An underrated Bulgarian ski town is undergoing a transformation to attract visitors all year round.
Until now, Bankso, in southwest Bulgaria has been a little-known skiing village where visitors looking for a resort without the deluge of tourists have flocked to between December and April.
Set in the Pirin mountains, the resort offers beginner slopes and challenging runs set within Pirin National Park, which boasts glacial lakes and forested ridges.
Often billed as Europe’s cheapest ski resort, travellers have taken advantage of its setting away from the continent’s most sought-after destinations to forge a path for itself within the skiing holiday industry.
But now the mountain town is attempting to attract visitors all year round by showcasing its history and non-winter sport outdoor offerings.
Its location in the Pirin National Park allows it to appeal to hikers looking for breathtaking scenery, stunning lakes and idyllic camping spots.
Its natural biodiversity makes it an ideal habitat for wildlife which allows visitors to take in the array of birds, deer and insects that call the park home.
Outside of the park, Old Town cries out to be explored with its medieval architecture and winding alleys reminiscent of places such as Dubrovnik or Montenegro.
The town manages to blend its historical buildings and open squares with the modernity of coffee shops and bookstores and old meets new at the foot of the Perin Mountains.
Nightlife in the area is also burgeoning, with jazz nights, opera festivals and open music in the town’s historic Nikola Vaptsarov square keeping visitors entertained all year round.
The town is a two-hour drive from the airport in the county’s capital Sofiaand with buses running regularly at a cost of around £22, the town is relatively easy to get to.