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Resort Guide

Suitability	Resort height: 936m
Families:		[Yes]
Glacier:		[No]
Beginners:		[4]
Intermediates:		[4]
Advanced:		[3]
Snowboarding:		[4]

Bansko, in south western Bulgaria, could be described as “Bulgaria’s Whistler” because it has developed almost from nowhere in terms of the world skiing map over a period of just a few years since 2000. Based on a bustling and largely unspoilt old town next to a National Park that is rated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the first thing that the resort’s managers did was bring in the world’s leading ski lift manufacturer, Doppelmayr, who built a long modern gondola that linked the existing little ski area direct to the town – previously a long drive away on a windy road. This brought the ski slopes and the resort together, creating an excellent long run back down to Bansko as a result. At the same time the ski area itself had a complete overhaul with state-of-the-art modern lifts installed and the quality of the ski runs greatly enhanced. That was all just a few short years ago and ever since Bansko has been adding high quality accommodation and other leisure facilities to round off the complete holiday destination for the 21st century.

Today Bansko offers a very modern ski area and an equally up-to-date resort but with the unique assets of the genuine old town with its century old houses and cobbled streets and the stunning beauty of the UNESCO World Heritage site Pirin National Park all thrown in to the mix!

Beginners

Beginners will get the most from Bansko’s ski area with easy to ride high speed lifts all over the mountain and a highly regarded ski school with fluent English speaking instruction. The best idea is usually to book a tuition and equipment inclusive package deal through us (this can cost half the equivalent package in the Alps or North America). One of Bansko’s great assets, snow permitting, is the 16km (10 mile) long ski road back to the resort which most beginners will be able to tackle by the end of the week. Few other resorts anywhere offer anything comparable.

Intermediates

With more than 60km (40 miles) of runs to explore most intermediate ability skiers will find enough to entertain them for a week at least, especially with the vast majority of trails graded red and a hands-free lift ticket system to ease your way around the mountain. Highly rated trails include ‘The plateau’ which is regarded as one of the most scenic. Night skiing is offered twice a week on 16km (10 miles) of floodlit trails.

Advanced

Opportunities for advanced skiers are rather more limited, with one black run named after Italian ski star Alberto Tomba who is frequently in town at promotional events. Other famous skiers including Franz Klammer, Rosi Mittermaier and Marc Giardelli have all been flown in to endorse the slope! However off piste touring is popular and there is also a heliski operation, both of which can take you to virgin powder fields when the snow is fresh.

Snowboarding

Bansko has built a reputation as a leading destination for boarders, partly fuelled by low cost lodging, lift tickets and après ski, but essentially aided by the normally high quality terrain park which has already staged events on the European Snowboarding Cup calendar. Having easy to use, high speed gondola and chairlifts rather than tricky T bars to ascend back up the slopes is another strong point for boarders.

Other Activities and Facilities

There is an open air ice rink and alternative winter sport options include snowmobiling, snow shoeing and ice fishing. In the old town there are plenty of shops and some historical landmarks such as the famous local church of St Trinity.

Many of the accommodations in Bansko have sport and leisure facilities that are open, for a fee, to guests at other hotels in the resort. There are lots of excellent swimming pools and the Hotel Strazhite has a six lane ten-pin bowling alley.

Biathlon – the sport which combines cross country skiing and target shooting – is big in Bansko, which staged the European Championships of the sport in 2007. Paragliding is also available, skiing from just beneath The Todorka peak and – if conditions are right – landing right back by the resort.

Après Ski and Dining Out

A major après ski venue is Happy End which has good food, wine and dancing as soon as the lifts close. The party spirit is helped along by a live band at least once a week. Live acts are popular in Bansko and the resort flies in acts from around Europe to perform including Leo Sayer, Fish, Roy Wood, Boney M and Bonnie Tyler.

For dining out there are more than 100 traditional tavernas to visit, many employing traditional musicians (Bansko is particularly famed for its male singing). The local Plovdiv wine flows in abundance and don’t forget to try some traditional Bulgarian cuisine, especially the local sausage, appetizingly nicknamed ‘Old Man’.

Families

Bansko has high quality childcare options with kids three to six year old able to sign up for the non-ski kindergarten which is well placed close to the gondola base station. Children aged four to seven can join the Junior Club which has its own ski kindergarten that incorporates first class facilities including three drag lifts, conveyor carpet lifts and a ski carousel. Children aged seven to 12 have special ski school classes. Off the slopes there are lots of family friendly activities such as swimming, skating and bowling which, along with affordable dining and quality accommodation, make Bansko a good choice for most families.

Piste Map for Bansko

Accommodation in Bansko

• Antilia Apartments - 3 star, bed & breakfast
• Antilia Apartments - 3 star, bed & breakfast
• Banderitsa Hotel - 3 star, half board
• Eagles Nest Apartments - 3 star, bed & breakfast
• Eagles Nest Apartments - 3 star, bed & breakfast
• Eagles Nest Apartments - 3 star, bed & breakfast
• Gd Montana & Belmont - 4 star, bed & breakfast
• Grand Montana Apartments - 4 star, bed & breakfast
• Grand Montana Apartments - 4 star, bed & breakfast
• Grand Montana Studio - 4 star, bed & breakfast
• Guinness Apartments - 5 star, bed & breakfast
• Guinness Studio - 5 star, bed & breakfast
• Hotel Banderitsa - 3 star, half board
• Hotel Bansko - 4 star, half board
• Hotel Bansko Spa - 4 star, half board
• Hotel Bisev - 3 star, half board
• Hotel Bulgaria - 4 star, half board
• Hotel Elionore - 3 star, half board
• Hotel Emerald - 4 star, half board
• Hotel Katarino - 4 star, half board
• Hotel Lion - 4 star, half board
• Hotel Lion - 4 star, half board
• Hotel Lion - 4 star, half board
• Hotel Lion - 4 star, half board
• Hotel Lion Bansko - 4 star, half board
• Hotel Mura - 3 star, half board
• Hotel Mura - 3 star, bed & breakfast
• Hotel Orphey - 4 star, half board
• Hotel Perun - 4 star, half board
• Hotel Perun - 4 star, half board
• Hotel Pirin - 4 star, half board
• Hotel Pirin - 4 star, half board
• Hotel Razlog - 3 star, half board
• Hotel Strazhite - 4 star, half board
• Hotel Strazhite - 4 star, half board
• Hotel Tamplier - 4 star, half board
• Hotel Tanne - 4 star, bed & breakfast
• Hotel Tanne - 4 star, half board
• Katarino - 4 star, half board
• Katarino - 4 star, half board
• Kempinski Arena - 4 star, half board
• Kempinski Grand Arena - 5 star, bed & breakfast
• Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena - 5 star, half board
• Lucky Bansko - 4 star, half board
• Lucky Bansko - 4 star, bed & breakfast
• Lucky Bansko Deluxe - 4 star, bed & breakfast
• Lucky Bansko Studio - 4 star, bed & breakfast
• Mountain Paradise - 3 star, self catering
• Mountain Paradise By The Lift - 4 star, half board
• Mountain Paradise Studio - 3 star, self catering
• Mountain Residence 1 - 3 star, self catering
• Mountain Residence 1 - 3 star, self catering
• Mountain Residence 4 - 3 star, self catering
• Mountain Residence 4 - 3 star, self catering
• Mountain Residence 4 Studio - 3 star, self catering
• Narcis Apartments - 4 star, self catering
• Narcis Apartments - 4 star, self catering
• Narcis Studio Apartments - 4 star, self catering
• Perun Bulgaria - 4 star, half board
• Perun Bulgaria - 4 star, half board
• St. Ivan Rilski Apartments - 4 star, half board
• St. Ivan Rilski Hotel - 4 star, half board
• The Grand Arena - 5 star, half board
• Vihren Palace - 4 star, half board
• Vihren Palace - 4 star, half board
• Vihren Palace Studio - 4 star, half board

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