Lake Iskar

Lake Iskar is Bulgaria's largest inland lake and can be likened to an inland sea in fact. Stretching for 15kms along the main Sofia-Borovets road, it is an impressive sight. Being 30kms south of Sofia, it means that the lake is a magnet for tourists, particularly in summer time. In summer and particularly at weekends, the sides of the Samokov-Sofia road will be lined with tourists having picnics, enjoying swimming and boating etc.

It without a doubt adds to the total all year dimension to the beautiful Borovets region. Why go to the coast when you have the sea AND skiing here?! Just 30 mins from Sofia, the location is spot on as there is public transport (bus stops at a number of places on the route) and you access Sofia, Samokov and Borovets.
With private coves and bays, you will have many choices when trying to find a private area to spend a few hours with family and friends. The most popular restaurant has a large terrace where you can enjoy the fabulous cuisine and gaze out over the breathtaking view of Lake Iskar.

Boat Rentals & Wind Surfing

Nearby, boats and pedalos can be rented and you can take a trip right out into the lake. Because the weather is very moderate here and the lake is well protected from the elements, you will very rarely have waves. This makes boating particularly good for those who are inexperienced or with families.
For those wanting something a little more extreme, windsurfing is done further down the lake (near the Sofia side). This is not done all year round (due to some ice in deep winter) but from about April until October, it should not be a problem to windsurf. Other watersports like jet-skiing, water-skiing are also readily available.

Horseback Riding, Hiking & Jeep Safaris

Near to Lake Iskar are the famous Iskar stables. Here you can take horse-rides around the lake and also up into the Iskar mountains with qualified instructors. The four day trip that the stables offer is a truly great experience- you visit everywhere from Lake Iskar to the Seven Rila Lakes and the Rila Monastery. Jeep safaris are also on offer in the region and you can visit parts of the lakes that are particularly hard to access, particularly on the Ihtiman side which is virtually untouched.
A good challenge for any keen mountain walker is a trip around the lake. This normally takes about two days due to the sheer scale of the lake but on the Ihtiman side, it is unlikely you will meet anyone, the vistas are breathtaking and there are plenty of places suitable to camp.

Fishing in Pristine Lake Iskar

Lake Iskar is probably the fishing mecca of Western Bulgarian! All year you will find keen fishermen on the shores and in summer time, with the beautiful weather, there is even more. Because Lake Iskar is completely free of pollutants is constantly supplied with fresh clean water, fish thrive in the lake, particularly trout, bream, pike and carp, which have been known to grow to very substantial sizes. The majority of fishing is done in the Lavandula region, at the Samokov end of the lake.

Bron: Lake Iskar

Vitosha Mountain

Rising above the capital city of Sofia, Vitosha Mountain is one of the symbols of the capital and is the most visited mountain in Bulgaria. Starting from where the suburbs end, the whole mountain has been designated a national park, the oldest in the Balkans, and is home to deer, bear, wild boar, fox and a variety of rare birds. Vitosha is known for its 'stone rivers', or moraines, piles of huge rounded granite boulders carried and deposited by glaciers thousands of years ago, as well as for its curative mineral springs. It is popular during any season and the well-known resort of Aleko is the most established winter ski resort in the area, offering modern hotels and ski facilities within easy reach of the capital. Although you could spend a good portion of your holiday enjoying this mountain and staying in its resorts, you can just as easily head up the mountain for a hike one afternoon and gain some beautiful views of the city below. There is a cable-car and several bus routes which can take you part of the way up Vitosha. There are several great picnic sites to enjoy if the weather is good and an excursion up the mountain is a lovely activity for the whole family.

 

Read more:  Worldtravel

Zoo Park Sofia

Zoopark Sofia

 

Analyse van de vastgoedprijzen sinds het begin van de crisis

25.07.2013 First real quarterly growth of property prices in Bulgaria since the beginning of the crisis Polina Stoykova MRICS, Chief Operations Manager and Head of Research * Click photo to enlarge    According to calculations of BULGARIAN PROPERTIES based on the data from the National Statistics Institute (NSI) about the prices of the apartments in the regional cities in Bulgaria in the second quarter of 2013, the property prices in the country have registered the first real quarterly growth (after deduction of inflation, calculated with the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices, HICP) since the beginning of the crisis. Deduction of inflation from the property prices provides a more accurate estimation of the actual change, so when using the NSI data we always do the necessary calculations to obtain a more precise market picture. From the latest data we can see that the property market in Bulgaria has reached a state in which nominal prices remain unchanged, and after inflation deduction, they seem to have started to register small postive changes. The real change in average apartment prices in 2Q is +0.74% compared to the previous quarter and -3.18% year-on-year (compared to the same quarter in 2012). Nominally, property prices remained unchanged compared to the previous quarter - a nominal decline of -0.06% on average for the country. On a yearly basis (compared to the second quarter of 2012) the prices of apartments in Bulgaria have dropped by -2.15%. The average price of an apartment in the regional cities in Bulgaria over the past quarter is 442.94 EUR/sq.m. (unchanged compared to the previous quarter when it was 443 EUR/sq.m.). The prices in the capital of Sofia are still the highest in the country. The prices at which apartments in the big cities were sold in April-June are as follows: • Sofia – 734 Euro/sq.m. • Varna – 714 Euro/sq.m. • Plovdiv – 472 Euro/sq.m. • Bourgas – 572 Euro/sq.m. • Stara Zagora – 447 Euro/sq.m. • Rousse – 449 Euro/sq.m. • Veliko Тarnovo – 365 Euro/sq.m. In 2Q 2013 prices of apartments in Sofia have increased nominally by +0.9% compared to the previous quarter, and on an annual base there is a drop of -1.52%. After inflation deduction the prices of apartments in Sofia have risen by +1.71% compared to the previous quarter, and compared to the same period of last year there is a decrease of -2.56%. Apart from Sofia, the prices in Plovdiv have registered positive changes on a quarterly basis. This is not by accident as exactly in these two cities was registered the highest growth in interest and in the number of property transactions this year, according to the data from the Bulgarian Registry Agency. The NSI figures also confirm our data announced earlier in the analysis of BULGARIAN PROPERTIES for the second quarter of 2013, which shows a suspension of price falls in Sofia, reaching of a market equilibrium and an existence of positive trends in result of the return of the local buyers to the market and the increased number of deals. These trends are also observed in BULGARIAN PROPERTIES monthly price indices (BPI) based on listing prices. The accumulated nominal price drop of prices of apartments in the regional cities in the last few years since the beginning of the crisis is -38.92%. In Sofia the accumulated drop is -41.90%. The accumulated real decrease in prices (after inflation deduction) since the beginning of the crisis is -44.68% on average for the country and -47.38% in Sofia. The detailed data for of the changes in apartment prices in the big cities around the country in 2Q 2013 is as follows: Nominal and real change of prices compared to the previous quarter: • Sofia – nominal growth (+0.9%) and real growth (+1.71%) • Varna – nominal growth (-0.98%) and real growth (-0.19%) • Plovdiv – nominal growth (+0.33%) and real growth (+1.13%) • Bourgas – nominal growth (-1%) and real growth (-0.21%) • Stara Zagora – nominal growth (+0.29%) and real growth (+1.09%) • Rousse – nominal growth (-0.73%) and real growth (+0.06%) • Veliko Tarnovo – nominal growth (-0.17%) and real growth (+0.62%) Nominal and real change of prices compared to the same quarter of the previous year • Sofia – nominal growth (-1.52%) and real growth (-2.56%) • Varna – nominal growth (-2.32%) and real growth (-3.35%) • Plovdiv – nominal growth (-2.98%) and real growth (-4%) • Bourgas – nominal growth (-2.85%) and real growth (-3.87%) • Stara Zagora – nominal growth (-1.47%) and real growth (-2.50%) • Rousse – nominal growth (+0.96%) and real growth (-0.10%) • Veliko Tarnovo – nominal growth (+0.18%) and real growth (-0.87%) --- Copyright: 2013 Bulgarian Properties Ltd. All rights reserved. For further information or advice please contact us on tel.: +359 2 9 11 50 or e-mail: info@bulgarianproperties.com. The use of this article by third parties is allowed only with proper quotations of the source www.BulgarianProperties.com and the Author of the article. The data in this material has been collected by the Author and Bulgarian Properties Ltd. and is presented for information purposes only. We have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the data. However, Bulgarian Properties Ltd. and the Author cannot be held responsible for loss or damage as a result of decisions made based on the information presented in this article. © Bulgarian Properties Ltd. 2013.