When the winter season in Bansko comes

Winter season Bansko: SuperShow with stunning awards

The official opening of the Bansko winter season is in the middle of December, with the date fluctuating for a few days, depending on the weather conditions. Season 2015/2016 was opened on December 12, and season 2016/2017 on December 17th. The exact date is widely advertised in the media, as well as on the sites of the Municipality of Bansko and the ski complex so that the interested people can easily learn it.

The official start of the season is traditionally very attractive. It includes two already very popular races, the prizes in which are stunning.

One is “Treasure Hunters” in which each participant has the chance to find the grand prize under the snow – a new car. There are also dozens of prizes, including a holiday in Kitzbühel – a splendid Austrian resort, smartphones, and so on.

“Enter the championship team” is the other traditional and very exciting race at the start of the winter season in Bansko. It has many awards for the fastest amateurs, including a ski season card.

The organizers, however, always diversified with surprises and at the opening of last season in Bansko, for example, offered the opportunity to take part in a team with Fritz Strobl and Mark Girardelli. These are legends in the ski – Strobl is an Olympic champion in Salt Lake City in 2002, and Girardelli is a five-time champion on the planet.

For the start of the winter season Bansko always come champions of the highest rank. Special attention is paid to Bansko and the International Ski Federation. For the opening of last season in Bansko there was Sara Lewis, General Secretary of the Federation.

Opening of the ski season in Bansko 2017-2018

The base of skiing tradition in Bansko is the altitude of the resort – 936 m. 2560 m is the highest ski point and the lowest is 990 m, the displacement is 1570 m.

Along with the professional sport, conditions for lovers and beginners are also provided in Bansko. Of the 75 kilometers of ski slopes, 35% of the tracks are for beginners, 40% of the slopes are moderate and the other 25% of the slopes are advanced. All are safe and well maintained. There are also a number of ski schools, ski wardrobes, ski equipment. For the youngsters there is a mobile walking trail and a children’s ski garden.

It is no coincidence that the “Learn to ski” initiative 2017 ended in Bansko with a 5-day camp and an attractive race in giant slalom under all international rules. 20 of the best children trained during the winter season in the 7 winter centers in Bulgaria, who were over 2500, participated.

A unique 16-kilometer-long ski track is built, connecting the city with the largest runway. It is illuminated, secured by snow machines, suitable for both skiers and snowboarders, intermediate.

There are various lifts in Bansko, which serve the ski slopes. These lifts are convenient for fast access to the beginning of the given runway, allowing tourists to enjoy an incredibly beautiful panorama. From the lifts you can choose the chair lifts, the cabin and the lifts. Their total length is 22 kilometers. The cabin lift in Bansko has an 8-seat cabin and serves tracks number 1 and 2, 6315 meters long, connects the town with the ski complex. There are 3,4 and 6-seat lifts, the lifts are single and double and there is also a children’s lane.

The snow machines are 230 and are able to cover all the routes used, so it is possible in some cases to ensure the snow cover even until the beginning of May.

Cheapest ski resort in Europe

With the state-of-the-art facilities and facilities it offers in winter, Bansko has traditionally entered the international charts for the cheapest ski resort in Europe. Over the years, he regularly shared his place with only Kranjska Gora in Slovenia.

This is what the British Telegraph and the Daily Mail are saying. In the “Daily Mail” counterpart, Bansko and Kranjska Gora rank first in front of resorts in France, Italy, Austria and other famous ski destinations. The British Telegraph also highlights Bansko, ranking it among the leading tourism destinations in Bulgaria.

The two ski resorts – Bansko and Kranjska Gora – are the cheapest in Europe, according to polls published by Post Office, a popular British tourist site that makes a ranking of ski resorts. According to the latest analysis, the holiday at the winter resort in Bansko would cost a total of about 1,151 pounds per week, 1,071 peaks will go to Kranjska Gora. All others are more expensive – in Italy, Austria, Finland, France and others.

Of course, holiday prices during the attractive ski season in Bansko may vary because the offers include various packages with many extras, discounts and free services.

For example, among the offers of the 5-star Lucky Bansko Spa & Relax Hotel are free childcare, a children’s playground with a professional animator, fitness, free steam bath, sauna, jacuzzi, indoor bio pool, computer halls, etc. There is also a regular free shuttle to the Gondola, and on Saturdays and Sundays – directly to the ski slopes in Shiligarnika.

Over half a million ski tourists in Bansko

Bansko is a well-established, supermodern and internationally renowned ski resort. In the winter season in Bansko for ski holidays come many tourists from all over the world. Of course, the resort is also popular with the Bulgarians. In addition to booking longer holidays in Bansko, many also take advantage of their weekend skiing opportunities. Thus, the Bulgarians are among the first skiers who open every season in Bansko.

In the 2014/15 season Bansko is visited by about 500,000 tourists, and in the coming seasons there is a growth in visits. Last season, for example, in Bansko there was a 6.5% increase in the number of Bulgarians who visited the resort and in the case of foreigners the increase was 7%.

In Bansko there are competitions of the highest rank in ski alpine disciplines, which attract numerous fans outside the holidaymakers. For 6 years there have been 5 World Ski Cups. Last season in Bansko were also the start of the 2017 Snowboard World Cup, which attracted 15,000 people who came especially for the competition. For comparison, the population in Bansko is about 9 000 people.

This season in Bansko will again have a Snowboard World Cup on January 26, 27 and 28, 2018. Besides, due to the excellent conditions, all participants will have a 10-day preparatory camp, which will also train for the Olympics in Punchan On February. All this will be what will be a strong accent in winter season Bansko and the organizers create a perfect organization, because millions of viewers all over the world will watch for Bansko and Bulgaria.

The whole winter season in Bansko is filled with national competitions. In addition, the open race of Mexico is held, and last season there was also the Balkan Cross-Country Skiing.

The perfect place to spend a family vacation

Wonderful conditions in Bansko led the ski resort to the leading position in the Forbes and National Geographic charts.

The ski resort of Bansko is ideal for family holidays, it is at the top of European destinations, according to the authoritative and influential magazine Forbes. In its ranking, Bansko is ahead of world-famous resorts like the Spanish Sierra Nevada and Salen de Gallego, the German and French resorts, the Russian Sochi.

For National Geographic, Bansko ranks first among the 10 resorts in the world that the most widely read scientifically popular magazine recommended for a winter vacation. Among these destinations on 6 continents, Bansko is chosen as the only winter resort. It is noteworthy that National Geographic gives Bansko much more attention and attention than the rest of the ten. The magazine believes that Bansko is among the best European resorts and is very suitable for beginners skiers and families.

With the tourist “Oscars”

Bansko and in 2017 received – for the fourth time – a tourist award corresponding to the film Oscar. Only 12 winter centers have achieved 4 times the World Ski Awards. The awards were presented at the Kitzbühel resort of Austria at a World Cup ceremony. Bansko ranks among the 25 winter top destinations around the world.

Nominations are running on-line this year as well, by September 22 at Worldskiawards.com. More than 1.6 million people from at least 143 countries are expected to participate in the vote. It is voted for 202 top ski resorts from 26 countries on 5 continents. First the national winners are broadcast, and then the worlds.

Accommodation in Bansko and what’s in town

Tourists in Bansko can choose between different accommodation options. There are many guest houses as well as hotels in Bansko with different categories – two, three, four and five stars with luxurious studios and apartments, equipped with everything needed for everyday life. Many extras can be listed, but it is enough to mention, for example, the luxurious bathrooms at Aparthotel Lucky Bansko Spa & Relax. They have a phone and even have a SOS system.

In the very town of Bansko you can find everything like a very well developed tourist center. All kinds of goods that you can think of are sold in stores – household items, clothes, shoes, cosmetics, souvenirs, etc. Very attractive are the exquisite works of traditional artistic crafts that impress foreigners and guests from Bulgaria.

The restaurants, taverns, wineries, bars, etc. offer different styles – national from different nationalities, traditional Bulgarian, international, with live or mechanical music, as well as varied nightlife.