelters and developed transportation network. There are two main tourist centers - Aleko, one of Bulgaria’s biggest ski resorts, and Zlatnite Mostove (The Golden Bridges), an impressive natural phenomenon in the form of piles of huge rounded granite stones in the river valleys.Aleko, together with Zlatnite Mostove (The Golden Sands), are the two ski centres in the Vitosha mountain. Yet Aleko is much older, more popular and bigger in comparison to the Zlatnite Mostove. It lies at 1,800m. above sea level, with its highest point for skiers being the very peak of Cherni Vruh. There are three hotels in the Aleko ski centre – Sthaslivetsa, Prostor and Moreni, a large number of corporate holiday houses and a chalet of the same name. The Aleko chalet can accommodate up to 100 people and is the oldest one in the Vitosha mountain. It rents out ski equipment and offers highly-qualified ski instructors. The area around the complex avails of specialised ski facilities such as a cabin tow-lift from the Sofia quarter of Simeonovo to the Shtaslivetsa hotel, a ski run for Alpine disciplines, named Virtoshko Lale, a separate cross-country track for ski runners, etc. The ski runs are of different degree of difficulty, which makes them appropriate for both advanced skiers and beginners. The proximity of Aleko to the Sofia city centre is both to its advantage and disadvantage, as during weekends, it gets quite overcrowded.

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