General Information

The town of Bansko is one of the most picturesque places on the Balkan Peninsula. Situated in the attractive valley of the Mesta River it is a crossroads of the most beautiful Bulgarian mountains – Pirin, Rila and the Rodophes. It is located in the south-eastern part of Bulgaria and about 160km from Sofia. Its population is a bit more than 9000 people. Situated at the foot of the three mountains with numerous rivers, lush meadows and giant forests, Bansko attracts many tourists with its original landscape. Close to the town is the beautiful National Park Pirin which offers scenic natural landscapes and is famous for its rich flora and fauna.

During the last 10 years, Bansko has proven itself an all-year resort and as 4th most popular winter center in Bulgaria. It is a unique attraction, with international touristic significance.

Besides the beautiful Pirin and the many natural sights the town also offers historical riches. It is famous for its originality, culture and its architecture dated from the Bulgarian national revival. The visitors can see the typical fortified houses of Bansko which were the safest place in the entire defense system of Bansko during XVIII – XIX c. The guests of this mountain town are always amazed by the spirit of the citizens of Bansko.

Bansko and its vicinity offer a wide range of accommodation options including hotels, guest houses, apartments and villas. A number of new hotels and guest houses were built in the last few years making it possible for visitors to Bansko and the region to enjoy their holiday. A number of privately owned villas and apartments also became available for rent directly from the owners. Please make sure that you check our listings of rental guest houses, villas, apartments and hotels in Bansko.

 

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Sights

The National Park Pirin was declared as area of national significance in 1983. It is included in the list of national parks and preserves of the UN as well as in the list of the cultural and natural sights of UNESCO. The park is an area of 274 square kilometers and spreads all over the biggest park of the Pirin Mountains. It is situated close to Bansko offering a picturesque natural landscape of lakes, waterfalls, caves, age-old trees. It is famous for its rich flora and fauna, including protected or rare plants and animals. A typical protected plant is the edelweiss which has become a symbol of the Pirin Mountains. Overall the park hosts about 60 protected plants, of a total number of 126 protected species in Bulgaria. All bat species are protected ,12 of them are rare bats. Five mammal species are included in the Red book of Bulgaria. Two of them are the brown bear and the wild goat.

There are more than 130 architectural historical cultural monuments in the municipality, 7 of which have national significance. More than 100 architectural objects are registered. The town offers one of the best and well functioning museum networks in Bulgaria.

You can visit:

• A house museum ´Nikola Vapcarov´ which is the home of Nikola Vapcarov. He was a great poet and revolutionary;
• The ´Velianovata´ house – a fort house which is a typical example of Bansk´’s architecture dated from the time of the Renaissance;
• The ´Radonovata´ house which is a historical museum;
• The ´Beninata´ house which is a museum devoted to Neofit Rilski. He was a patriarch of the Bulgarian education and the first Bulgarian encyclopaedist;
• The hall of arts;
• The icon exhibition ´The arts school of Bansko´;
• An ethnographic exhibition-bazaar;
• The monument of Paisii Hilendarski who wrote the first Bulgarian history book – ´Istoria Slavianobalgarska´;
• Historical museum in the Eleshnica village which is rich of finds dated from the Neolith (VI – IV millennium b. c.), etc.

History

Bansko was formed as a settlement in XI – X c. through the grouping of several neighborhoods. The area was inhabited by Thracians, Romans, Byzantines and Slavs. The remains of antique fortresses, Thracians funeral hills, medieval inhabitants, consecrated grounds, churches and chapels in the town prove its existence in several epochs. There are remains of antique fortresses in the area of the Old town in about 4km south east of the town and in the Iulen area (along the Damianica River). Thracian funeral hills are found near the Old town. It is suggested ´thjat´, the medieval settlement, was in the St. Trinity area. The remains of the Late-Medieval churches ´St. Georgi´ and ´St. Ilia´ are situated south east of Bansko. Bansko has proven as a fortress of the Bulgarian national spirit. The settlement had a limited self-government during the time of Ottoman rule. The citizens of Bansko participated actively in the Kresnensko-Razlojkoto rebellion in 1978-1879 and the Ilendensko-Preoprajenskoto rebellion in 1903. Here every house was a fort; every family gave a son or a grandson in the name of freedom.

 

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Entertainment

Here are held:

• Days devoted to Pirin;
• The folklore festival ´Between three mountains´;
• The traditional festivities of Bansko;
• The international jazz festival which started in 1997 on open air stage in the center of the town;
• The international festival of the Bulgarian authors song ´Pirinfolk Bansko´. A tradition is visitors from the Balkan peninsula to join the competition;
• The international festival of the alpinist movie;
• The ´Poets with guitar´ concert and recital devoted to Nikola Vapcarov.

You can enjoy:

• A wonderful walk in the mazes of the Pirin Mountains by riding a horse. This will give you the opportunity to see the beautiful green meadows and pastures, the unbelievable rock formations and the mighty ancient coniferous forests;
• An organized group walk in the park ´Pirin´;
• Horseback riding; or for children pony riding
• Private and group horseback riding lessons;
• Barbecue rest areas
• The relaxing mineral bath in the near villages Bania and Dobrinishte which are situated in the valley of the Mesta River. The river is well known for its mineral springs;
• Local culinary specialties from Bansko´s cuisine;
• Exciting night amusements.

 

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Sports

The resort offers:

• Nordic Walking in the area around Bansko;
• A horseback riding for different levels of experience;
• Mineral baths and swimming;
• A few ski schools with experienced instructors which work in the summer as tourist group guides;
• A center for mountain and ski sports, including various ski lifts and pistes, and rentals of modern ski equipment.

The ski zone in Bansko offers:

• High quality ski tracks, with a total length of 56km. A long season, from December to May is guaranteed, thanks to artificial snow provided by 30 TechnoAlpin snow canons,
• The main area for skiing is called ´Shiligarnika´. It is on 1700-2500m altitude and is 12km away from Bansko. You can get there by car or by a bus,
• Another ski-zone is the ´Chalin´ hollow which is on 1100-1600m altitude and 6km away from Bansko. It offers tracks for advanced skiers as well as for beginners.

Competitions and contests:

• National contest for ice sculptures ´Fire and ice´,
• A national snowboard championship,
• Ski – alpine events,
• The ´Pirin´ cup for ski running,
• A national biathlon championship;
• A European tournament in arm wrestling,
• Football tournaments.