Bansko Resort

Bansko provides an interesting combination between the virgin nature of Pirin Mountain and the atmosphere of the ancient Bulgarian small town. It is situated in Southwestern Bulgaria, at the foothills of one of the most beautiful Bulgarian mountains - Pirin, which is a national preserve, included in the WORLD NATURAL HERITAGE list. Bansko is the newest Bulgarian winter resort , recently discovered by the foreign tourists and the most rapidly developing mountain destination in Bulgaria. The distance from Sofia to Bansko is 160 km and is connected to the remaining parts of the country by bus and railway transport. . The skiing conditions in Bansko are excellent. The Pirin mountain has a predominately Alpine character with three peaks towering above 2900 m. However the slopes offer runs and tracks for all types of skiers, from novice to the experts, while the ski runs are maintained in excellent condition. The town itself attracts visitors by its 120 cultural monuments, its museums houses, and the permanent ethnographic and Bansko school of icon painting exhibitions. The region is also famous for its cuisine and colourful folklore and offers various entertainment opportunities. Many visitors to Bansko are so taken with the place that they find it hard to leave!

The Bansko ski school offers skiing classes at five levels of difficulty: from A to E - in groups or individually. Tuition is available in cross-country skiing at two levels of difficulty. All graduates receive skiing certificates. It is the only one of the country's three major skiing centres which offers a lively, traditional town as well as a ski resort. Bansko offers a wide variety of choices, such as old-style pubs and taverns, restaurants, disco clubs, coffee shops and Internet cafes in the old town. Even in the low season, just before winter, the town's bars and restaurants bustle with local people in an infectious atmosphere of conviviality and merriment!

The slopes offer runs and tracks for all grades of skiers, from novice to expert, and are maintained in excellent condition. A new 8-passenger gondola has just been completed (ceremonial opening date 13 December 2003), to complement the chair lifts and ski drags, along with new snow guns. Indeed, the First Investment Bank has just pumped $14 million into the amenities here. 

 
The average temperature during January, the coldest month, is -1.9°C. Snow falls are abundant, providing a constant winter snow cover up to 2 metres thick. The skiing season lasts from mid-December to mid-April.

In the winter of both 2001 and 2002 the number of foreign holidaymakers was 14,000. By early November 2003 all hotel rooms were booked for the entire winter, and the number of tourists was in excess of 45,000! 
 
Of course, Bansko is ideal not only for winter holidays. Summer is warm and pleasant among this beautiful scenery, with temperatures of 25°C. The summer season lasts from June to October. During July and August it is warm enough to sleep outside, even up in the mountains. Here is the domain of the highest peaks, the venerable white firs, the edelweiss and the wild goats. Here are more than 180 lakes, where Nature has gathered half of Bulgaria's flora and fauna. The fishing is superb, and the trout are delicious, thanks to zero pollution. The sheer mountain faces, the high altitude slopes and vast lands are an excellent place for mountaineering, trekking and strolling. Spring and autumn are short, being May and November respectively.
 
The region is famous for its cuisine and colourful folklore, and offers many and varied entertainment opportunities. The town itself attracts visitors by its cultural monuments and museums, and the permanent ethnographic and Bansko schlool of icon painting exhibitions.