Snezhanka Tower, the TV Tower on the Roof of Pamporovo
Snezhanka Tower is a 156-metre reinforced-concrete television tower with an observation deck, standing on Snezhanka Peak at 1,926 m above sea level near the ski resort of Pamporovo in the Rhodope Mountains. Built between 1973 and 1978, it combines broadcasting equipment with a panoramic café. It is one of the more unusual hidden gems of the Bulgarian mountains.
A television tower with a café on top of a ski mountain: this 156-metre concrete tower was planned as a tourist destination from the start, and on a clear day the Aegean Sea is said to be visible.
The history of Snezhanka Tower
Snezhanka, whose name can be translated as Snow White, is a peak of 1,926 m in the Rhodope Mountains, about 15 km from the town of Smolyan. It is the highest peak in the area of the Pamporovo resort and of the Bukova Planina ridge. The climate is genuinely mountainous: the mean annual temperature is around 3.2 degrees Celsius, precipitation reaches about 1,200 mm a year and, thanks to a fairly low average wind speed, the snow cover usually lasts from mid-November to May.
The summit was already a broadcasting site before the tower existed. From 1971 the Bulgarian National Television and Radio used it to transmit their programmes, with equipment much smaller than the later tower. In 1973 construction of the Snezhanka Tower began, with the aim of replacing that older equipment. The tower was completed and opened to the public in 1978.
From the planning stage the building was meant to be a tourist destination as well as a technical facility. This is reflected in the design: a bigger, lower ring of the tower houses television and radio equipment, while the thinner, upper ring holds a panoramic café and restaurant. The German Wikipedia compares the two-part structure with that of the Olympic Tower in Munich. The roof of the lower, two-storey technical basket, at 64 metres, carries the antenna platform for radio relay, and the upper single-storey basket sits at 85 metres. Above it the concrete shaft tapers and carries a steel antenna mast; the top of the mast is at about 2,082 m above sea level.
Since 1978 the tower has broadcast radio and television programmes of the Bulgarian National Television and Radio, among them the national Horizont programme, together with regional and commercial stations. On 1 March 2013 the transmitter was comprehensively converted to digital technology, and the analogue television channels were switched off on 30 September 2013.
Today the tower is also a hiking and sightseeing goal. The peak is one of the Hundred National Tourist Sites of the Bulgarian Tourist Union, and the stamp for the collection is kept at the entrance of the tower. From the top the view stretches over the Rhodope, Rila and Pirin mountains, and on a clear day even the Aegean Sea is said to be visible; the German article adds the Greek regions of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace.
Curious facts about Snezhanka Tower
- The name Snezhanka means Snow White in German, and the tower stands on the peak that bears this name.
- The tower has two separate rings, like the Olympic Tower in Munich: a lower one for broadcasting equipment and a thinner upper one for visitors.
- Although the tower is 156 m tall, the mast top reaches about 2,082 m above sea level, because it stands on a peak of 1,926 m.
- The site was used for television and radio broadcasts as early as 1971, seven years before the tower opened.
- Pamporovo's snow cover typically lasts from mid-November to May, making the peak one of the snowiest spots in the region.
- The Bulgarian Tourist Union stamp for the Hundred National Tourist Sites is kept at the tower entrance.
Tours near Snezhanka Tower
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting Snezhanka Tower: what to expect
- The tower has a café and an observation deck in its upper ring; check the current opening hours and conditions before you go.
- Views cover the Rhodope, Rila and Pirin mountains and, on a clear day, even the Aegean Sea.
- The peak lies above the resort of Pamporovo; the mountain hut Studenets near the summit can be reached by several of the resort's lifts.
- Mountain weather changes quickly, with snow lying from mid-November to May, so check conditions and dress warmly even in summer.
- In the wider area the Belintash rock sanctuary, the Dyavolski most bridge and Bachkovo Monastery lie roughly 34 to 37 km away.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Snezhanka Tower is
Photos of Snezhanka Tower
Questions
What is Snezhanka Tower?
Snezhanka Tower is a 156-metre reinforced-concrete television tower near Pamporovo in the Rhodope Mountains. It carries broadcasting equipment and has an observation deck with a panoramic café.
Where is Snezhanka Tower and how high is it?
It stands on Snezhanka Peak, 1,926 m above sea level, above the resort of Pamporovo and about 15 km from Smolyan. The tower itself is 156 m tall.
When was Snezhanka Tower built?
Construction began in 1973 and the tower was completed and opened to the public in 1978. The site had already been used for broadcasting since 1971.
What can you see from Snezhanka Tower?
The view covers the Rhodope, Rila and Pirin mountains, and on a clear day even the Aegean Sea is said to be visible.
Is there a café on Snezhanka Tower?
Yes, the thinner upper ring of the tower holds a panoramic café and restaurant. Check the current opening hours before your visit.
What else is worth seeing near Snezhanka Tower?
Belintash, the Dyavolski most bridge and Bachkovo Monastery lie roughly 34 to 37 km away, and Asen's Fortress is about 42 km away.
Also nearby
Belintash
Asenovgrad · carved rock sanctuary with unsolved riddles
34 km away
Dyavolski Most (Devil's Bridge)
Ardino · stone bridge in a gorge and a deal with the Devil
36 km away
Bachkovo Monastery
Asenovgrad · Georgian-founded monastery with a 12th-century ossuary
37 km away
Asen's Fortress
Asenovgrad · rocky-ridge fortress with a medieval church
42 km away