Snowsure: 3.9
- Occasionally gets enough snow for skiing
- Is often closed due to a lack of snow
- Occasionally suffers from a lack of snow
- Rarely suffers from a lack of snow
- Bansko is snowsure even in the poorest seasons
Visitor reviews for Bansko Ski Resort
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(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
(NOTE: Reviews may be edited by our content team for the purposes of ensuring accurate and relevant information)
Latest
February 19, 2013
Mooshmoosh from
United Kingdom
Mooshmoosh from
United Kingdom
Here in Bansko right now and am very happy with the skiing. There is loads of snow and the resort runs have improved a little since the last time I was here. Bansko is still a relatively small resort but there is enough to challenge most people here for a week and it's a brilliant place for beginners. Everyone I have spoken to has been really happy with the ski schools anyway. There are 3 or 4 really nice reds and 3, maybe 4, blacks that are good fun for the experts. Food and drink are great value, ski pass just about ok considering the size of the place and childcare very good through Ulen at the top gondola. Don't even try to book it before you get here though as you'll get no reply to e-mails or calls. Our 5 year old is happy but the skiing she does as part of the daycare is very limited and we've had a lot of problems getting her some extra tuition; they seem to think she is too young! The queue for the first gondola of the day is an absolute joke but, as we have our daughter, we are able to take the VIP route which is normally 30 minutes. The actual queue has been terrible every day and I imagine may take 90 minutes or more to get up the mountain; that is just not acceptable but Bansko has too many beds and not enough skiing infrastructure. Someone here really needs to take note!!
February 19, 2013
Mark from
United Kingdom
Mark from
United Kingdom
Just returned from a short 5 day break in Bansko. Stayed in a friend's apartment just across from the Kempinski so a nice short walk to the gondola. Queues were long in the morning, for the gondola, but no queues on the mountain for chairs. Tip: use the locker storage for boots, 5 lev for 24hrs and join the queue at the bottom of the gondola stairs. Pistes were good and wide, but became chopped up and mogely in the afternoon due to the amount of people on them. Across to the left of the mountain the runs were a little quieter so better. The long run back down to the gondola is ideal for timid skiers to get an hour's continuous skiing without queuing for the beginners poma. Resort is definitely for beginners/intermediates but plenty big enough for a few days. Mileage hungry skiers would be better at some of the linked Austrian/French resorts. Restaurants in town very good, although disappointed with the food and service at 'Euphoria'. People in shops and bars very friendly and helpful, and never really felt hassled by the reps outside bars etc. Bansko definitely needs a 2nd gondola.
February 08, 2013
steve from
United Kingdom
steve from
United Kingdom
We are out here at the moment. Don't worry about the snow, it's put a huge amount down in the past 24 hours and still coming down with loads more forecast. Lift can be very busy up until about 10.30 but there are other options such as free shuttle bus or taxis! Some of the more commercialised bars are a bit more expensive this year , however, it's still stunning value on the whole and there are some fabulous eateries and bars: Victoria and Hadji George being a couple of our favourites. You can make your stay in Bansko into whatever you want it to be. Enjoy, we certainly are.
February 06, 2013
Daniel from
Bulgaria
Daniel from
Bulgaria
February 05, 2013
matt from
United Kingdom
matt from
United Kingdom
I was in Bansko in January 2011 and it was so warm all the snow was melting and there was not much of it, bearing in mind this was January and supposed to be the coldest month. Also, if one looks at the latitude of Bansko one can see it is far south of the Alps. The mountains are not as high and I believe in global warming. In 10 years time there will most likely not be enough snow to be a viable resort. The resort looks like it is totally over-developed, to such a degree the properties are all but worthless. I will never go there again. It is a shame, it could have been a nice place but due to global warming and total over-development they have ruined the place.
February 05, 2013
Seankata from
United Kingdom
Seankata from
United Kingdom
Well, I suppose a reply to another reviewer is required so I will repeat what I put in my earlier review: Bansko is a small, underdeveloped ski resort that will not appeal to skiers looking for a lot of variety. The infastructure is poor, they still seem to be building like crazy and there is already overcapacity for the amount of skiing. Roads and paths can sometimes disappear and the gondola can often be a pain, particularly at peak times or days. Lift passes have gone up and the resort needs to watch out here because what used to be good value is close now to being not. Where we disagree can be put down, I think, to our different attitudes to the things Bansko is and isn't and it does need to be said that if it is bad why go there "hundreds and hundreds" of times? What is good about Bansko, in my opinion, is the people and the value. It is still cheap by comparison to most of Europe, the food is generally great and the attitude of everyone I have met has been excellent (and remember my wife is originally from Bulgaria but rarely advertises this when we're there).
[note from the editor : reference to other reviewers are not included in submissions]
February 04, 2013
lewis from
United Kingdom
lewis from
United Kingdom
Another reviewer has it spot on when he talks about the number of pistes, queues and value for money. He also didn't mention that when the top of the mountain is closed by frequent winds you lose a good 30% of piste. Recently one of the T-bars was closed for weeks(?still is).
Bansko needs more piste before a second gondola.
February 04, 2013
Pete Phillipson from
United Kingdom
Pete Phillipson from
United Kingdom
Here are some recommendations from my latest "Pete`s Bansko Winter Guide"
Eating out:
The names here are the English equivalent as some are written on the traditional old Mehanas in the Cyrillic alphabet. I have indicated my favourite places with a *
Zehtingievata House Mehana* – St George Kovachev 11 - Past the Lions Pub, down Pirin st, to the 3rd crossroads, there is a big illuminated sign on the right hand side of this junction advertising this Mehana as 50m down that road. Popular with locals. Chicken liver starters very good, The Pork Knuckle (in photo) here (27 Leva) is excellent and comes with homemade chips and gravy and is enough for around 3 people with say a Vegetable Sache. Very acceptable local red wine. They sometimes have live local music which is not too loud. An atmospheric old Mehana with oak beams and a lovely log fire where prices are very reasonable. 00359 899 559 599 / Wi Fi key: 888... (as many 8`s as you can get in)
Banski Han* - Located down the bottom of the town on the opposite side of the road to the petrol station by the big supermarket. Consistently good food & service. Chomlec (veal stew in photo) excellent, try with Garlic Perlenka, flat bread (photo) & their home made chips. Chicken with Rockford sauce & pork fillet both very nice as is the House red & white wine. Sometimes they have a very pleasant local band. Wi-Fi 6565656565 (65 X 5) Tel: 00 359 888 990 663
The Log House* – Down from the traffic lights turn right just along there on the left. great for lunch, soups, chicken, tripe, bean etc are only 2.50 leva, have with Perlenka flat bread. Also recommended for dinner. 00359 88 902 0201
Victoria* – Opposite the Kempinski Hotel, “Italian” very popular so best to book, nice atmosphere, excellent ribs with teriyaki sauce for starters, beef medallions recommended. nice deserts, Pizzas,
Tel 00359 (0) 887 761 500
St Ivan Rilski Hotel* - c1.5km to west of the gondola, We went here one night when our vehicle was snowed in at St Ivan, Christmas 2011 and were pleasantly surprised. The pork cutlet chops were very big, char grilled and excellent, 12.60 leva plus 1 leva for wild mushroom sauce. Excellent homemade chips. For desert I can recommend the pancakes with apple and cinnamon, that come with nice ice cream and you get 2 big pancakes which is enough for 2? I did not like the cheesecake here. Nice house red but served to us very chilled!
Bistro Pirin* – Just up from & opposite the ice skating rink. Wooden fronted building with big glass windows and nice log fire in Winter. V Nice chicken soup 1.80 leva, try the fried rice with chicken (makes a nice change) 8 leva, my lads like the breaded chicken fillet (v big) 10 leva. Proper homemade chips and you get a big plate full. This place is not posh but great food, popular with locals, very reasonable and good service.
For more information e mail me: [email protected] and I will send you my latest guide.
Regards
Pete
February 04, 2013
Ryan from
United Kingdom
Ryan from
United Kingdom
I have just returned from a week in Bansko and just wanted to offer a few thoughts. Having been to the resort before, I was happy to return as the accommodation available best suited our needs.
We stayed at the Lucky Bansko Aparthotel as it has a lovely pool and Spa. It also offered a free kids club and creche. The hotel is brilliant and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone with a young family, though you might want to hire a car as it is the opposite end of the town from the gondola. All in all, the hotel offered great 5* facilities with excellent service for a very reasonable price.
Unfortunately, I don't think the same can be said of Ulen who own the ski lifts/resort. Lets just start with saying that the staff are generally pretty rude and unhelpful. I agree with all the other reviews: the gondola is a choke point (lengthy queues) and causes a lot of frustration at the start of the day. With regards to value for money, I paid £150 for a 6 day lift pass (which is only £120 in advance through skibansko.bg) but had a couple of days where the top lifts were closed early without any warnings. On my last day pretty much all the lifts were closed, again without any warning or indication. Having skied in the USA and across Europe previously, i know the weather does play a factor, but other resorts do offer updates/explanations instead of just leaving you stranded. It just seems to me that Ulen are doing their best to get as much money as possible and don't care about whether you have a good time. Why else would they not bother updating the piste map which shows a red run (on the far right) that has not been operating in the last 10 years?
In conclusion, the town itself is being heavily developed and the resort is getting busier. Unfortunately, as the ski resort is in a nature reserve they are not allowed to add additional runs. At some point the slopes will just get too busy and stop being attractive to anyone who wants to actually ski/board rather than drink cheap Zagorka beer.
February 01, 2013
Artid
Artid
Been there for New Year's Eve 2013. Ski slopes are good with a lot of variations, nice small city with descent restaurants, also good food, good hotels with spacious rooms, but, man, so many queues, queues, queues everywhere.
You want to take the gondola, 1-1.5 hours of queue, if you decide to drive up there, two hours of queue to get to the parking (there is this lady that first takes the money from you than walks to her kiosk to bring you the change than walks back to the kiosk to take the receipt, than walks back to give it to you), then they tell you you have to park 1 km from the ski center and walk there, then two to three hours of outdoors queue to get the ski pass (that was the most terrible) and even if you arrive to the window they surprisingly tell you you should pay in local currency which you have no place where to exchange but the black market. So another queue and to end, the perfect "queue day" you get the lady's toilet queue. I'm serious, I was glad to be a man that day watching my wife waiting about 30 minutes for the lady's room.
So I'm definitely not going there again. Not recommended absolutely! At least not on days like this.
Nearest