Bansko is only 2 hrs drive from Sofia and transfers can be arranged by request at a additional cost. Buses do run from Sofia several times a day.

Sofia

Sofia, Bulgaria’s cosmopolitan capital is a pleasingly compact and characterful place. It is a young lively and appealing city which offers numerous bars and cafes where you can just sit back and absorb the atmosphere. Onion-domed churches, treasure-filled art galleries, evocative communist monuments and leafy parks jostle for your attention, while the capital also boasts some of Bulgaria’s best restaurants and most happening night life.

Bansko

Bansko is one of the big names in Bulgarian tourism; it’s a base for top-notch skiing in the winter and superb hiking in the summer. What adds to Bansko’s appeal is the facilities match those of any up and coming alpine resort but at a fraction of the cost. Even the restaurants on the mountain are very affordable and the Apres Ski is enough and varied to keep all tastes entertained. Bansko has dozens of traditional Mehanas (restaurants) offering fantastic local and European food at very affordable prices. The average cost, per person, for a meal with drink at a local Mehana is under £8.

Bansko was founded in the 10th Century on the site of an old Thracian settlement and is home to more than 150 cultural monuments, including many from the Bulgarian revival period. Only 1.8 KM to the southwest of Bansko is a gate to the Pirin National Park, which is permanently open and free to enter. It was placed on Unesco’s list of World Heritage Sites in 1983.