Bansko

Bansko, a World National Heritage Site, is an attractive medieval town sitting between the Rila & Pirin mountains, and is widely considered to be the best development in Eastern Europe. It has rapidly become the most dynamic, forward thinking winter & summer holiday destination Bulgaria has to offer.

Bansko offers a wide range of evening entertainment, including many family run mehanas, lots of lively places to drink that stay open into the early hours, 10-pin bowling at the Hotel Strazhite, pool, local bands, etc.

The long ski season, from mid-December until April, and many millions of Euros from the European Community for both infrastructure and municipality development, place Bansko in a very enviable position to attract foreign visitors wishing to enjoy themselves on their economical and fun-filled holidays.

The brand new Doppelmayer ski-lift system takes skiers to 65kms of well groomed slopes, as well as off-piste powderfields and a half-pipe. The final 7kms of piste are floodlit for night skiing.

Outside of the winter months, Bansko offers many other attractions, including the Bansko Jazz Festival, mountain biking, white water rafting, hiking, an Ian Woosnam-designed 18 hole golf course, Paintballing and many other local excursions.

Bansko is one of the world's cheapest ski resorts, even with a 5 star & many 4 star hotels. By shopping around and eating at the local's 'watering holes', visitors can enjoy a mixed shashlik (typically chicken, pork, veal & vegetables) a meal for 2 for 20-23 levs, a gluhwein at the gondola station for 7 levs, a 500ml Pirinsko beer for 2-4 levs, Pancakes by roadside for 3-4 levs and Wymehcko Premium Bottled Beer (a Carlsberg-owned brewery) for 4 levs.

* prices correct as of Feb. 2010