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Bansko is the number 1 ski resort in Bulgaria and was recently proclaimed to be Europe’s fastest developing one, having the best and most modern ski centre of all Bulgarian ski resorts. Multi-million euros have been invested in the resort in the recent years in a brand new skiing area has been made by Yulen, the company which has the licence to run the skiing area of the resort. Bansko has the best snow record and the longest ski season (15 Dec - 15 May) of all Bulgarian ski resorts. During the last couple of years this resort is under a massive investment process with new hotels and resort facilities being under construction. A brand new resort area with super luxury hotels and holiday apartments is being developed just opposite the Gondola, which also makes Bansko the resort with the best hotels. Tucked away in the foot of Pirin Mountain the town of Bansko is a mesmerizing place for Bulgarian and foreign tourists all year round. Equally attractive during all four seasons, the town offers a variety of conditions for recreation and repose. Bansko is popular for its wonderful ski tourism opportunities combined with distinctive folklore and ancient Bulgarian architecture. Bansko was proclaimed the place of world natural heritage by UNESCO. Besides the beautiful Pirin Mountain and the numerous landmarks the town is abounding in its historical sights - there are about 120 monuments alone here. 1. Location Bansko is located in the southwest part of Bulgaria - 160 km away from Sofia. The geographical location of the town furthers the retention of the snow coverage from December to May and the alpine character of Pirin Mountain offers perfect opportunities for both professional and amateur ski sports practice. 2. Climate The average annual temperature is 9.1°C. The lowest values of the temperature are in the period of the months of December - January - February. The highest values are in the months of July and August. 3. Museums The unique combination of a well developed mountain resort and a living historical town turns it into an elegant place for entertainment. Virtually every house has its own story to tell, which indeed can turn your vacation into a journey to the Bulgarian traditions. The traditional Bansko taverns (called "Mehana"), with their exceptional charm and style offer local atmosphere by their cuisine and good selection of Bulgarian wines. Most of the local "Mehanas" even offer live folk music. Many local cafes and bars offer refreshments. Discos and night clubs work without time limit, and usually close early in the morning. Bansko is a very eclectic town where the old and new realities cohabit together. The museums in Bansko are part of the unforgettable world of the past times. They gather objects illustrating customs of the people - findings of the archeology and ethnography, ancient national costumes, books and manuscripts, original sacred images, wood carvings, etc. One of the most attractive sights of Bansko is the St. Trinity church. It was built in 1835 and it is one of the biggest churches (with three auditoriums) that were built on Bulgarian soil at that time. A 30 m high tower with a clock rises in the yard of the church. 4. Ski Bansko is known as a center of mountain and ski sports. There are modern ski utilities and newly constructed (cabin) ski-lift. There are runs in the resort for all categories of visitors - from beginners to masters. At their disposal is a good set of ski tows. The piste is safe and is excellently maintained. The snowboard lovers can enjoy the first on the Balkans fun park where people from all over the world are lead by the passion of the extreme. They can build jumps suiting their taste and abilities. Every day skiers and snowboarders can take part in the competitions on the new piste on Shiligarnika. The lifts and pistes operator in Bansko takes care for the maximum comfort of the skier and snowboarders with the exclusive 8-seats Gondola cable car by Dopplemayer, five 4- seat lifts of the latest Doppelmayer models, one 3-seat lift by Poma, 7 drags and 10 baby drags. The total length of the wire equipment in the resort is 26 kilometers. All ski equipment can be used by one chip-card from SkiData. Huge monitors showing pictures from the different pistes is based on the starting station of the Gondola. Thus people will have more information of the wind and temperature conditions before climbing up on the slope. Slalom and Giant slalom runs are available. Bansko offers a cross-country track with a total length of 5 km. A 3 km ski run Rollbahn track is situated 2 km far from the town. More about the ski runs and lifts in Bansko! A total of 56 km of ski runs are perfectly maintained through their treatment by 12 Kassbohrer snow-stamping machines. The ski season is guaranteed from December to May thanks to 30 «TechnoAlpin» artificial snow guns. Number Name Difficulty 1 Bansko Easy 2 Banderitza Easy 3 Plateau 1 Easy 4 Balkaniada Medium 5 Shiligarnik 1 Easy 6 Todorka Medium 7 Old Track Medium 8 Ulen Medium 9 Tomba Hard 10 Shiligarnik 2 Easy 11 Plateau 2 Medium 12 Strajite Medium 13 Chalin valog 1 Medium 14 Chalin valog 2 Medium
The altitude of the highest point of the ski center is 2560 m, the lowest - 1000 m. 80% of the tracks are equipped with artificial snow generating machines. This year the ski centår also offer s a wonderful 16 km long ski run equipped with artificial snow generating machines and lights. The track connects the high places of the resort with the town of Bansko. Bansko is candidate host of the winter Olympics. 5. Entertainment Bansko is a unique and distinctive small town of the Bulgarian national revival. Bansko is the center of the winter sports in southwest Bulgaria; in the summertime Bansko is the starting point of many tourist routes in Pirin Mountain. Walking down in the quiet streets of Bansko one can feel the calm coming from Pirin and embracing the whole town. The great number of small taverns, restaurants, discotheques and cafes turn the stay of each visitor of Bansko into an extraordinary and unforgettable experience. Local wine and cuisine could be tested in more than one hundred public places, mainly taverns. You could enjoy the performance of local singers and ensembles in many of the public places. The specific cuisine includes dishes like "kapama", "chomlek" and "banski staretz". Many popular performers from the country and abroad take part in the summer jazz festival held every year. Parallel entertainment itineraries during the festival offer the visitors sightseeing over the historical monuments of the town, heavenly nature and of course the tasting of the famous dishes and wines of Bansko. 6. Pirin Mountain The impressive sceneries, unique nature, originally glamorous settlements with their distinctive culture make Pirin Mountain one of the most attractive places for the tourists. Peak of Vihren is known among the tourists as the peak of the storms. It is the highest peak of the Pirin Mountain (2914 m) and the third highest on Balkan Peninsula. Seen from north Vihren looks like a truncated pyramid with an impressive vertical wall 420 m high in the foot of which lies the perpetual blanket of snow. If you love alpine type mountains - high rocky peaks, deep precipices with vertical walls, clear alpine lakes and streaming rivers you must visit Pirin! Many ancient cultures wielded the sceptre in Pirin region - the Thracian, the Roman, Byzantine, Slav and proto-Bulgarian. Remains of ancient settlements, fortresses and routes could still be seen here. Local people often uncover pieces of ancient objects during the ploughing. Invaluable traces of Bulgarian national revival age can be seen in the architectural reserves of Melnik, Bansko, Kovachevtzi and Dolen as well as in the numerous churches and monasteries (including one of the best known monasteries in Bulgaria - the Rila monastery) spread all over the region. Each settlement in Pirin region has its own jealously kept traditions and its own folk ensemble. The nature gathered in Pirin more than a half of Bulgarian flora and fauna. White fir, edelweiss and wild goats can be seen here. The extraordinary variety of species (more than 1100 species of plants, 102 species of birds and 42 species of mammals) turns Pirin into an invaluable place in scientific aspect. The following kinds of tourism are practiced in the territory of the park: - village tourism; - eco tourism; - photo tourism; - cognitive tourism; - pedestrian tourism; - cruising holiday; - horse riding tourism; - mountain cycling; Pirin is an invaluable place for the tourist in the summertime and in the winter it turns into paradise for the skiers. The snow blanket stays from late autumn till late springtime and attracts skiers from all over the world. Excellent ski runs, cool wind and sparkling sun are part of the fascinating experience called Pirin. |
