Against a backdrop of the UNESCO protected Pirin National Park, Bansko offers top notch skiing and superb hiking in summer.
Bansko is situated at the foot of the majestic Pirin Mountains and sits at an altitude of 950 metres.
The town has a population of about 12,000 inhabitants.
Bansko has been known for years for its reliable snow falls which normally allows for a December to April ski season. The key winter period from December through to the beginning of April averaged 183,000 visitors a month with a growth rate of 19% on 2003. This is expected to increase by 16% in 2005/6. Millions of euros in developmental infrastructure continue to be poured into the area as the government targets tourism growth as a key objective.
Location: 90 miles south of the Capital city Sofia.
Climate: Short summers and long snowy winters. Snow is often over two metres thick between December and April and often lasts well into May.
Travel time: Three hour flight from the UK and two hour drive from Sofia.
Skiing: Nestled at the base of Mt Vihren (2,914m) the area has Bulgaria's most consistent skiing. Above the town on the northern slopes of Pirin are located the two main ski-centres: The low altitude Chalin Valog (1100-1600m); The high altitude Shiligarnika (1700-2500).
Other activities: 17 hot pools and mud baths within 20 minutes drive of the town. Summer hiking and mountain biking
Development: While €110 million has been spent on ski infrastructure in the last two years;
there is plenty more development on the way: Three new chairlifts and eight person gondola planned for 2005/6 season;
Several 5* hotels in progress;
New border crossing with Greece opening up the area;
Luxury 18 hole golf course designed by Ian Woosnam to be completed by 2007;

The area is a UNESCO world heritage site, thus Bansko is prevented from overdevelopment. The Sofia-Bansko road is been upgraded to dual carriage way and is expected to be completed by late 2006. This will reduce the travel time by around 40%.

Bansko property investment

Pictures from Bansko:

Ski run map of Bansko: