Ski Resort Bansko

The town of Bansko is situated at the foot of Pirin Mountain 160 km south of Sofia, 140 km southwest of Plovdiv. People often label it the hottest ski resort in Bulgaria and for all we know they may be right. Let’s see why.

First off, the 75-km-long ski trail network located just above the town is the longest and the most impressive one in the country. It comprises 18 ski runs of various difficulty and a modern lift system that can carry up to 24 000 people an hour. It includes 8 chairlifts, 4 surface lifts and a gondola lift starting from Bansko. 
 
Apart from the thousands of ski and snowboard enthusiasts that visit the resort every season (November – April), once a year Bansko also welcomes the best professional skiers in the world. That’s right, the place hosts a round of the FIS World Cup.
 
However, skiing is not the only thing that makes Bansko a special place. During the snow-free months the area around the resort provides tourists with the chance to engage in a number of mountain-related activities such as climbing, trekking, and mountain biking. Bansko lies at the heart of Pirin National Park so virtually every hike through it begins from the resort. The most popular tourist route starting from Bansko is the one to Vihren (2914 m), the second highest peak on the territory of the country. The village of Banya with its 27 mineral springs is also not far away. 
 
In Bansko one will find all sorts of accommodation. The resort is dominated by fancy hotels and posh spa complexes but there are also many neat family hotels, inns, guest houses and villas that provide first-class comfort at very reasonable prices. The restaurants and live music taverns of Bansko are famous for the delicious local specialities they serve and the pubs, bars and night clubs take care of all the fun-seeking crowds of carefree holiday-makers. And why should they even worry when they have picked one of the most affordable ski resorts on the continent for their vacation?