Orbel Development AD, the company to build and complete the Dobrinishte Ski Zone project, hailed on October 18 in Dobrinishte the start of the project, Dnevnik business daily reported on October 19 2007.

The company, a joint venture between Austria's Norema tourist holding and Bulgarian developer Galchev Engineering Group, had procured all regulatory nods.

Orbel has been registered as a company as of September 26 2007.

The ski zone was to cover 2000 hectares, where ski runs and adjoining facilities would have an aggregate length of 22 500 m. The multi-seat cabin lift, to interconnect Dobrinishte and Gotse Delchev hut, would be 6 km long.

About 13 000 m of the ski runs and facilities would traverse state property and another 9 000 m – municipal property. The new ski runs would be 19 km long and the existing ones about 6 800 m. The complex would also have 39 km in tourist tracks and create opportunities for biking and other types of tourism.

The cabin lift and the skiing infrastructure alone were said to need 40 million euros in investments, the statement reads.
On completion, the hotel complex was set to have 10000 bed capacity.