Pamporovo · Rhodope Mountains
A warm mountain home, with room for the whole family.
There is something about top-floor homes that has always appealed to us.
Perhaps it is the view. Perhaps the light. Or simply the feeling that there is nothing above you and the sense of space seems to continue beyond the walls.
When we found this apartment in Pamporovo, that was one of the first things that won us over. Like Aquamarine Garden Beach, it is a duplex — set on the top floor, arranged over two levels, with a terrace on each.
But Astralis had another very important advantage — easy access.
Grand Monastery is built into a mountain slope, with its buildings following the natural terrain in an almost amphitheatre-like arrangement. This creates beautiful views, but it also means that convenient access to every property cannot be taken for granted.
Astralis, however, is reached by lift almost directly to the apartment entrance.
That mattered to us. You get the calm, the view and the sense of space that come with being high up on the top floor, without giving up convenience — something you truly appreciate when travelling with small children, luggage or winter equipment.
The location completes the picture. The ski slopes are very close, and the children’s sledging area is only around 50 metres from the building.
In Astralis, we found exactly the combination we had searched for so many times ourselves as a family —
the mountains right beside you, without your holiday having to begin with a compromise on comfort.
A private double bedroom for restful nights after a day in the mountains. The apartment’s heating, supplied bed linen and welcoming atmosphere make it easy to slow down and switch off.
Two single beds offer a comfortable arrangement for children or friends sharing the mountain getaway. They are shown together in the photograph. A separate bedroom means everyone has a space of their own within the penthouse.
When we began the renovation, we were not looking for showy luxury.
We wanted to create a warm, cosy and functional mountain home where a family could genuinely relax.
Our own experience as parents helped shape many of the decisions. We remembered the years when our children were small — the luggage, the winter clothes, the tiredness after travelling and the constant choice between somewhere that felt pleasant for the adults and somewhere that actually worked well for a family with children.
With Astralis, we did not want anyone to have to choose.
We changed the layout so that the two floors would each have their own purpose. On the upper level, we created a spacious and peaceful bedroom for the parents. On the first floor, we created a separate space for the children and a more practical connection between the bedroom, kitchen and living room.
We wanted the shared living area to become the heart of the home.
We created a comfortable seating area in front of the fireplace — somewhere to gather after a day outside. The TV corner was designed to feel completely different from a standard hotel interior: a wooden feature with old photographs of skiers and places from the region, bringing a little of the history and character of the Rhodope Mountains into the home.
We used decorative finishes throughout the apartment, but not the same ones everywhere. We wanted each room to have its own mood while still feeling part of one coherent home.
In the parents’ bedroom, we chose a warm floor with a pronounced natural wood texture, which immediately softens the room and makes it feel calmer and more inviting.
And then the internal staircase between the two floors became something quite unexpected.
While looking for a solution for the staircase lighting, we decided to use a decorative finish with a phosphorescent effect. During the day, it is simply part of the interior.
But when the lights go out in the evening, the walls begin to glow softly.
For a moment, it feels as though you are moving among the stars — somewhere along the Milky Way.
And that was when the name came naturally.
Astralis.
We did not go looking for a name for the home.
The home suggested it to us.
Come together for dinner, put your feet up by the fireplace, or plan tomorrow’s adventures. The living room includes a sofa bed and television, while the kitchen is equipped for everything from morning coffee to an evening meal.
A shower bathroom and an additional toilet serve the two-level apartment.
Step outside for fresh mountain air and views of the surrounding landscape. Outdoor furniture gives you a place to enjoy a quiet coffee between the day’s adventures.
Astralis is one of those places that does not try to impress you with extravagance.
It simply makes you feel good.
We love the way the atmosphere changes throughout the day — the light and the view from the top floor, the quiet when you return from the slopes, and that pleasant feeling in the evening when there is nowhere else you need to be.
We especially love the time spent around the fireplace.
After a full day outside, you sit down, warm up and the day gradually slows. Someone stays by the fire, someone else goes upstairs, the children have their own space, and before long everyone comes together again.
That is one of the things we value most about Astralis —
you can be together without everyone having to be in the same place all the time.
And then there are the little details that, over time, become inseparable from the home itself.
The view from the terrace.
Coming back into the warmth after the snow.
An evening by the fireplace.
The children knowing that the sledges are waiting almost outside the building.
And that moment when you switch off the staircase lights and the stars appear on the walls.
Perhaps that is why Astralis feels so close to us.
It was created from the memory of what we ourselves were looking for when travelling with small children —
a place that works for them, feels good for us, and where no one has to compromise in order for the whole family to relax.
Not simply an apartment close to the slopes.
A warm mountain home where a winter holiday has every chance of becoming a family tradition.
Studenets, Pamporovo, Bulgaria. In the Grand Monastery complex, close to the ski slopes.
Ski school and ski storage are available locally with separate charges.
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Your place to discover. Your place to make your own. Your place to return to.
