Not that the Bulgarians aren’t doing more than their fair share of construction. Although the historic village centre is untouched, the scale of buildings both along its outskirts and elsewhere in the surrounding valley is staggering — much as it is along the country’s Black Sea coast, several hundred miles to the east.

The infrastructure is coping — for now, at least — although permanent residents complain of the occasional power cut. There is not much traffic compared with some alpine resorts. There are also plans to build a second main ski lift up from the village. The council has yet to decide where it will start from, prompting a frenzy of speculation among people who own plots of development land.

The whole point of a mountain resort is the skiing, so how does Bansko shape up? The first impression on a recent afternoon was favourable: the gondola up from the village is ultra-modern and there was no queue, while both lift pass and equipment hire were about half alpine rates. The chair lifts further up the mountain were equally modern Austrian-made affairs. The slopes were well groomed but not exactly exciting: the small selection of reds and a few blues would be enough to keep beginners and intermediates happy for a few days, but a more advanced skier will get bored quickly and start heading for the ice rink.

Bansko’s two rivals are struggling to keep up: Pamporovo, although the largest and reputedly the sunniest of the three, does not have a lot to offer expert skiers. Borovets is smaller, but is more conveniently located just 40 miles from Sofia. If it is excitement and sophistication you are after, you had better visit Courchevel. But look at the prices, and maybe Bankso is not such a bad deal.

Bulgarian Properties, 00 359 886 080 808, www.bulgarianproperties.com

Page two: Other top skiing destinations in Eastern Europe()OTHER TOP SKIING DESTINATIONS IN EASTERN EUROPE

Slovenia

Increasingly popular among British buyers because of its spectacular scenery, little Slovenia is vying to be the Switzerland of eastern Europe. Indeed, at times, you could be forgiven for thinking you are in Austria or Italy, both of which are only a few miles away across the border.

For downhill skiing and snowboarding, the largest and best known of its resorts is Kranjska Gora, in the northwest, which regularly hosts the World Cup men’s downhill. Although small by alpine standards, the resort offers skiing that is suitable for different abilities and boasts stunning scenery. New-build apartments in Kranjska Gora cost about £2,700 a square metre, which is not especially cheap by European standards, although prices are substantially lower in villages a few minutes’ drive away.

There are several other resorts such as Bled, also in the northwest, Pohorje in the east and Bovec near the Italian border, where prices are lower.

However, you should not confine your search to the resorts themselves. Cross-country skiing and sledding are also popular winter activities, while growing numbers of people want to hike or mountain bike in summer.

It is still possible to pick up houses in a reasonable condition in villages a few miles away from Kranjska Gora for as little as £40,000-£50,000, with both summer and winter rental potential. The area around Lake Bled is especially beautiful, although prices will reflect this.

Poland

Zakopane in the Tatra mountains is Poland’s most popular ski destination, but its crumbling Communist-era infrastructure means it has a long way to go before it can seriously challenge its Bulgarian rivals, let alone familiar alpine resorts.

The town, which is home to about 28,000 people, has four separate ski areas, the best of which is the 6,520ft Kasprowy Wierch. Another, Gubalowka, offers floodlit skiing until 9pm, which can be scary, given the locals’ gung-ho skiing style. The lifts are old and creaky and there are no ski passes: instead, you have to pay for each ride as you take it.

Après-ski is fun and extraordinarily cheap in Zakopane, with a string of bars in the town’s pedestrianised main street. Not surprisingly, vodka costs a fraction of the price it does in Britain. Good skiers will quickly run out of challenges on the slopes, but the Polish resort is not a bad choice for those looking primarily for a rural retreat who regard any time spent on the slopes as a bonus.

The surrounding countryside is beautiful and the stunning town of Krakow is an hour and a half away by car. A typical one-bed, 50sq m flat in the centre of Zakopane would go for about £45,000. Houses in nearby villages are even cheaper.

Romania

The Prahova Valley, about two hours’ drive north of Bucharest, in the heart of the Carpathian mountains, is Romania’s principal ski area.

Like the country’s Black Sea coast, it so far lacks Bulgaria’s international profile, but Poiana Brasov, the main resort, is increasingly popular with the capital’s smart set, who have been buying up villas or purchasing land and building their own. Robert Burke of Romanian property experts, Romauction, says it is possible to pick up a new or refurbished 200-300sq m house in Poiana Brasov for £170,000-£200,000, but suggests also looking at other resorts.

“Poiana Brasov has already been discovered by the Romanians, but Sinaia, Predeal and Azuga are cheaper and have a lot more potential.”

Poiana Brasov is not a bad choice for beginners, who can take advantage of cheap individual lessons. There are only 10 miles or so of slopes, though, and even intermediate skiers will quickly become bored, although it is possible to liven things up by going off-piste and cutting through the forest. The countryside is remarkably unspoilt — so much so that it doubled as Civil War-era North Carolina in the film Cold Mountain starring Nicole Kidman and Jude Law. The area is on the edge of Transylvania: nearby attractions include Dracula’s castle in Bran.

Keep your ski poles with you at all times; they can double as stakes in case of any unwanted contact with vampires.

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