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Bansko

Buzzing Bansko is Bulgaria’s premier ski resort and the most snow-sure in the country. Sunshine, thumping après-ski culture, and pistes at altitudes from 900m to 2600m draw locals, Brits and Russians each winter. As more and more hotels sprout up, overdevelopment in Bansko is a looming concern. This Pirin Mountains town gets mighty hectic during ski season; expect queuing bottlenecks on the main gondola lift from town.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Sveta Troitsa Church
Bansko
Surrounded by 1m thick stone walls, this 19th-century church has the air of a fortress. By contrast, the interior is a multicolour marvel with flower…
Velyan’s House
Bansko
This richly painted 18th-century mansion stands out among Bulgaria's countless heritage properties. Admire elaborate frescoes within the house-museum and…
House Museum of Nikola Vaptsarov
Bansko
This house-museum was the birthplace of Nikola Vaptsarov (1909–42), a respected antifascist poet and activist. Influenced by communist ideology while a…
House Museum of Neofit Rilski
Bansko
Occupying a Revival-era stone and wood building, this house-museum exhibits manuscripts by, and photos of, Rilski (1793–1881), the father of Bulgarian…
Museum of Otets Paisii Hilendarski
Bansko
Commemorating the eponymous local monk, author and instigator of Bulgarian nationalism, this museum contains a chapel with a replica of the room at the…
Historical & Ethnographical Museum
Bansko
This museum in a 19th-century mansion contains finds dating back to 6000 BC, plus antique, medieval and 19th-century National Revival–period items.
Bansko Permanent Icon Exhibition
Bansko
Housed within a former nunnery dating to 1749, this small museum exhibits 18th- and 19th-century icons painted by the Bansko School of art.