Some say the best rest is taken during a mountain holiday. So at the end of the summer, having enough of the sun and sea waves, the crowded noisy beaches and exotic rhythms pulsing from bars and discos, many people yearn for spending some time amidst the stately heights of the mountains. To fill up their hotels outside the ski season, most mountain resorts compete in offering all kinds of promotional vacation packages. So it is in Bansko.
One of the most rapidly developing ski resorts in Europe, the traditional host of prestigious international ski competitions and a favorite destination of world ski legends like Mark Ghirardelli and Hermann Maier, is virtually unrecognizable in the summer. Off-season, part of Bansko’s hotels remain closed, ski schools and ski lockers for equipment too as well as some restaurants and supermarkets. Gone is the usual crowd of people patiently queuing in front of the gondola, leading to the ski area high in Pirin. The streets of the resort town are quiet with the half-empty restaurants and shops. Tranquility reigns in the old part of Bansko with its huddled stone houses, many of which have been converted into taverns or family-run hotels. Here and there you will find an open restaurant with a person in front, inviting you with a seductive smile to taste the local specialties. As you wander through the narrow streets of the old town you will see small groups of grannies gossiping as nothing escapes their curious glance. Some of them give rooms for rent, but now they are using the temporary lull in the business to rest or to prepare winter supplies.
Fresh air, greenery and breathtaking views of the peaks of Pirin – this is what this small mountain town offers generously to its guests. The hotels that stay open in the summer cannot complain about lack of customers. They welcome guests not only from Bulgaria, but also from the UK, the Scandinavian countries, Israel and Russia. A large part of the larger resorts offer furnished studios with everything you need and even apartments for rent at very reasonable prices. Guests enjoy free open-air swimming pools usually surrounded by well-manicured lawns with sun loungers and umbrellas, often also with an adjacent tennis court and playground. However, many foreigners prefer to buy their own apartment in Bansko and use it as a holiday home or rent it. This is proven by the many real estate agencies in the town working in the heat of summer.
Bansko’s main attraction is the unspoilt nature of the Pirin Mountain. To know its mysteries, however, one will need to obtain a map and it is also a good idea to hire a mountain guide. In the town center, tourists will find several offices of travel agencies that offer this service. Only then will you be sure that you will not get lost along the trails in Pirin as the tourist markings are not good at places or are sometimes missing.
The simplest and most preferred route in the region is to make a hike to Vihren hut. The gondola that departs from Bansko reaches the locality called Banderishki meadows in less than half an hour. Hence a scenic narrow path winding in the shade of century-old pine trees leads you right to Vihren hut situated at an altitude of 1,950 m. On the way there is a brief detour to one of the oldest trees in the Balkans – the Baikusheva Mura (fir tree), which is more than 1,300 years old. Other, much more difficult routes leading to spots untouched by human hand ignite the imagination of the more experienced hikers. Some of these routes are only available in the summer, so now is the time to put your backpack on your shoulders and head up across the crags to the coveted top. Summer is the most appropriate season for extended hiking. But not only!
Who says one can ski in winter only? In the area of Banderishki Polyani (the latter meaning meadows) people are skiing also in the summer months... on the lawns. Actually, this is the latest craze in the resort. The track is made up of special units and is one hundred meters long. You can also race down with a snowboard and the track also has a special chute for rubber toboggans. Nearby there are opportunities for training in skiing biathlon.
What other forms of entertainment does Bansko offer in the summer?
“On the one hand, we offer horse riding and also we have the opportunity for fishing at lakes and ponds. Another facility is the Bansko golf course that attracts prestigious guests. The region also boasts thermal springs and spas, allowing the implementation of rehabilitation programs. In the summer we offer outdoor picnics that are amazingly magnetic for guests! They can taste various meat dishes prepared on fire or stone, thus getting acquainted with Bansko’s rich culinary traditions. Not to mention that local taverns have achieved an undeniable excellence in cooking and the presentation of the regional cuisine”, says Malin Bistrin, chairman of the Association of the Tourist Companies in Bansko
English version: Rossitsa Petcova
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