Bansko Ski Resort

Bansko ski resort has hundreds of years of history, with an old centre that has traditional Bulgarian stone and timber houses, open public squares, cobbled streets and winding roads. However, a few years ago the town underwent a transformation. The construction of a long gondola linking the old town to the ski area totally transformed the resort from a regional backwater to a major international destination.

Soon after the year 2000, Bansko was one of Europe's fastest growing winter holiday destinations, fueled by second-home investments from Western Europe. This slowed slightly with the worldwide economic slowdown and there has also been some controversy surrounding construction on national parkland designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO that has consequently generated some outrage from environmentalists.

However, the many new fast chairlifts on the mountain and one of the world's longest ski runs back down to the village have made Bansko ski resort the leading Eastern European ski destination which most other resorts in the region attempt to emulate.