This section is dedicated to take away all your "I wish someone had told me that before I went!" experiences. This way, you can spend less time settling in, and more time making new friends in your chosen hostel. We share our insider knowledge of tips, tricks and important things to look out for in Bansko.
Bansko has established itself as one of the famous winter resorts in Eastern Europe recently and the town has improved a lot compared to a few years ago. For a small town, Bansko has interesting sights and many old houses, including the house of the great Bulgarian poet Nikola Vaptzarov and the house of Neophit Rilski, a Bulgarian intellectual from the nineteenth century, a church from the nineteenth century and interesting monuments on the central square. For the ski fans, there are many ski tracks with different difficulty and a lift. Bansko has already been a host to several World Cup ski events and received very positive reviews for their organization. Bansko is also worth visiting during the rest of the year as it has beautiful nature and the lift is open the whole year long. Not only will ski fans like Bansko, but also people who like nature and mountains.
Despite being a major winter resort, there are extremely limited choices for hostels in Bansko. Hostel prices are low for the resort, so it is recommended that you book your dates in advance as the resort is crowded in the winter, especially when there is more snow. As your accommodation options are so near the bus and train station, do not miss the opportunity to get on the gauge line and go to some of the closer cities like Razlog or Velingrad or the villages Banya and Dobriniste. The train is very slow, but the view is amazing and the wagons are from the 1940s. And the tickets are very cheap. It takes about three hours to get to Sofia and Plovdiv, due to the mountainous roads.
Written by local enthusiast for Bansko hostels
George Traveller