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Location:
Bansko is located in the Pirin Mountain, 925 m above sea level. It is 150 km away from Sofia, 150 km away from Plovdiv and 60 km away from Blagoevgrad. Winter resort : Cuddled at the foot of the iconic peak Vihren (2914 m), Bansko is one of the most popular ski resorts in Bulgaria. The mountain slopes are covered with snow from the month of December till the month of April. The mountainsides are steep - alpine type. The ski tracks of the resort rise from 1100 up to 2500 meters. The main ski track in Bansko is called Chiligarnika. It is equipped with all modern facilities to ensure first class service. Bansko has 7 ski lifts and 9 rope-lines. There is even a half-pipe track for for the snowboarders. For maintaining the supreme quality of the ski tracks snow cannons are used, but only in the rare moments when the snow is late. The difference with Borovets and Pamporovo is that hotels here are not positioned around or near the tracks. But Bansko attracts followers with his combination of authenticity and the rural experience of high mountains. This little town has not succumbed to the gigantism and still retains the charm of a town-museum. Visitors will discover ancient architecture and original, authentic folklore, customs preserved, but also a regional cuisine that must not to be neglected. Population : The town has a population of 8 600 inhabitants. History : Bansko has developed as a settlement during the 9-10th century at a place that was inhabited by representatives of different cultures during the different eras – Thracians, Romans, Byzantines and Slavs. Till the 18th century, its inhabitants were mainly stock breeders and craftsmen, who relied on the spacious pastures and forests. During the Bulgarian National Revival, Bansko became one of the most significant commercial and craftsman’s centres in the region, whose goods had a large market in the country and abroad. The encounter with European culture had a high impact on the spiritual and material progress of the inhabitants of the mountainous town – their lifestyle, architecture and way of living changed. An important fragment from the town history is the activity of Bansko municipality, which, during the 19th century, struggled against the Greek Church authorities for the independence of the Bulgarian church and the development of education. Landmarks : The city is one of the most popular Bulgarian winter resorts and combines history, tradition and culture. Each visitor can find ancient architecture, authentic folklore, preserved customs and specific cuisine here.
In the region of Bansko one can also visit a church from the 5th century in “St. Nicholas” place, the fortress Kalyata from the late Antiquity, an early Christian basilica in Shipotsko place and others. Another interesting landmark is the pre-historical museum in the village of Eleshnitsa with materials from the V² sanctuary B.C. The town of Dobrinishte, famous for its 17 mineral springs, with water temperature between 30 and 43° Ñ, is located 6 km south from Bansko. The town is a starting point for the huts "Gotse Delchev", "Mocharata" and the ski centre "Bezbog". Traditions : Bansko is famous for its numerous interesting festivals and gatherings: The holidays of tradition in Bansko are organized from 17 till 24th of May and they represent ethnographic, furniture, art, culinary and other exhibitions, thematic evenings, dedicated to the humour in Bansko, songs, national dances, reproductions of customs and traditions. The festival "In the midst of three mountains" takes place at the same time. More than 300 dance and singing groups for authentic folklore from the region take part in this event. The summer jazz festival is organized in August at an open stage on the square in Bansko. It is attended by popular musicians from the country and abroad. The "Pirin sings" gathering takes place at "Predela" place in august every two years. Amateur singers, dancers and musicians from the Pirin region of Macedonia take part in it, who perform local songs in the two-part singing style, characteristic for Pirin, where the melody is sung (led) by one singer, while the second part is added to it by the other singers. There is no instrument accompaniment, besides the rare cases of bagpipe or mandolin for the choir songs. The authentic cuisine in Bansko, which is offered in the folk-style taverns and restaurants in the town, is very original with its variety of home-made dishes with names that are peculiar for Bulgaria. In Bansko and the region there are competitions in ski and alpine disciplines, ski running, biathlon and snowboard, a National Contest for ice sculptures "Fire and ice", a football contest, etc. A large part of the tourists that visit the Pirin Mountain pass through the town. The ski centres Chalin valog and Shiligarnika (one of the largest ski centres in Bulgaria), the huts "Demyanitsa", "Banderitsa” and “Vihren”, as well as the highest mount of Pirin - Vihren (2914 m) are located nearby. |
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