Bansko – the winter sports resort that is becoming an international benchmark

We know Megève, Kitzbühel and Aspen. Now we must also be able to locate Bansko on a map. The Bulgarian resort is very quickly gaining notoriety in the world of winter sports. And it’s not by chance that the FIS (International Ski Federation) has decided to reiterate its confidence in Bansko by entrusting it with the organisation of a round of the Snowboard World Cup for the second year in a row.

Already, on several occasions in the past few years, this resort, located in southwestern Bulgaria, has had the honour of hosting the Alpine Ski World Cup. Athletes’ reactions were unanimous! Among them, the most iconic couldn’t praise Bansko enough.

“It was great and I was surprised by the size of the crowd,” enthused Lindsey Vonn. “The piste was very technical, one of the season’s most difficult,” continued the American star. Marcel Hirscher was just as enthusiastic, praising “the modern lifts to access the pistes and the perfectly set-up routes.”

The Austrian multiple-time world champion was also delighted that competitions had been opened to resorts other than those that traditionally host FIS events: “Once again this shows that the passion for skiing is much more widespread than we thought.”

Convinced by the quality of the area and infrastructure, the great international winter sports competitions will once again take place in the Pirin mountains, the second highest in the country, in 2025. The world’s best snowboarders will feel right at home because they were also there last season. And they will once again be able to battle it out during the two parallel giant slaloms on January 18 and 19, for the eighth round of the World Cup.

For them, this will be an opportunity to rediscover the stunning setting that surrounds Bansko. This includes the numerous lakes, such as the majestic Popovo Ezéro, which is picture perfect and surrounds the impressive Mount Todorka. The ski area covers approximately 70km and comprises 17 pistes and 14 lifts. It is overlooked by the Pirin mountains, whose summit reaches 2,914 metres. With an average snowfall of 22cm in January, this ski resort is an ideal playground for the snowboarders.

Bansko is not only renowned for the quality of its ski area – outdoor sports fans can also make use of the countless hiking trails, mountain bike trails and paragliding spots. And, of course, you can also relax in luxury hotels or make the most of the region’s typical taverns, which are known and recognised for their local and authentic cuisine. As the numerous awards collected over the years at the World Ski Awards in Kitzbühel demonstrate, all this contributes to making Bansko the pearl of the Balkans!