Bansko is a town in southwestern Bulgaria. It is conveniently located for access to Mount Todorki, on the slopes of which there are numerous slopes for snowboarders and skiers, including the difficult Tomba slope.

The town is located at the foot of the Pirin Mountains, part of the national park of the same name. The mountains, along which hiking trails run, are home to bears and wolves. One of the park's most striking attractions is Vihren Peak (2,914 m), towering over vast forests and stunning glacial lakes.

In the mornings, you can stand in line for the first lift... The line is about an hour long. The solution is to either come early, right before opening, or closer to lunch...

Map of the trails and the highest point I climbed...

Okay, wait, I haven't told you how to get to Bansko! Well, it's simple, either by bus from Sofia (from the central bus station, which you can get to from the airport by metro, bus or taxi), or by taxi (which will be very expensive) or by transfer provided by some hotels (also not cheap).

The city consists of low-rise buildings, mostly hotels... I don't have any decent quality photos of the city itself, next time I'll definitely take more photos, but I do have photos from the mountain :-)

So, at the first lift the weather may be dull and cloudy, but as soon as you go higher the picture changes dramatically!

And finally...

P.S. In addition to my own photographs, the article includes photos taken by my friend Alexander.