site.btaJanuary 10, 1954: Bulgaria's First Ski Lift Unveiled in Vitosha Mountain

On January 10, 1954, the first ski lift in Bulgaria was opened near the Aleko Hut in Vitosha Mountain (Western Bulgaria). Thanks to this facility, the country saw the beginning of mechanized ski ascents in the Bulgarian mountains.

The lift was 700 metres long, and the difference in altitude between the starting and ending points was 226 metres. It had 33 seats, each of which travelled the entire length in 8 minutes. Over 120 people could be transported on the ski lift in one hour, the authorities annnounced.

The grand opening was attended by representatives of the municipality, the sports federation, and many skiers and mountaineers.

A year later, the ski lift near the Aleko Hut was connected to the village of Dragalevtsi (today's Dragalevtski borough in Sofia), which marked the opening of Bulgaria's first passenger cable car line.