Bansko
LOCATION
Bansko is concidered to be the most attractive place for the tourists in southwestern Bulgaria. The town (population 10,127) is a main administrative, cultural and economic centre in the County of Bansko. It is located 161 km south of the capital Sofia and 59 km South East of Blagoevgrad. Bansko is famous as the entrance to the beautiful Pirin Mountain range. Bansko is one of the fastest growing Bulgarian winter tourist resorts with an ever increasing level of summer tourism as well. Tourists visiting the town come from a wide variety of countries including the UK, Holland, America, Greece, Russia, and Germany. Bansko is also a great favourite with other Bulgarians, particularly those from the Capital Sofia, who visit at the weekends and during main holidays.
The town of Bansko is situated at an altitude of 936 m above sea level at the foothills of one of the most beautiful Bulgarian mountains - Pirin, which is a national preserve, included in the WORLD NATURAL HERITAGE list. Ski-resort of national significance, much visited also in summer as a starting point for excursions in the mountain.
Surrounded by the Pirin, Rila and Rhodopi mountains, Bansko is a climatic mountain resort with a short hot summer and long mild winter. The average temperature during January, the coldest month, is - 1.9АC. Snow falls are abundant, 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. Bansko is very close to another resorts which are located in Banya, Razlog and Dobrinishte, only 10 km away from the town of Bansko.
HISTORY
Legends
There are several legends about who founded Bansko. According to one of them, Bansko was founded by people who lived in Dobarsko, a village in Rila, itself according to a legend founded by the blinded army of Tsar Samuil. Coat of arms of BanskoAnother legend claims that Bansko was founded by an Italian painter by the name of Ciociolino, thus the existense of the name Chucholin in Bansko. Still according to another legend it was a Slavic tribe called the Peruns, who lived in Pirin and worshiped Perun, that founded the village later to become a town. There are a number of ethnographic texts, legends, prayers and oratories, which lend credence to this legend.
History
There are several housing structures at the outskirts of the town, which date to 100 BC. However, there is no consensus nor credible theory on who these people were.Until 5th October 1912, Bansko was a part of the Ottoman Empire, but enjoyed a quasi self-rule autonomy granted by the sultan. The town was ruled by an assembly of the elders, while justice was administered by the Turkish judge in Razlog. It was incorporated in Bulgaria in 1912 as a result of the First Balkan War.
Bansko Bulgarian Municipality is a public organisation of local self-government in the village of Bansko (today a town), established circa 1850. The Bansko Bulgarian Municipality is a continuation of the all-village community council founded in 1833 by Lazar German for raising funds, materials and labour force for the construction and iconography of the Sveta Troitsa church, which was consecrated in 1835. Prominent merchants and craftsmen were elected to serve as village council elders. The Council’s activity during the 60-70s mainly consisted in fighting off Greek church authorities in order to gain independence for the Bulgarian church and set the ground for development of educational and cultural activities in the village. By the Council’s initiative a new school was built (1857), the "mutual school" was upgraded to a class school, Revival period newspapers and literature started to be disseminated. The municipality organised the construction of the bell tower of the "Sveta Troitsa” church (1850) and the mounting of the clock (1865). During the 70s, together with other municipalities from the Razlog region, the town council fought back against Protestant propaganda. The Bansko Bulgarian
Municipality assisted financially families that suffered after the crush of the Kresnensko-Razlozhko uprising 1878 - 1879 and the Ilinden uprising 1903. During the Balkan war, at the liberation of Bansko (5th October 1912), the municipality organised the collection of food and clothes for Bulgarian army and the volunteer groups of VMORO (Internal Macedonian Odrin Revolutionary Organisation). The new five-member municipal authority, elected in 1912 and headed by Mayor Asen Todev, was included in the newly established state administrative structure of Bulgaria.
Bansko is an important cultural centre for the region. According to historic records, the settlement was first established about 9th -10th century A.D. on the site where ancient Thracian settlements had existed. In the 18th century it was mentioned as a large and prosperous village of thriving crafts and trade reaching as far as the Aegean and Europe.
Bansko is the centre of a historically important arts school. In the 18th and early 19th
century talented painters and woodcarvers created works of art in the houses and churches of Bansko, the Rila Monastery, the monasteries on Mount Athos, Serbia and Macedonia. The most famous painters belonged to the Molerovi clan, starting from its founder Toma Vishanov. During the second half of the 19th century another group of painters lead by Usta (Master) Ognyan Ognev made the decorative elements in the "Sveta Troitsa" church, Velyanova Kashta etc. Also famed were other craftsmen and painters such as Angel Velyanov, Mihalko Golev, Dimitar Sirleshtov , Ivan Terziev, Nikola Benin. Bansko gained renown for its woodcarving and local masters.
A monastery school was opened in Bansko in 1817 or 1838 and in 1848 a "mutual school" was founded. Bansko is the birthplace of nationally admired enlighteners, revolutionaries and poets such as Paisii Hilendarski - the author of "Istoriya Slavenobolgarskaya" (History of Slavo-Bulgars)(1762), Neofit Rilski - the founder of secular education and the first Bulgarian encyclopaedist, Nikola Vaptsarov - a remarkable Bulgarian poet of international renown.
Original fortified and artistically decorated houses have been preserved from the 18th and 19th century, built almost entirely of stone, with small barred windows, tall walls, heavy metal-plated gates and interconnected by narrow and winding cobble-stone streets. Remarkable as architectural monuments and examples of fine art are the Velyanova, Benina, Sirleshtova, Todeva, Molerova, Dragostinova, Sharkova houses. The Sveta Troitsa church, the bell tower with the big clock, the midlevel church "Assumption of the Virgin Mary" with its remarkable wood-carved iconostasis make for fine accents in Bansko's atmosphere. Also noteworthy are the museum houses and collections, souvenir shops and romantic holiday residences, hotels and taverns cuddled in the narrow and picturesque streets.
Bansko today
Bansko, once mainly a stockbreeding and travelling merchant community, has nowadays become a center of winter and summer tourism. The mountain peaks near the town, the numerous lakes and the old pine woods make it a popular site for recreation. In recent years, the town has gained international popularity after the start of the annual Bansko Jazz Festival and consequently the annual Bansko pop-star concert featuring top pop stars. The nearby village of Banya, located only 5 km from the town, is known for its 27 thermal mineral springs. A new gondola lift was built in 2003 to replace a minibus ride up to the ski slopes of Todorka. Several other gondolas and ski lifts are in the process of being built. These developments, along with the construction of extensive housing and recreational facilities around the gondola (which is on the southwest end of the town by the river), have made Bansko a popular and growing destination.
PLACES OF INTEREST
Bansko has been declared a unique town of international importance to commercial
tourism (1979). Apart from the beautiful Pirin and the numerous spots of natural beauty the town also boasts its many historic sites. Remains of ancient fortresses have been preserved in the Staroto Gradishte (Stankale) locality about 4 km southwest of the town and also in the Yulen locality (downstream Demyanitsa river). Thracian tumuli have been uncovered in the vicinity of Staroto Gradishte. Archaeological works have unearthed a 2nd century B.C. burial site containing a set of bronze surgical instruments, remains of medicinal preparations etc. in the centuries-old Dobrokyovitsa locality (west of Bansko). Scientists assume that a medieval settlement used to exist in the Sveta Troitsa (Holy Trinity) locality (northeast of town). Southeast of Bansko are remains of the late-medieval single-nave churches "St George" and "St Elijah".
Bansko is famous for its well-preserved traditions and culture, its original National Revival-period architecture and its local culinary specialities (Banski shashlik, Banska kapama). Visitors to this mountain town have always left it captivated by the spirit of Banskalii (Bansko residents) wishing they could once again return to the heart of Pirin; to one with nature is something everyone craves for in their hurried everyday lives.
The Bansko Museum Complex is famous with its state-of-the-art technology that is used here to present the unique historic, architectural and artistic heritage and prominent local residents. The complex includes the "Nikola Vaptsarov" Museum House, the Arts Home;
the Ethnographic Exhibition & Bazaar; Permanent Icons Exhibition; The Velyanova House - a monument of the Revival period; The Neo fit Rilski Museum House; The Town Museum of History; The Museum of History of the village of Eleshnitsa containing numerous Neolithic finds (VI- IV millennium B. C.) Also a very attractive site is the stone-built Benina House which features an open verandah and a small yard. It was built during the second half of the 18th century and i Neofit Rilski, a prominent Bulgarian enlightener, was born here in 1793 and lived in it until 1811.
ACCOMMODATION
The town has a great number of hotels and private lodgings to meet the ever-growing number of the tourists who visit the all-year resort. There are 7 4-sun hotels with almost 1000 beds. We recommend Bansko hotel, Pirin hotel, Glazne hotel and Bulgaria hotel. Bansko also has 31 2-sun hotels with more than 1200 beds. We recommend Albert hotel, Bisser hotel, Aneli hotel, Avalon hotel, Hadjipopova Kashta hotel etc. The number of the 2-sun hotels and private lodgings is almost 80 and they have more than 1000 beds.
The four-star Bansko hotel will welcome you all year round with the characteristic local
hospitality and will create for you the special moments you need. It has two wings – 4 and 3-floors respectively, two lifts for guests, local heating system and air-conditioned restaurant and reception area. For your relaxed and unforgettable indulgence in the atmosphere of Bansko, the hotel with the same name has 51 rooms of which: 2 single rooms, 25 double rooms, 8 one-bedroom apartments, five of these being two-storey apartments, 4 two-bedroom apartments, one of these a two-storey apartment. As guests to the hotel you are granted free transportation to the pistes when facilities are working; parking space; safekeeping of your personal skiing equipment; swimming pool, gym and sauna.
The four-star Glazne hotel is panoramically situated in the South end of Bansko, along the West bank of the river that gave its name. The hotel offers a seamless mixture of local tradition, comfort and western-style service. You can expect all the conveniences and entertainment you need to spend an unforgettable holiday or a nice business weekend. A lobby bar, a sky bar, a restaurant and a tavern offer all kinds of European and traditional cuisine. There are the garden, a kids' corner, garage, swimming pool, sauna, massage rooms, Ergoline sunbed, fitness, Thalassotherapy (with Thalgo Cosmetics products) and a Rossignol ski rental. The hotel offers a fully equipped conference hall for up to 100 persons for carying out seminars, conferences, company reunions etc. There are also a gift shop, currency exchange and a public safe. The complex offers the domestic warmth and convenience of 8 suites, 4 studios, 4 double rooms and an additional 7 villas.
The four-star Bulgaria hotel is standing at the road to the Bansko ski-area, the Bulgaria Hotel offers comforable acommodation in 5 twin and 8 family rooms, 9 luxury rooms with winter gardens, 5 small and 1 large suites, and 2 two-storey suites. Each room/suite is equipped with a TV, telephone, mini-bar and everything else that is needed for a delightful recreation.
The four-star Pirin hotel has 68 rooms of which: 4 single rooms; 47 double rooms, 10 with a king size bed, 9 luxury double rooms – king size bed and a bath-tub; 8 suits – king size bed, bath-tub, air-conditioned. Each room has a satellite TV, direct dial telephone, mini-bar, hair-dryer, panic button. The hotel has also a lobby bar, a restaurant, a night bar, a tavern, a business hall with over 100 seats, parking place and a garden.
The three-stars Avalon hotel is new and is being run by an English family. Based in a quiet residential part of Bansko's town with great views of the Pirin Mountains, it is just a short walk from the heart of Bansko's old town and the start of the new state of the art ski lift. The hotel has been fitted out to the highest standards using local materials, all the rooms have en suite bathrooms, cable TV and a connection to the Internet, the furnishings have been hand made combining local craftsmanship with modern style. Downstairs the hotel has a relaxed lobby bar and restaurant offering French and Italian food and a fine selection of local wines. In the basement there is a sauna, Jacuzzi and massage service to ease aching muscles. A group of internationally qualified ski instructors will be on hand to give lessons for beginners as well as guide for the more intrepid extreme skier.
The three-star Bisser hotel is a family complex that provides 42 beds, arranged in 6 family
rooms (four beds each), 9 double rooms with TV set, plus 8 additional beds. It also has a sauna and tavern with 50 seats, fireplaces, water-well, from which you can pick up bottles of whiskey, brandy, wine, beer, etc. The family complex offers various types of services like transportation to the ski-area, trips to different destinations, kindergarten, ski-rental shop, ski-school, tourist guides, currency exchange, etc
The three-star Hadjiopopova Kashta hotel is a family hotel located on a quiet street near the center of Bansko. It is open all year round and offers holiday makers and skiers of all levels the following: 2/3 bed rooms, each with private bathroom with shower and WC, balcony, heated floors and satellite television - all for amazingly low prices, summer garden and parking space for 6 cars, a traditional Bulgarian mehana style tavern with open fireplace. In the restaurant, guests can enjoy traditional Bulgarian cuisine including: kapama, chomlek, katino, meze, karvavitsa and Banski starets. Hotel services include: ski school and ski equipment hire, daily transport to and from the Todorka ski centre, tourist information and advice on hiking and trekking, individual and group excursions to unique locations in the Bansko region and around Bulgaria.
CATERING
The food of Bansko people
The Bansko cuisine is original and highly varied. It is famous all around in Bulgaria with its stewed dishes, the uniquely home-made sausages and appetizers. The most representative among them are: the banska kapama, the chomlek, Katino appetizer, banski sudjuk and karvavitsa, the banski starets which are being served in all folk-style taverns and restaurants in Bansko and Dobrinishte. Also traditional Bansko culinary specialties are: the kreshchina, the kostureta and the barkada which at interest also can be offered to the tourists.
The culinary sites
Bansko has 42 taverns and pubs, 12 restaurants, 11 night clubs and 2 pizzas. Most of them are cozy and have usually old-stylish furniture to provide comfort and tranquility to the visitors.
Chevermeto tavern is the first tavern in Bansko that was designed and constructed especially for that purpose. Located in the very heart of the town - in Vazrajdane Square, it was built by the rules of local architectural tradition - the building itself and its interior are designed entirely in the "wood, stone and metal" style. Spread on three levels, the balcony and banquet hall will impress the visitor with their spaciousness and the interesting fireplace creating a unique and cozy atmosphere. The modern equipment includes full air-conditioning and aspiration systems in the premises including a heat curtain at the entrance. Your comfort is guaranteed in a smoke-free and enjoyable setting even in the early morning hours. The professional orchestra in combination with the modern audio system adds to the pleasant atmosphere. Unforgettable evenings of merry-making are awaiting you in Chevermeto with traditional local cuisine or dishes from the Rhodopes and other parts of Bulgaria - all of this combined with high quality and fast service. With its 150 seats and flexible pricing policy, Chevermeto is the partner of choice for Bulgarian and foreign tour operators for providing catering services to organized tourist groups.
Bansko tavern is situated near the center of this pucturesque town and offers more than 50 seats in its new and greatly decorated hall as well as a summer garden with barbecue. The tavern combines well-preserved tradition with modern luxury in an unique way. The cosy interior is very well complemented by the traditional music, played live by a band. Combine all these advantages and you are guaranteed to have an unforgettable night at the Bansko tavern!
Bunare Tavern will help you capture the spirit of Bansko's glorious past. It is located amid the authentic period settings and here the visitors are welcome to enjoy the tasty dishes prepared by old haidouk recipes, select wines and heady rakia. Bunare Tavern seats 150 people indoors on a 2-level area, part of the seats are in separate rooms (odayi) providing you with an opportunity to celebrate or hold business meetings in comfortable and discreet settings; the double-terraced garden seats 60 guests outdoors. You can have a taste of local cuisine, select young and aged wines and rakia from the best Bulgarian cellars.
The Leskata Wine Cellar has over 80 seats, located in two floors. It is decorated entirely in Bulgarian folk-style and has a fireplace. Also there is live tradition folk music performed. Here the visitors can enjoy meals of the Bulgarian national cuisine and the testing of many different kind of Bulgarian wine.
TRANSPORTATION
Distance to capital city – Sofia – is about 95 km from Sofia. The only transport is vehicle and there are regular bus lines between the two places. Bansko can be reached by 6 lines each day and vice versa as the first bus from the capital is leaving at 10:00 AM and the last at 5:30 PM. The first bus from Bansko to Sofia leaves at 7:00 AM and the last at 4:20 PM. The ticket’s prise is 7.00 BGN which is equal to 2.44 GBP.
Bansko is concidered to be the most attractive place for the tourists in southwestern Bulgaria. The town (population 10,127) is a main administrative, cultural and economic centre in the County of Bansko. It is located 161 km south of the capital Sofia and 59 km South East of Blagoevgrad. Bansko is famous as the entrance to the beautiful Pirin Mountain range. Bansko is one of the fastest growing Bulgarian winter tourist resorts with an ever increasing level of summer tourism as well. Tourists visiting the town come from a wide variety of countries including the UK, Holland, America, Greece, Russia, and Germany. Bansko is also a great favourite with other Bulgarians, particularly those from the Capital Sofia, who visit at the weekends and during main holidays.The town of Bansko is situated at an altitude of 936 m above sea level at the foothills of one of the most beautiful Bulgarian mountains - Pirin, which is a national preserve, included in the WORLD NATURAL HERITAGE list. Ski-resort of national significance, much visited also in summer as a starting point for excursions in the mountain.
Surrounded by the Pirin, Rila and Rhodopi mountains, Bansko is a climatic mountain resort with a short hot summer and long mild winter. The average temperature during January, the coldest month, is - 1.9АC. Snow falls are abundant, 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. Bansko is very close to another resorts which are located in Banya, Razlog and Dobrinishte, only 10 km away from the town of Bansko.HISTORY
Legends
There are several legends about who founded Bansko. According to one of them, Bansko was founded by people who lived in Dobarsko, a village in Rila, itself according to a legend founded by the blinded army of Tsar Samuil. Coat of arms of BanskoAnother legend claims that Bansko was founded by an Italian painter by the name of Ciociolino, thus the existense of the name Chucholin in Bansko. Still according to another legend it was a Slavic tribe called the Peruns, who lived in Pirin and worshiped Perun, that founded the village later to become a town. There are a number of ethnographic texts, legends, prayers and oratories, which lend credence to this legend.History
There are several housing structures at the outskirts of the town, which date to 100 BC. However, there is no consensus nor credible theory on who these people were.Until 5th October 1912, Bansko was a part of the Ottoman Empire, but enjoyed a quasi self-rule autonomy granted by the sultan. The town was ruled by an assembly of the elders, while justice was administered by the Turkish judge in Razlog. It was incorporated in Bulgaria in 1912 as a result of the First Balkan War.
Bansko Bulgarian Municipality is a public organisation of local self-government in the village of Bansko (today a town), established circa 1850. The Bansko Bulgarian Municipality is a continuation of the all-village community council founded in 1833 by Lazar German for raising funds, materials and labour force for the construction and iconography of the Sveta Troitsa church, which was consecrated in 1835. Prominent merchants and craftsmen were elected to serve as village council elders. The Council’s activity during the 60-70s mainly consisted in fighting off Greek church authorities in order to gain independence for the Bulgarian church and set the ground for development of educational and cultural activities in the village. By the Council’s initiative a new school was built (1857), the "mutual school" was upgraded to a class school, Revival period newspapers and literature started to be disseminated. The municipality organised the construction of the bell tower of the "Sveta Troitsa” church (1850) and the mounting of the clock (1865). During the 70s, together with other municipalities from the Razlog region, the town council fought back against Protestant propaganda. The Bansko Bulgarian
Municipality assisted financially families that suffered after the crush of the Kresnensko-Razlozhko uprising 1878 - 1879 and the Ilinden uprising 1903. During the Balkan war, at the liberation of Bansko (5th October 1912), the municipality organised the collection of food and clothes for Bulgarian army and the volunteer groups of VMORO (Internal Macedonian Odrin Revolutionary Organisation). The new five-member municipal authority, elected in 1912 and headed by Mayor Asen Todev, was included in the newly established state administrative structure of Bulgaria.Bansko is an important cultural centre for the region. According to historic records, the settlement was first established about 9th -10th century A.D. on the site where ancient Thracian settlements had existed. In the 18th century it was mentioned as a large and prosperous village of thriving crafts and trade reaching as far as the Aegean and Europe.
Bansko is the centre of a historically important arts school. In the 18th and early 19th
century talented painters and woodcarvers created works of art in the houses and churches of Bansko, the Rila Monastery, the monasteries on Mount Athos, Serbia and Macedonia. The most famous painters belonged to the Molerovi clan, starting from its founder Toma Vishanov. During the second half of the 19th century another group of painters lead by Usta (Master) Ognyan Ognev made the decorative elements in the "Sveta Troitsa" church, Velyanova Kashta etc. Also famed were other craftsmen and painters such as Angel Velyanov, Mihalko Golev, Dimitar Sirleshtov , Ivan Terziev, Nikola Benin. Bansko gained renown for its woodcarving and local masters.A monastery school was opened in Bansko in 1817 or 1838 and in 1848 a "mutual school" was founded. Bansko is the birthplace of nationally admired enlighteners, revolutionaries and poets such as Paisii Hilendarski - the author of "Istoriya Slavenobolgarskaya" (History of Slavo-Bulgars)(1762), Neofit Rilski - the founder of secular education and the first Bulgarian encyclopaedist, Nikola Vaptsarov - a remarkable Bulgarian poet of international renown.
Original fortified and artistically decorated houses have been preserved from the 18th and 19th century, built almost entirely of stone, with small barred windows, tall walls, heavy metal-plated gates and interconnected by narrow and winding cobble-stone streets. Remarkable as architectural monuments and examples of fine art are the Velyanova, Benina, Sirleshtova, Todeva, Molerova, Dragostinova, Sharkova houses. The Sveta Troitsa church, the bell tower with the big clock, the midlevel church "Assumption of the Virgin Mary" with its remarkable wood-carved iconostasis make for fine accents in Bansko's atmosphere. Also noteworthy are the museum houses and collections, souvenir shops and romantic holiday residences, hotels and taverns cuddled in the narrow and picturesque streets.
Bansko today
Bansko, once mainly a stockbreeding and travelling merchant community, has nowadays become a center of winter and summer tourism. The mountain peaks near the town, the numerous lakes and the old pine woods make it a popular site for recreation. In recent years, the town has gained international popularity after the start of the annual Bansko Jazz Festival and consequently the annual Bansko pop-star concert featuring top pop stars. The nearby village of Banya, located only 5 km from the town, is known for its 27 thermal mineral springs. A new gondola lift was built in 2003 to replace a minibus ride up to the ski slopes of Todorka. Several other gondolas and ski lifts are in the process of being built. These developments, along with the construction of extensive housing and recreational facilities around the gondola (which is on the southwest end of the town by the river), have made Bansko a popular and growing destination.PLACES OF INTEREST
Bansko has been declared a unique town of international importance to commercial
tourism (1979). Apart from the beautiful Pirin and the numerous spots of natural beauty the town also boasts its many historic sites. Remains of ancient fortresses have been preserved in the Staroto Gradishte (Stankale) locality about 4 km southwest of the town and also in the Yulen locality (downstream Demyanitsa river). Thracian tumuli have been uncovered in the vicinity of Staroto Gradishte. Archaeological works have unearthed a 2nd century B.C. burial site containing a set of bronze surgical instruments, remains of medicinal preparations etc. in the centuries-old Dobrokyovitsa locality (west of Bansko). Scientists assume that a medieval settlement used to exist in the Sveta Troitsa (Holy Trinity) locality (northeast of town). Southeast of Bansko are remains of the late-medieval single-nave churches "St George" and "St Elijah". Bansko is famous for its well-preserved traditions and culture, its original National Revival-period architecture and its local culinary specialities (Banski shashlik, Banska kapama). Visitors to this mountain town have always left it captivated by the spirit of Banskalii (Bansko residents) wishing they could once again return to the heart of Pirin; to one with nature is something everyone craves for in their hurried everyday lives.
The Bansko Museum Complex is famous with its state-of-the-art technology that is used here to present the unique historic, architectural and artistic heritage and prominent local residents. The complex includes the "Nikola Vaptsarov" Museum House, the Arts Home;
the Ethnographic Exhibition & Bazaar; Permanent Icons Exhibition; The Velyanova House - a monument of the Revival period; The Neo fit Rilski Museum House; The Town Museum of History; The Museum of History of the village of Eleshnitsa containing numerous Neolithic finds (VI- IV millennium B. C.) Also a very attractive site is the stone-built Benina House which features an open verandah and a small yard. It was built during the second half of the 18th century and i Neofit Rilski, a prominent Bulgarian enlightener, was born here in 1793 and lived in it until 1811. ACCOMMODATION
The town has a great number of hotels and private lodgings to meet the ever-growing number of the tourists who visit the all-year resort. There are 7 4-sun hotels with almost 1000 beds. We recommend Bansko hotel, Pirin hotel, Glazne hotel and Bulgaria hotel. Bansko also has 31 2-sun hotels with more than 1200 beds. We recommend Albert hotel, Bisser hotel, Aneli hotel, Avalon hotel, Hadjipopova Kashta hotel etc. The number of the 2-sun hotels and private lodgings is almost 80 and they have more than 1000 beds.
The four-star Bansko hotel will welcome you all year round with the characteristic local
hospitality and will create for you the special moments you need. It has two wings – 4 and 3-floors respectively, two lifts for guests, local heating system and air-conditioned restaurant and reception area. For your relaxed and unforgettable indulgence in the atmosphere of Bansko, the hotel with the same name has 51 rooms of which: 2 single rooms, 25 double rooms, 8 one-bedroom apartments, five of these being two-storey apartments, 4 two-bedroom apartments, one of these a two-storey apartment. As guests to the hotel you are granted free transportation to the pistes when facilities are working; parking space; safekeeping of your personal skiing equipment; swimming pool, gym and sauna.The four-star Glazne hotel is panoramically situated in the South end of Bansko, along the West bank of the river that gave its name. The hotel offers a seamless mixture of local tradition, comfort and western-style service. You can expect all the conveniences and entertainment you need to spend an unforgettable holiday or a nice business weekend. A lobby bar, a sky bar, a restaurant and a tavern offer all kinds of European and traditional cuisine. There are the garden, a kids' corner, garage, swimming pool, sauna, massage rooms, Ergoline sunbed, fitness, Thalassotherapy (with Thalgo Cosmetics products) and a Rossignol ski rental. The hotel offers a fully equipped conference hall for up to 100 persons for carying out seminars, conferences, company reunions etc. There are also a gift shop, currency exchange and a public safe. The complex offers the domestic warmth and convenience of 8 suites, 4 studios, 4 double rooms and an additional 7 villas.
The four-star Bulgaria hotel is standing at the road to the Bansko ski-area, the Bulgaria Hotel offers comforable acommodation in 5 twin and 8 family rooms, 9 luxury rooms with winter gardens, 5 small and 1 large suites, and 2 two-storey suites. Each room/suite is equipped with a TV, telephone, mini-bar and everything else that is needed for a delightful recreation.
The four-star Pirin hotel has 68 rooms of which: 4 single rooms; 47 double rooms, 10 with a king size bed, 9 luxury double rooms – king size bed and a bath-tub; 8 suits – king size bed, bath-tub, air-conditioned. Each room has a satellite TV, direct dial telephone, mini-bar, hair-dryer, panic button. The hotel has also a lobby bar, a restaurant, a night bar, a tavern, a business hall with over 100 seats, parking place and a garden.The three-stars Avalon hotel is new and is being run by an English family. Based in a quiet residential part of Bansko's town with great views of the Pirin Mountains, it is just a short walk from the heart of Bansko's old town and the start of the new state of the art ski lift. The hotel has been fitted out to the highest standards using local materials, all the rooms have en suite bathrooms, cable TV and a connection to the Internet, the furnishings have been hand made combining local craftsmanship with modern style. Downstairs the hotel has a relaxed lobby bar and restaurant offering French and Italian food and a fine selection of local wines. In the basement there is a sauna, Jacuzzi and massage service to ease aching muscles. A group of internationally qualified ski instructors will be on hand to give lessons for beginners as well as guide for the more intrepid extreme skier.
The three-star Bisser hotel is a family complex that provides 42 beds, arranged in 6 family
rooms (four beds each), 9 double rooms with TV set, plus 8 additional beds. It also has a sauna and tavern with 50 seats, fireplaces, water-well, from which you can pick up bottles of whiskey, brandy, wine, beer, etc. The family complex offers various types of services like transportation to the ski-area, trips to different destinations, kindergarten, ski-rental shop, ski-school, tourist guides, currency exchange, etcThe three-star Hadjiopopova Kashta hotel is a family hotel located on a quiet street near the center of Bansko. It is open all year round and offers holiday makers and skiers of all levels the following: 2/3 bed rooms, each with private bathroom with shower and WC, balcony, heated floors and satellite television - all for amazingly low prices, summer garden and parking space for 6 cars, a traditional Bulgarian mehana style tavern with open fireplace. In the restaurant, guests can enjoy traditional Bulgarian cuisine including: kapama, chomlek, katino, meze, karvavitsa and Banski starets. Hotel services include: ski school and ski equipment hire, daily transport to and from the Todorka ski centre, tourist information and advice on hiking and trekking, individual and group excursions to unique locations in the Bansko region and around Bulgaria.
CATERING
The food of Bansko people
The Bansko cuisine is original and highly varied. It is famous all around in Bulgaria with its stewed dishes, the uniquely home-made sausages and appetizers. The most representative among them are: the banska kapama, the chomlek, Katino appetizer, banski sudjuk and karvavitsa, the banski starets which are being served in all folk-style taverns and restaurants in Bansko and Dobrinishte. Also traditional Bansko culinary specialties are: the kreshchina, the kostureta and the barkada which at interest also can be offered to the tourists.
The culinary sites
Bansko has 42 taverns and pubs, 12 restaurants, 11 night clubs and 2 pizzas. Most of them are cozy and have usually old-stylish furniture to provide comfort and tranquility to the visitors.
Chevermeto tavern is the first tavern in Bansko that was designed and constructed especially for that purpose. Located in the very heart of the town - in Vazrajdane Square, it was built by the rules of local architectural tradition - the building itself and its interior are designed entirely in the "wood, stone and metal" style. Spread on three levels, the balcony and banquet hall will impress the visitor with their spaciousness and the interesting fireplace creating a unique and cozy atmosphere. The modern equipment includes full air-conditioning and aspiration systems in the premises including a heat curtain at the entrance. Your comfort is guaranteed in a smoke-free and enjoyable setting even in the early morning hours. The professional orchestra in combination with the modern audio system adds to the pleasant atmosphere. Unforgettable evenings of merry-making are awaiting you in Chevermeto with traditional local cuisine or dishes from the Rhodopes and other parts of Bulgaria - all of this combined with high quality and fast service. With its 150 seats and flexible pricing policy, Chevermeto is the partner of choice for Bulgarian and foreign tour operators for providing catering services to organized tourist groups.
Bansko tavern is situated near the center of this pucturesque town and offers more than 50 seats in its new and greatly decorated hall as well as a summer garden with barbecue. The tavern combines well-preserved tradition with modern luxury in an unique way. The cosy interior is very well complemented by the traditional music, played live by a band. Combine all these advantages and you are guaranteed to have an unforgettable night at the Bansko tavern!
Bunare Tavern will help you capture the spirit of Bansko's glorious past. It is located amid the authentic period settings and here the visitors are welcome to enjoy the tasty dishes prepared by old haidouk recipes, select wines and heady rakia. Bunare Tavern seats 150 people indoors on a 2-level area, part of the seats are in separate rooms (odayi) providing you with an opportunity to celebrate or hold business meetings in comfortable and discreet settings; the double-terraced garden seats 60 guests outdoors. You can have a taste of local cuisine, select young and aged wines and rakia from the best Bulgarian cellars. The Leskata Wine Cellar has over 80 seats, located in two floors. It is decorated entirely in Bulgarian folk-style and has a fireplace. Also there is live tradition folk music performed. Here the visitors can enjoy meals of the Bulgarian national cuisine and the testing of many different kind of Bulgarian wine.
TRANSPORTATION
Distance to capital city – Sofia – is about 95 km from Sofia. The only transport is vehicle and there are regular bus lines between the two places. Bansko can be reached by 6 lines each day and vice versa as the first bus from the capital is leaving at 10:00 AM and the last at 5:30 PM. The first bus from Bansko to Sofia leaves at 7:00 AM and the last at 4:20 PM. The ticket’s prise is 7.00 BGN which is equal to 2.44 GBP.
