The newest Bulgarian winter resort, recently discovered by the foreign tourists. Bansko provides an interesting combination between the virgin nature of Pirin Mountain and the atmosphere of the ancient Bulgarian small town.

Bansko ski resort is situated in Southwestern Bulgaria, at the foothills of one of the most beautiful Bulgarian mountains - Pirin, which is a national preserve, included in the WORLD NATURAL HERITAGE list. The distance from Sofia to Bansko is 160 km.

The skiing conditions in Bansko are excellent. The Pirin mountain has a predonantly Alpine charachter with three peaks towering above 2900 m. However the slopes offer runs and tracks for all types of skiers, from novice to the experts, while the ski runs are maintained in excellent condition. The town itself attracts visitors by its 120 cultural monuments, its museums houses, and the permanent ethnographic and Bansko schlool of icon painting exhibitions.

A very interesting sight is the HOLY TRINITY church with its 30 m high bell tower and clock, splending murals and woodcarvings. The region is famous for its cuisine and colorful folklore and offers various entertainment opportunities.

Surrounded by Pirin, Rila and Rhodopa mountains, Bansko is a climatic mountain resort with a short summer and long winter. The average temperature during january, the coldest month, is -1.9C. Snow falls are abudant, providing a constant winter snow cover up to 2 m thick. The skiing season along the Pirin slopes starts in the middle of December and ends in mid-April.

The two major ski regions of Bansko - the lower called CHALIN VALOG (1100-1600m) and the higher called SHILIGARNIKA (1700-2500m) - are situated above the town, on the nothern slopes of Pirin mountain. Slalom and grand slalom runs are available in the SHILIGARNIKA region. The third ski region is BANDERISHKA POLIANA. The most suitable nursery slopes are around MOTIKATA restaurant, a short distance from the town of Bansko. Nursery slopes are also available in the region of CHALIN VALOG and SHILIGARNIKA. Bansko offers a cross-country track with a total lenght of 5 km. at a height of 1530 m above sea level at the BANDERISHKA POLIANA slope. A 3 km ski-run Rollbahn track is situated 2 km from the town at 1050 m above the sea level.

The Bansko ski school offers skiing classes in 5 different difficulty levels, from A to E - in groups or individually of varying duration. The tuition in cross-country skiing is in 2 classes of difficulty. All graduates receive skiing certificates.

Pictures:

Mountain peaks in Bansko
View from the top of the mountains
Map of the ski areas

Some very useful links: www.hotmail.com, www.yahoo.com, www.gbg.bg, www.bulgaria.com, www.google.com, www.altavista.com, www.lycos.nl, www.bg/museum/museum.htm, museum.web.bg, www.goldensands.bg, www.travel-bulgaria.com/riviera, www.travel-bulgaria.com/bata, www.milena.bg, www.terrabulgaria.nl, www.online.bg, www.dir.bg, www.winebg.com, www.econ.bg, www.bba.bg, www.bgtextiles.org, www.pirin-sings.com, www.meteo.bg, www.goglobal-travel.com, www.dimeca.netbg.com, www.stoep.dordt.nl