The town of Bansko is situated in Southwestern Bulgaria, at the foothills of one of the most beautiful Bulgarian mountains - Pirin, which is a national preserve, included in the WORLD NATURAL HERITAGE list. Ski-resort of national significance, much visited also in summer as a starting point for excursions in the mountain.
 

 The newest Bulgarian ski resort, recently discovered by the foreign tourists, Bansko provides an interesting combination between the virgin nature of Pirin Mountain and the atmosphere of the ancient Bulgarian town.

  
Here, at the foot of the Pirin Mountains, the houses look almost like monasteries - just as austere and inaccessible, with high stone walls and small latticed windows, The true Bulgarian spirit is hidden behind the solid walls and heavy gates - in the spacious rooms with friezes and bay windows, carved ceilings and doors, pretty rugs and embroidered cushions, in the murals, icons and amazingly carved iconostasis of the Holy Trinity Church (1832-35)

  
Surrounded by the Pirin, Rila and Rhodopi mountains, Bansko is a climatic mountain resort with a short hot summer and long mild winter. The average temperature during January, the coldest month, is - 1.9АC. Snow falls are abundant, providing a constant winter snow cover up to 2 m thick. The skiing season along the Pirin slopes starts in the middle of December and ends in mid-April.