You are currently viewing Things to do in Borovets for non – skiers – how to enjoy a ski holiday when you don’t ski

Things to do in Borovets for non – skiers – how to enjoy a ski holiday when you don’t ski

Are you a non-skier going on your first ski holiday? Wondering if there are things to do in Borovets if skiing is a just an absolute disaster?! Then read on…

Although skiing has always been on my bucket list (I needed to know what all the fuss was about,) I had a lot of reservations before booking my first ski holiday.

I’m possibly the clumsiest person on the planet – yes really! You know that kid who always got picked last in physical education lessons at school? My Dad who taught the blind to ski didn’t even attempt teaching me and I’m not surprised. I could (and did) fall over by tripping over my own feet! Imagine adding skis to that equation?! 

It wasn’t until I discovered dancing that I found something I could enjoy that kept me fit! (Hey have you checked out my post about dance holidays?!)

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But yet the idea of a holiday in a cute wooden lodge with nothing to see but snow peaked mountains and evergreen forests for miles, really appealed to me!

So after too many glasses of wine, I finally said yes to my first ski holiday and just hoped there would be plenty of things to do in Borovets if I was utterly hopeless on the skis!

Turns out there was plenty and I reckon it’s definitely possible to enjoy a ski holiday even as a non-skier!

holiday

In fact, out of the 6 days we spent in Borovets, I only spent 3 full days and 1 evening on the slopes and I still didn’t have the time to do all the activities I wanted to! I’d booked 3 days of ski school. Quite frankly I could have booked a month and I’m not sure they would have made a good skier out of me! But I did ski independently on the baby slopes by the end of it (well if you count hurtling down them, not really understanding where the breaks were…)

This is how I spent my week

  • Tuesday – ski school – apres ski
  • Wednesday – ski school – spa- evening in with wine
  • Thursday – ski school – apres ski
  • Friday – spent doing some photography – apres ski
  • Saturday – Day trip to some natural hot springs – night ski – apres ski
  • Sunday – Horse riding – SkiDoo Ski mobile – fly home

There may have been an apres ski theme going on there… But when cocktails cost about £2-3 and I don’t even have to wear high heels, am I really going to say no?! (Hey, check out my Borovets nightlife guide!)

If you want to read my full guide to Borovets ski resort, click HERE!

So here are a few more suggestions for what to do in Borovets when you are not skiing! (Yes, there is more to a ski holiday than apres ski apparently…)

Things to do In Borovets for non skiers

Have a Spa day

No ski holiday is complete without a spa day. It’s one of my favourite things to do on any holiday but there’s something even nicer about sitting in a warm jacuzzi when you are looking out onto views of snowy mountains! Your sore, achy post-ski muscles will thank you for it! (Especially if you spent most of your holiday falling over like me..!)

Things to do in borovets for non-skiers on a ski holiday- sauna

Most hotels or chalet complexes will have access to a spa. Some chalets even come with their own jacuzzi. I can think of nothing nicer! I asked at the tourist information centre about massages in town but I was directed to the larger hotels so there isn’t anyway specific to get a massage but most hotels can arrange them for you. Expect to pay about 50 lev (£25/$35.)

Things to do in borovets for non-skiers on a ski holiday - massage

Where I stayed at Chamkoria Chalets, there was a small swimming pools, a sauna and a very warm jacuzzi and plenty of snowy winter wonderland views from the jacuzzi!

Visit Natural hot springs near Borovets – Kotvata.

Bulgaria has a lot of hot springs so if you are staying at a Bulgarian ski resort like Borovets or Bansko you should definitely add it visiting a hot spring your ‘things to do’ list.

We organised a taxi from Borovets to the hot springs spa centre in Kotvata. It cost about 80lev between us (essentially £10 each as there were 4 of us.) For that price, the taxi waited for 2 hours whilst we enjoyed the spa. The spa entry was 15 lev (£7/$10.)

Make sure to take a pair of flipflops as it’s compulsory and we had to run to a local shop to buy some! If you do forget, you will be able to buy some for 5 lev so don’t let it putt you off going!

things to do in borovets - kotvata natural hot springs

There are several outdoor pools at different temperatures including an icy plunge pool! You’ll find jacuzzis and hydrotherapy showers and you can even swim indoors into a little cafe. There are plenty of places to sunbathe when the weather gets a little warmer. My muscles felt so much better after a few hours at the springs! Don’t forget to take some shampoo else your hair may smell of rotten eggs all day from the natural sulphur!

Visiting the hot springs near Borovets was one of my favourite things we did off the slopes!

Enjoy the Apres ski in Borovets

Okay, back to the apres ski in Borovets. But I couldn’t really write a list of things to do in Borovets without at least mentioning the restaurant’s bars and nightclubs in this lively alpine town!

Enjoy a hot mulled wine on the mountain or indulge in 2-4-1 cocktails or beers in the pubs in town. Food and drink is cheap in Bulgaria (at least when compared to ski resorts elsewhere in Europe.) It’s also lively and you can happily stay out from the moment you ditch your ski boots until the early hours of the morning. I recommend popping to ‘Victoria’ for a Hot Eskimo – a hot chocolate with oodles of cream and Cointreau!

Your night will no doubt end with a karaoke bar! Read my detailed guide to Borovets nightlife for more tips on where to go!

Borovets nightlife - the best bars and restaurants in Borovets

Borovets Tobogganing

I wish I’d known about this earlier! I only discovered a great tobogganing slope on my final day a few hours before my flight back!

This particular slope was surrounded by bars all of which will loan you a sledge so you can mix drinking with hurtling down a hill on a toboggan! Sounds so-much-fun!

Ski-Doo – try out a Ski Mobile!

This was brilliant fun and one of my favourite Borovets activities. I’ve wanted to try out a ski mobile since a friend recently visited Iceland and told me how fun it was! For 60 lev you can fly through the forests on the back of a ski mobile as part of a small group for about an hour.

As a solo ski doo-er, I got to share a ski mobile with the instructor. This actually meant I had the best of both worlds. He was able to fly through the forest at high speed which was really exhilarating and then I got to have a go myself on the way back. I was definitely not quite so speedy! They are surprisingly heavy to steer, it was harder than it looks but SO MUCH FUN!

[bctt tweet=”For 60 lev you can fly through the forests on the back of a ski mobile ” username=”@globetrottergp”]

Things to do in Borovets - ski doo ski mobiling

Horse riding in Borovets

Since its too icy to trot or canter, it was more of a gentle stroll through the forest. So not the most exciting of horse treks especially for more experienced riders! However, there is something quite magical about riding through the forest in the snow – it was almost like being in Narnia! I came back feeling almost as relaxed as when I came from the spa!

Things to do in Borovets - horseriding
Credit to Annie Spratt

Paragliding in Borovets

Take a tandem ride and soar over the snow covered mountains! I’m not particularly a fan of heights but one day, I’d really love to give this a go! Alas, there was not enough time on my recent Borovets holiday! But if you do, head to the Borovets adventure center to book your trip!

Things to do in Borovets - paragliding

Go night skiing at Borovets

Technically not something for non-skiers but also not something to be missed! Okay so I spent more time falling on my bum than actual skiing but there was something really lovely about skiing at night. The huge floodlights actually provide better visibility than during the day when there is often glare from the sun. The slopes are also quieter as well which is great for clumsy skiers like me  – fewer people to collide with!

Get your night ski passes from nearby the main ski lifts. They cost 20 lev.

Things to do in Borovets - night skiing
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    What to pack for a holiday to Borovets

    What to pack for skiing

    •  Salopettes with braces. Get salopettes without braces and you’ll be constantly pulling up your trousers. These ones come in lots of colours, all of which have braces.
    • A ski jacket. Get a roomy jacket with lots of pockets because you will be wearing lots of layers. This one has a detachable fleece layer and loads of pockets, perfect for skiing.


    • Waterproof gloves. Don’t scrimp on your gloves, get quality, waterproof ones like these ones.
    • Ski Goggles. Make sure your ski goggles are UV protected. You may choose to wear sunglasses on sunny days but if its windy or wet, you will definitely want ski goggles with you.
    • Thermal layers. Sometimes its warm and you’ll be happy in a t-shirt. Other days it will be absolutely FREEZING. So definitely take some thermals with you!.

    What to pack for a night out in Borovets

    • Warm leggings. Master apres ski style by wearing these leggings under your salopettes in the day time and at night time you can wear them for the apres ski with some cute boots and a jumper.


    • Snow Boots. Get yourself some really comfy snow boots with good griip for icy nights – you’re feet will thank you for it after wearing uncomfortable ski’s all day. I love these ones.


    •  Cosy jumpers. No one wears anything smarter than a jumper with jeans or leggings so make sure you pack a few of cosy jumpers like these ones to keep you warm and stylish.


    • A colourful buff. There’s no avoiding it, you WILL get helmet hair. So if you plan to go straight to the apres ski from the slopes, do yourself a favour and pack a buff. Great for keeping warm in the day and hiding the frizz at night.


    Read more |

    A complete packing list for beginner skiers.

    A Borovets Ski Resort Review

    Borovets Nightlife – a guide to the best places for apres ski

    Winter City Guides

    Festive European Destinations

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    So there we have it – plenty of things to do in Borovets for non-skiers! You may even find it hard to squeeze some ski lessons in! I also heard a rumour that there were husky sledge rides although I couldn’t find any centre which offered it. If you can clarify this, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below! 

    Have you been on a ski holiday as a beginner or a non-skier? What were your favourite things to do?

    What activities in Borovets will you choose?

    Psssst, if you enjoyed this article, I’d really appreciate if you can share it?! Thanks a million!

    This Post Has One Comment

    1. Florin

      If you’ll ever cross the border to Romania, you’ll find there a few nice sky resorts in the Carpathian Mountains for al kind of skiers.

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