Live nowStubai Zoo Park & Test DaysThe organiser lists Stubai Zoo Park & Test Days for 6–8 November 2026 at Stubai Glacier and in Neustift, Austria. Equipment testing at Eisgrat is scheduled only for Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November.
UpcomingLevi World CupThe FIS calendar schedules the women’s and men’s slalom races for 14–15 November in Lapland.
UpcomingGurgl World CupWomen’s and men’s slalom races are scheduled on the Kirchenkar World Cup piste on 21–22 November.PLACE BG-004 / Vitosha
Managed alpine skiing above Sofia centres on Aleko and the Vitoshko Lale slopes, with Vetrovala forming a separate ski area.
119MAPS / UNDERSTAND THE AREA
Explore mapped pistes and lifts, compare the official plans and choose the right starting base. Check current opening separately.
Colours show the published skiing status or confirmed operating calendar, not whether every lift is running. Check the operator before travel.
Confirmed dates change colours automatically in the place’s local time. Tentative dates, conflicting reports and expired checks remain black.
Independent ODbL community geometry covers reviewed named managed downhill pistes around Aleko and Vitoshko Lale, six passenger lift alignments and the separate Vetrovala slope area. Vetrovala is not shown as a ski-linked extension of Aleko. This is not a map of all Vitosha: Nordic, touring, sledding, freeride, technical goods lines, neighbouring operators and unidentified features are omitted. Community-tagged abandoned or disused lifts, including Simeonovo, Romanski, Dragalevski, Cherni Vrah and Zaeka, are omitted even where older operator inventory retains a name. The conflicting Lavinata alias and the Aleko/Laleto ski-road identity are omitted pending reconciliation. Community difficulty stays grey without an independently established local colour. The earliest original canonical OSM API tile HTTP response Date is the snapshot basis, not an Overpass replication timestamp. Unconfirmed: the official winter-map landing is accessible, but its artwork edition, current footprint and preview or reproduction rights have not been established; no operator artwork is copied or embedded. Mapped segments are not piste or physical-lift counts and prove no current skiing, grooming, patrol, access permission, safe navigation or complete return.
HOW THE AREA CONNECTS
Access: The operator locates its hire and school by the upper Simeonovo station near Aleko hut and the bus 66 terminus. A stopped gondola is a landmark, not transport to the mountain.
Mecha Polyana and Uchebna learner facilities are distinct from the longer mountain pistes. Confirm the school meeting point, suitable open terrain and the intended pass.
Access: The two chairlifts have separate lower and connecting stations. The operator describes a road approach to Lale 1; walking approaches from Aleko are not a guaranteed winter transfer.
The named Laleto pistes extend away from the Aleko learner base. Both lifts are under maintenance in the current operator notice; weather-dependent plans do not guarantee a reopening.
Access: Vetrovala is a separate ski area in the operator tariff and inventory. Arrange its own road access, meeting point, ticket validity and return rather than expecting an Aleko ski connection.
The operator lists a Vetrovala lift and a baby lift. Our independent map includes only the reviewed available community geometry and does not establish the complete beginner-area footprint or current operation.
The hire/school reference is at Aleko by the upper Simeonovo station and bus 66 terminus; lower Lale 1 has a separate road approach. The operator says Simeonovo gondola is not operating. Confirm the meeting point and mountain transport rather than treating the pin as working uplift.
Lale 1 and Lale 2 are distinct chairlift alignments; learner facilities sit around Aleko. Vetrovala is a separate area, not an assumed ski-through connection. Check the exact open terrain, local grade and pass before leaving your base; community lines do not establish an operating circuit.
Unconfirmed: the next winter’s last skier boarding, complete downhill or download, walking transfer and final bus are not established. Simeonovo is stopped and old night hours belong to 2025/26. Ask staff for the complete return to your actual arrival base before setting off.
01 / FIELD OVERVIEW
Choose the right mountain base, distinguish road and bus access from lift access, and arrange the entire return. This guide separates current maintenance notices from historical winter prices and hours.
Aleko and Vitoshko Lale approaches kept distinct
Vetrovala is a separate area
Independent licensed map with explicit coverage limits
The operator’s winter inventory distinguishes the Laleto 1, 2 and 3 pistes, Cherni Vrah, Sinya pista, Stenata, Diagonala 1 and 2, Kozirkata na Bobi, Zelena pista and the learner areas. It also lists a Nordic route, snowpark and sledding terrain. Those mixed rows are not an alpine piste count, and this guide does not cover touring or unmarked descents across Vitosha.
Aleko’s Mecha Polyana and Uchebna learner facilities serve a different purpose from the longer Lale slopes. Vetrovala has its own entry in the operator inventory and tariff, and is not presented here as a ski-linked continuation of Aleko. Choose the base and signed local difficulty for your actual ability; a name containing a colour is not a universal grading rule.
Unconfirmed: the current operator artwork edition and complete managed footprint have not been verified. The independent map omits community-tagged abandoned/disused uplift, neighbouring operators, the conflicting Lavinata alias, the Aleko/Laleto ski-road identity and unidentified features. It is a scoped orientation aid, not the operator inventory, a current opening report or navigation authority.
Vitoshko Lale 1 and 2 are two chairlift alignments, with the lower Lale approach separate from the Aleko learner base. The operator inventory also names surface lifts and learner conveyors. Our community map retains six reviewed passenger alignments, including Vetrovala, while omitting abandoned or disused structures. This is a geometry count, not a count of working physical lifts.
The current operator notice says Lale 1 and 2 entered maintenance on 28 September and will remain stopped until winter, and Simeonovo gondola is not operating. The upper Simeonovo station is still used as a landmark for school and hire. It must not be mistaken for a working ascent from Sofia or an available final download.
Historical: the timetable page says winter 2025/26 has ended, and the night-skiing page likewise closes that season. Its old 18:30–22:00 Lale 1 programme does not establish a new winter evening service. Unconfirmed: the next daily lift hours, final skier boarding, permitted inter-sector movements and full return are not established; ask staff before committing to a descent away from your base.
The operator currently identifies private car and bus 66 as mountain access while Simeonovo gondola is stopped. Its access page describes the route from Sofia Zoo through Dragalevtsi and the Aleko terminus near the hut; its hire page puts the shop roughly 50 m from that terminus. The same access page still mentions Hotel Moreni in the route summary. Confirm the current stop pattern and return service with the transport operator rather than assuming every description is a complete timetable.
For lower Lale 1, the operator describes road access and a large free customer car park. It states that uphill private-car access is restricted on weekends and public holidays from 11:00 to 16:00 between 1 December and 31 March. These published general instructions do not guarantee a parking space or today’s road conditions. Vetrovala needs a separate access plan.
Unconfirmed: the complete 2026/27 bus timetable, final return, road enforcement and individual step-free transfer are not established here. The operator describes walks from Aleko and request stops, including the Devil’s Path, but warns winter passage can be difficult. Those summer-oriented durations are not a verified winter approach to an open piste; do not substitute a mapped walk or closed gondola for an arranged safe transfer.
Historical: the inspected tariff is explicitly labelled Winter 25/26. It lists an Aleko adult day pass at €29, morning half-day at €24 and afternoon at €21; separate learner-path and snowpark products are shown. Vetrovala has its own tariff, and the old conditions say season/day/half-day products also include it. These are source examples from the completed season, not a verified 2026/27 quote or a promise that every facility is included.
The retained tariff describes personal, nontransferable passes and says a passed-on card can be cancelled. It lists mountain insurance within ski-lift cards and distinguishes several discounted/child/family products. Check the actual new terms, age evidence, cover, exclusions and refund conditions for the exact product; an old price table cannot settle your current entitlement.
Unconfirmed: final 2026/27 fares, validity, insurance terms, night entitlement and the exact lift/learner/Vetrovala combination are not established. The terms landing still labels its ski-area and group-school documents Winter 24/25. We do not present those older documents as current rules or create a bookable offer from them. Hire, lessons and transport need separate booking and confirmation.
PSS advises matching speed to ability, terrain and weather, giving the downhill skier space, obeying signs and transport instructions, and avoiding stops in narrow or poorly visible places. In fog, slow down and increase spacing. Check the current mountain and piste reports, allow for the short winter day, and be ready to end the outing when conditions or fatigue require it.
Stay on signed open managed terrain appropriate to your ability and follow lift staff and patrol directions. This guide establishes no off-piste or touring access, avalanche stability or safe individual route. A missing current avalanche bulletin, a historical track or a photograph is not a safety clearance; the inspected PSS Vitosha page has dated conditions and must be read for the intended day.
For an emergency, PSS directs callers to 112 and its central post at +359 2 963 2000 / +359 887 100 237; it lists Aleko base at +359 2 967 1155 / +359 887 100 239. Give the exact location and follow instructions. Unconfirmed: current patrol deployment, medical opening, response time, individual assistance and a safe complete return are not established. Arrange mountain transport, every required final connection and help needs before departure.
The operator places its ski/snowboard hire near Aleko hut at the upper Simeonovo station, about 50 m from the bus 66 terminus. It lists complete sets, individual items, protective equipment and storage/drying facilities. The page labels its tariff Season 2026 and gives 09:00–16:30 plus +359 882 111 483. Those published shop details do not establish open lifts or a reservation for your next winter date.
Historical: the individual lesson tariff is labelled 25/26, gives one-, two- and multi-hour options, and says transport and equipment are excluded. It uses ski.school@vitoshaski.com, while the hire page uses skischool@vitoshaski.com and the contact directory gives a separate school/wardrobe number. Confirm the correct service and actual meeting point through the operator; do not assume a school landmark makes the gondola operational.
The operator contact directory lists contact@vitoshaski.com and +359 2 489 4151, with separate Lale, school and outdoor contacts. A service page also lists edge work, base repair, waxing and binding work, but retains lev-denominated prices. Unconfirmed: current hire/lesson/service prices, winter opening, assistance arrangements and Lale refreshments or on-site hire are not established. The completed-season night page explicitly says no hire at the Lale night base, so collect any needed equipment at a confirmed location before travelling.
Selected source-checked references only. Use the complete official plan for the network; this list is not the resort’s total piste count or live opening report.
04 / AT THE BASE
05 / PROFILE BASIS & SOURCES
This profile is based on current information published or supplied by the place or its operator and the dated sources linked below.
Initial independent ten-scope review of managed-alpine identity, inventory and classification, uplift/current-status limits, season/hours, access, prices/terms, safety and contacts. Geometry and media inspections remain independent.
The hero image is an authentic photograph by Apostoloff, reused under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license.
Historical: this genuine photograph shows Aleko learner-slope context in 2009. It establishes no present lift, snow, skiing, access or safety condition. Original bytes retained; responsive display crops only, under CC BY-SA 3.0.