Bansko - a beautiful old town in the Pirin mountains with refurbished homes, stone wall, and cobblestone streets, but increasingly being overtaken by resort hotels, as Bansko is a major ski destination in South-East Europe. The highest peak of Pirin Mountain (Vihren - 2916m) is at a day's walk from the city. In the middle of August, the Bansko Jazz Festival is held here. Not far away from Bansko, there are hot-water mineral springs, located at the villages of Banya (Баня) and OgnianovoGet around
Getting around in Bansko is relatively easy. The town is not large, and walking around is nice. Taxis are relatively cheap (5-10 leva), though you should arrange the price beforehand. Have your hotel reception call you a taxi if you can. If you get to Bansko with your car, bear in mind that few roads get cleaned from the snow and ice, so snow chains may be required even in the city. Don't be fooled by local cars not using chains, as they use winter tyres which make a lot of difference! Renting a car from Sofia for most tourists is considerably beneficial because of the flexibility. Taxi rides can cost anywhere from 1-5 Euro per kilometer and are not recommended when traveling outside the city of Bankso. Buses run from Sofia and Blagoevgrad frequently during the winter (high season) and are the preferred method of travel for backpackers
See
In a nice day, with good visibility the view of the mountains is beautiful, especially if you take the lift to the ski tracks. (You should get to the ski tracks at least once even if you do not ski yourself)
Skiing
Bansko is a good place for skiing in winter and hiking in summer. Skiiers and Snowboarders could find BanskoSki, useful. You can rent ski gear at the first station and get a discount at the lift ticket, though if you want to leave your skis there overnight there is an extra charge. A lot of ski rental shops can be found around the first station, where you can probably rent gear in better condition and get a good price if you book for more than 1 day (recommended) . (full ski gear for 4 days cost 100 leva - 50€). You can probably arrange to leave the gear at the shop overnight for free. The weather in Bansko is obviously colder than some Greek ski resorts, so warmer clothes and a full face hood is nice to have.
You can get a multiday ticket for the lifts, although the discount is negligible. There is also a half day ticket after 12:30 or 13:00 each day, but you can also buy tickets at a better price from people leaving the ski centre before the end of the day, around the ticket offices.
Most hotels offer a bus service to the ski lift station in the morning and afternoon. Try to get to the lift station not later than 9:00 to avoid long queues. It is also advisable to buy the tickets from the previous afternoon for the same reason.
Other
In the beginning of August an annual jazz festival is held in the town.
Get out
If you want a true mountain village experience, there are a few other villages nearby from which to choose.
