Resort height: 1600m
The mountains
First-time British skiers are an important part of Pamporovo's clientele, and their needs are well catered for - the ski school even organises exclusively English-speaking classes for them. What's more, the gentle pitch of the pistes and the unpretentious nature of the resort provide an undemanding and low-key environment in which to get started. You won't feel like a second-class citizen here just because you can't ski moguls. Snowboarders should note that most of nursery slopes are served by drag lifts, which are a nightmare for one-plankers. They may not like the climate much either. Pamporovo's famously sunny weather (270-odd days of sun a year) sounds great if you're a sunbather, but snowboarders need lots of light powder snow to get the best from their sport, and the sunny weather often makes for icy pistes, which they hate.
Getting there
Fly to Plovdiv if you can. It's only 50 miles from the resort - and transfers shouldn't take more than 90 minutes.
Rating: 
6/10
Après-ski
It's not exactly sophisticated, but Pamporovo's nightlife is cheerful - fuelled by beer at 60p a bottle. The White Hart Pub, Dak's Bar and B.J's are all popular après venues. Hotel food isn't great - a common complaint in all Bulgarian resorts - but with prices so cheap many visitors are happy to venture out in search of something more characterful. Chevermeto is the best of the resort restaurants, spit-roasting four or five lambs every night.
Rating: 
4/10
Non-skiers
In a resort where almost everyone is a beginner, shouldn't non-skiers have a crack at skiing too? If not, they can take their pick from day trips to historic Plovdiv, cross-country skiing, snow-mobiling, tobogganing, and visiting one of the hotel spas.
Rating: 
10/10
Cost of living
Pamporovo's big selling point is its price. If you shop around you can get a week's skiing here for less than £300, half board.
Rating: 4/10
Attractiveness of the resort
The thickly-forested hills of the Rhodope mountains make for a pleasing backdrop to the pistes - but that said, the scenery isn't a patch on the Alps. Pamporovo benefits from its forest setting, but is purpose built and lacks charm.
