Bansko ski resort review | Ski Resort Video

Thanks to Eden Ram, the brilliant videographer for the amazing footage.
Cahpters:
0:00 - Intro
0:36 - ski area review
04:41 - Bansko town
05:40 - Bansko Apres ski
06:21 - Nightlife review
07:40 - Casino in Bansko
07:56 - how to get to Bansko
08:19 - Pros & cons
08:53 - Bansko ratings by Ski Resorts Video
10:02 - insider tips
Nestled at the foot of the Pirin Mountains and next to Pirin National Park, Bansko is considered the best ski resort in Bulgaria. With the magnificent mountain peaks of Vihren and Todorka as its backdrop, reliable snowfall from December to April and a combination of traditional and modern Hotels, it's one of Eastern Europe's best-skiing destinations.
This review will show you the essential things you need to know before heading to Bansko. We will share clever tips to help you make better decisions, save lift queue time and money, and have an enjoyable holiday in Bansko.
Bansko has 70km of piste, rising from town level at 936m to an altitude of 2600m, and with reliable snow cover between December and April. It has a relatively modern ski lift system that will get you anywhere you need. Bansko is a small ski resort that offers excellent value for money. It has eight blue runs, including two ski roads for those new to skiing. For more advanced skiers, it provides 8 red runs and the black Tomba run, named after the former World Cup alpine ski racer Alberto Tomba.
Half of Bansko’s runs are blue. For newbies, it’s best to start at the ski trails number 1 and 1a. If you have some runs under your belt, you can take the shiligarnik, Mosta and Plato lifts. They will lead you to the major blue runs: 11, 3, 5 and 10. There are a few ski schools in Bansko that can help you learn the ropes. They are located all through Pirin street, so even if you didn’t book online, they are pretty easy to find. If you need a ski school, check out Pirin 2000, Bansko’s ski school, located only meters from the gondola. 6 days x 4 hours group lessons costs 265€. 6 days x 2 hours priced 170€. These are the prices for ski or snowboard tuition for groups of up to 8 people in the high season which is Dec 22nd until Mar 7th.
You can take shorter courses, down to 1 day x 2 hours. Meeting point is in Banderishka Polyana, next to the gondola top station.
4 hours of private lessons costs 170€ for one, 220€ for 2, 250€ for 3 and 280€ for 4.
The prices for mid-season are 10% cheaper.
If you are advanced or intermediate, then the Banderitza lift and the 6 -seater Todorka are your best friends for the stay. They can get you anywhere on the west side of the resort, where nearly all of the red runs are, plus the only black run. From Banderitza 2 and Plato lifts you can ski anywhere. Bansko has 14 lifts, including one Gondola, six 4-seaters and two 6-seaters. Bansko doesn’t offer much space for advanced skiers, but the slopes are well-groomed, and plenty of snow canons keep them fresh.
Bear in mind that the slopes can get packed during holidays and weekends due to the small ski area and the cheap prices. Really really packed. So get to the slopes bright and early for open runs and fresh snow.
Six days skipass for adults will cost you 230 euros for adults and just shy of 100 euros for kids seven to12 years old. The local currency is the Bulgarian Lev which is around half a Euro.
To get to the ski area, only one lift connects the town, which is quite big for a ski resort. Therefore, the queue to the gondola can take up to 2 hours(!) In the high season. On these days, the town organises several ski buses that carry people to the top station, which is a 20 minutes ride, but the line to the ski bus is also 45 minutes. There are other tricks to avoid the 2 hours queue, which we will reveal in the insiders’ tips chapter later in the video 🙂
The 7km long gondola takes a 27-minute ride to Bunderishka Polyana, the base of the main part of the ski area at 1600 meters. From here, you can take the Banderiza 1 & 2 lifts to get to the top. To ski down from here, take ski road number 1, a 10km long easy blue run.
Bansko’s apres scene is small
But the nightlife scene is where Bansko excels, certainly for a modest resort. When the site is packed, the night comes alive and young people from all over get the bar hopping going.
Here are some of our favourite spots to hit After dinner. one of Bansko’s warm and folksy pubs, the Amigo is a good place for an early drink. It has live shows of cover bands that play mainstream classic with in a fun vibe. The disco is a bit wilder with more upbeat music and drinking contests. The oxygen is a great spot for some hardcore dancing and drinking and is the most popular club here. The Flash club has a bit more of a bling vibe and fency decoration. If you’re all worn out, and all that drinking made you hungry, Bansko has you covered with some late night spots especially for those with a sweet tooth
Bansko has several Casino's like the one in Platinum hotel.