Bansko

walk

The highest peak of Pirin Mountain Vihren - 2916m is at a day's walk from the city.

skiing

Bansko is a good place for skiing in winter and hiking in summer. The resort is mainly suited to beginners and those more advanced will get bored quite quickly. Also don't expect the runs to be groomed to often. Skiers and Snowboarders could find BanskoSki useful. (http://www.banskoski.com/...) It is also a good idea to avoid any Englsih school holidays as there will be insane amounts of people everywhere and a 3 hour wait to get up the mountain via gondala as well as the skiing world cup as half of the runs will be closed for the weeks leading up to it.

You can rent ski gear at the first station and get a discount at the lift ticket, though if you want to leave your skis there overnight there is an extra charge. A lot of ski rental shops can be found around the first station, where you can probably rent gear in better condition and get a good price if you book for more than 1 day recommended . full ski gear for 4 days cost 100 leva - 50€. You can probably arrange to leave the gear at the shop overnight for free.The weather in Bansko is obviously colder than some Greek ski resorts, so warmer clothes and a full face hood is nice to have.

You can get a multiday ticket for the lifts, although the discount is negligible. There is also a half day ticket after 12:30 or 13:00 each day, but you can also buy tickets at a better price from people leaving the ski centre before the end of the day, around the ticket offices.

Most hotels offer a bus service to the ski lift station in the morning and afternoon. Try to get to the lift station not later than 9:00 to avoid long queues. It is also advisable to buy the tickets from the previous afternoon for the same reason. There are also minibuses to ferry people up the mountain in the morning which is included in the lift pass.