Beli Iskar is an ideal base for skiiing at Borovets, hiking and mountain biking and is on the Rila National Park border. Their are many marked trails, with mountain refuges for the adventurous. Mountain bikers can use the chair lift at Borovets. The country features spectacular alpine scenery, river gorges and meadows. The Rila and Samokov Hotels have large, clean indoor swimming pools and gymnasiums at very cheap rates for non-guests.
Their are three large modern supermarkets in Samokov (5/10 minutes by car). Two village shopd which are well stocked for basic needs.
Bank ATM's available in Samokov and Borovets and outside supermarkets.
Good English managed restaurant opposite the house (2 minutes). Good restaurants close by.
There is a modern well equipped English speaking 24 hour medical centre and dentist at Borovets. There is an English speaking pharmacy in Borovets and several others in Samokov.
There are three large, modern supermarkets in Samokov(10 minutes by car) selling all the items of food and familiar brands etc that you should need for a holiday. Borovets has several mini-markets. Beli Iskar has a shop near the house, which is good for basics.
Samokov has an open air food market for local fresh produce, every day, as well as several banks, pharmacies and a post office.
Borovets has several good restaurants and bars. Samokov also has several good restaurants. There is an English run restaurant that serves very good food, in a pleasant atmosphere, next door to the house.Restaurant food is generally good, very cheap and plentiful and there is a large selection of good Bulgarian wines, spirits and beers available at reasonable prices.
Ski:
Borovets is a well known international ski resort (10 minutes by hill road in summer / 20 minutes by main road via Samokov in winter). The snow record is usually good, but it is best to check on conditions and resort skiing details on the Borovets websites. The English speaking ski school has a good reputation for teaching and friendliness. Borovets is also a good summer base for hiking and mountain biking.
