BANSKO

Bansko (Bulgarian: Банско) is a town in southwestern Bulgaria, located at the foot of Pirin at an altitude of 936 m above sea level. Today it is a popular mountain resort.

Bansko is the birthplace of 20th century Bulgarian poet Nikola Vaptsarov and Bulgarian enlighteners Paisiy Hilendarski (sometimes disputed) and Neofit Rilski.

Bansko is a popular place to invest in property and is rated #1 ski resort in Bulgaria. It welcomes thousands of tourists from all over the world each year.

Bansko, once mainly a stockbreeding and travelling merchant community, has nowadays become a center of winter and summer tourism. The mountain peaks near the town, the numerous lakes and the old pine woods make it a popular site for recreation. In recent years, the town has gained international popularity after the start of the annual Bansko Jazz Festival and consequently the annual Bansko pop-star concert featuring top pop stars. The nearby village of Banya, located only 5 km from the town, is known for its 27 thermal mineral springs.

A new gondola lift was built in 2003 to replace a minibus ride up to the ski slopes of Todorka. Several other gondolas and ski lifts are in the process of being built. These developments, along with the construction of extensive housing and recreational facilities around the gondola (which is on the southwest end of the town by the river), have made Bansko a popular and growing destination.

LOCATION

The town of Bansko is situated in the South West corner of Bulgaria. Surrounded by three mountains - Rila, Rhodopes and Pirin, the town lies at the foot of the Pirin Mountain at an altitude of approximately 950m. Often called 'the best kept secret of Bulgaria', Bansko is strategically located midway between Sofia and the Aegean coast of Greece within easy reach from Macedonia, Serbia, Greece and Turkey. Pirin National Park is UNESCO-protected and covers more than 100,000 acres of virgin mountain landscapes.

GETTING THERE

Bansko lies 170km away from Bulgaria's capital Sofia, which receives both scheduled and chartered flights from many European cities; 140 km from Plovdiv - the second-largest city of Bulgaria, which is also home to a seasonal charter-flight airport. There are convenient links by road between Bansko, Thessaloniki (240km away) and Kavalla (160km away) in Greece, which are said to improve further with Bulgaria's entry into the EU on 1 Jan 2007. There are regular public transport links between Bansko and the larger cities, private hire and chauffeur-driven cars can be easily organised upon request.

LOCATION OF CHALET

Chalet Ku Ku Riak is situated in a quiet residential part of Bansko with easy access to the historic centre of town, the traditional restaurants, bars and mehana-s. The Chalet has a convenient location, close to the heart of this mountain town, with its cultural sights and old church. The development is also near the stadium in town, which offers good recreation opportunities. Plans have been revealed for the building of a circular road, which would enable our guests and apartment owners to get to the lifts in no time. There are plans for the establishment of regular bus services to take skiers and tourists to the ski lifts - these would come in addition to our planned shuttle service, which would be organised exclusively for all our guests. Further plans have been established to build a sports, entertainment, and shopping complex with an Olympic size swimming pool, which would be situated in the south east corner of town, just walking distance from our development. Chalet Ku Ku Riak is thus strategically located to provide maximum comfort and easy access to various facilities and entertainment while keeping up the relaxing atmosphere of the residential surrounding.