Many foreign investors are still lagging behind recognizing the winter tourism and sports potential of Bulgaria, though the country offers one of best conditions in Europe.

Some areas such as Bansko and Borovets have seen an upgrade in accommodation and sport facilities to the grade of being confident enough to run for hosting Olympics 2014 bid.

Bulgaria is fast becoming the new Ski Eldorado and property prices are rising fast, having more than doubled in the past couple of years. But, they are lower than in other Balkan states, Croatia and Greece for instance.

Bulgarians have been able to take out a mortgage and buy a home only in the past four years. The change has unlocked a property boom.

If you buy now in the right location, any profit you make will be times more after three or four years.

When competitive mortgage deals become available after the country’s EU accession, hopefully in 2007, real estate values are likely to rocket.

The Rila mountain, the most abundant in rivers, streams and lakes, whose highest peak is rising above all other mountain peaks on the Balkans poses a challenge to all lovers of tourism and extreme sports.

Located under Balkans’ highest peak of Mussala (1350m), Borovets has a history since the end of 19th century when it become then Bulgarian Prince’s first hunting residence.

On the outskirts of the glitzy hotel-packed and restaurant-exuberant resort you can find a calmer place where ancient people would certainly recognise a venue of Gods.

Ten kilometres away from the town of Samokov (situated at 73km from Sofia and 123km from Plovdiv), meandering through fabulously snow-lighted slopes you arrive in the village of Govedartsi. Any zealous skier would envy the availability of a ski track in a ten-minute walk away from the last house there.

And another 20km further you gaze at the breath-taking view of the Malyovitsa Peak where some of best ski tracks in Rila can be found.

Once you have read these lines carefully, it is not a bad idea to set out to the nearest place where you can buy a ticket to Bulgaria and please your dearest with a trip to Bulgaria.