bansko ski bulgaria

travel info on bansko bulgaria .: ski resorts
the most modern ski centre of all Bulgarian ski resorts
Bansko has the longest ski season (15 Dec - 15 May) of all Bulgarian ski resorts

bansko bulgaria

This is one of the most frequented Bulgarian towns, situated at the foot of the majestic Pirin mountain 161 km south of Sofia, 59 km southeast of Blagoevgrad, 6 km south of Razlog and about 50 km north of Gotse Delchev, at an altitude of 950 m. The town has a population of  10,127 citizens  Its extremely fine location, rich cultural and historical heritage, excellent conditions for sports and holidaymaking have turned it into an attractive tourist centre. The nearby village of Banya, located only 5 km from the town, is known for its 27 thermal mineral springs. Bansko Bulgaria, 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 place for recreation.
Compared to the older ski resorts of Bulgaria -
Borovets Bulgaria and Pamporovo Bulgaria, we have to know that they were specially designed skiing centres while Bansko combines  skiing,  nature and historical significance.

Bansko History and culture
Bansko was first mentioned as an independent settlement in 1576. By that time the population had lived in little scattered hamlets. During the 17th-18th century it flourished economically and culturally, gradually becoming a rich settlement of developed crafts and trade. The caravans of the Bansko people traveled between the Aegean Sea and Central Europe, carrying goods of wood, hides and iron to the markets there, bringing back cotton, fish, olive oil, etc. During that period whole families of Bansko became rich. By traveling extensively they were bringing the culture of different countries and cities. Some of them sent their children to study abroad. Along with the improvement of their lifestyle, many inhabitants of Bansko began to build two-floor fortress houses, which characteristic with their architecture, at the same time also providing the safety of their owners from the inroads of brigands.
Bansko municipality is a settlement that was inhabited in succession by Thracians, Romans, Byzantines and Slavs.

Coat of arms of Bansko Bulgaria
It is believed the name Bansko came from the Bulgarian/Romanian arotocratic title 'Ban' and the village was known as the home of the BAN's.
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.
Another legend claims that Bansko was founded by an Italian painter by the name of Ciociolino, thus the existence of the name Chucholin in Bansko.
Still according to another version 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

The remains of ancient fortresses, Thracian tumuli, medieval colonies, consecrated grounds, churches and chapels within the town earthwork testify to several historical epochs and date to the early periods of the Roman Empire.The remains of the late medieval single-nave St. George and St. Elijah churches, monuments of culture, are to the southeast of Bansko. The town of Bansko, in its present location, is believed to date back to around the 9th and 10th centuries. The earliest documentation for Bansko comes from the 16th century relating to the peroid of the Ottoman (Turkish) invasion. The town became the dominant  centre of the surrounding local villages and was known for its crafts - many of which were sold throughout Europe. Bansko was also known as a cultural and spiritual centre, all of which led the other villages to look upon Bansko residents with envy.

A new beginning for Bansko Bulgaria is the union of several small constituencies into one village. This happens in the second millenium after Christ as it was thought to be something that could have helped the locals prevent the invasions of the Asiatic tribes. The historical events that have marked Bulgarian history only reinforce the great idea of this union. With drastic actions during the Ottoman slavery the people of Bansko have earned themselves the fame of people disobedient and adamant. The Banskalyi as they are called  have their own Weltanschauung and a very strong sense of humour while at the same time being very practical.
   Bansko is the native place of well known personalities in Bulgarian history, a popular tourist center and a starting point for outings in the pirin mountains. The town flourished as a trade and crafts center during the National Revival Perod (18th-19th c.), when the Bansko merchants traded between the Aegean and Central Europe. During that time Bansko also established itself as a center of culture and enlightment. The town is the birth place of many great Bulgarians: Paisii of Hilendar, author of the famous Slav-Bulgarian History (1762), Neofit Rilski - the celbrated man of letters and enlightment, Toma Vishanov-Molera - the founder of the Bansko School of Painting, Nikola Vaptsarov - a poet and anti-fascist known world-wide, who was the only Bulgarian to receive an international award for peace.