"Batak" resort, located in the Western Rhodopi mountain is an ideal spot for recreation all the year round. There are 10 000 beds available of every category. Batak ski run, with Alpine ski-run (1200m) and race ski-run (2000 m) is located here. The Alpine ski-run is equipped with three ski-lifts, one of them is auxiliary, 600 m long. Four ski-runs are to be built, tracks for snowboards (half pipes) and for motor sledges and ski-lift which is the most important project of the municipal authorities. The snow blankets lasts from November to April and the view revealing at the top of the ski-lift towards the Batak dam is really magnificent. The fulfilling of the project will turn Batak into one of the modern ski-centres in Bulgaria.

A large network of recreation facilities has been built up around the dams Batak, Shiroka Polyana, Golyam Beglik and Beglika – holiday home, children’s camp, hotels, camping sites and private villas. The capacity of the new center (base) is 7292. The recreation centers are run by experienced and qualified managers but they are not used completely because of the high rate of unemployment in Bulgaria.

Relief

The municipality features mountainous relief. The average above sea elevation is 1136 m. The lowest point is 770 m, the highest one – peak Batashki Snezhnik – 2082 m. Peak Syutkya (2186 m) rises in the southwestern part of Batashka Planina mountain. Apart from Batashki Snezhnik two peaks rise south of Batak - Ostri Vrah (1957 m) and Semerelan (1817 m). The large and flat Beglika locality runs south of these peaks as far as the Kamen Dyal pass. The Beglishka river runs through this a picturesque locality and feeds two dam lakes – Golyam Beglik and Beglika.

Climate

The climate of the region is temperate continental. In the low area (up to 1000m) – transitory continental but in the mountain and highland area it has mountainous character. The average annual temperature is 13°C - 15°C, the annual temperature amplitude is 20.1°C. The winters are not cold. The average temperature in January is from 3°C to 5°C. During the spring and autumn the fogs are in the gorge of the Stara Reka river and the sun shines in the town of Batak. The summer is cool. The northern and north-eastern winds with average velocity of 1.2 m/sec. predominate in the region. The annual sum of the precipitation is 685 mm/sq m, which imposes rational use of the available water reserves. During winter the snow blanket is up to 65 cm in the town and 150 cm in the mountain. The snow blanket lasts from 2 to 5 months.

Location

Pazardjik and Plovdiv are the nearest cities. From Sofia to Pazardjik you can travel by car on Trakia highway and asphalt-covered roads lead from here to the municipal centre - Batak, located 1036 m above sea level in the valley along the two banks of the Stara Reka river.It is surrounded from all sides by hills (100 - 200 m above its level) and the peaks of Batashka Planina mountain rise over them. The mountain borders on the Chepinska Reka river to the west, on the Dospatska Reka river and Dospat dam to the south, on the Vacha river tot he east and on Thracian lowland to the north.

SKI FACTS:

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