Borovets

the largest mountain climate health resort in Bulgaria. It lies 70 km southeast of Sofia, on the northern slopes of the Rila Mountains, at an altitude of 1,300 m. It has a stable, warm winter, with an average January temperature of about -4.4° C, and a cool summer, with an average July temperature of 15.3° C. The annual precipitation is about 960 mm. The mountain climate, sun and air baths, and mountain walks promote physical fitness. Patients suffering from affections of the upper respiratory tracts of nontubercular origin, bronchial asthma, secondary anemia, and functional disturbances of the nervous system are treated. Borovets has sanatoriums, rest homes, hotels, and tourist centers. The season lasts the year round.

Borovets is a sports center of Bulgaria, where there are annual national and international skiing and ice hockey competitions. It is the starting point for mountain climbers ascending Musala (2,925 m), the highest mountain in the Balkan Peninsula.