Bansko Bulgaria - Emerging Real Estate

Bansko is located in the South West of Bulgaria, at the foot of the Pirin Mountains. Bansko is now a popular ski destination and is rated as the number 1 ski resort in Bulgaria, attracting thousands of tourists each year. Because of this, the town is fast becoming a popular place for investment.

Although not as obvious a choice as Sunny Beach in the east, Bansko is a becoming a popular resort now for both property investors as well as tourists. In November 2006, the Standard Daily stated that there is no space left in Bulgarian Ski Resorts between November and the New Year, showing that Bansko and it's near neighbours are becoming more and more popular. This is a particularly good sign for those potential investors as there is a thriving community to rent to, with over 800,000 tourists visiting Bansko in one week in February 2007, when the European Biathlon Championship visits.

Not only is Bansko a prime area for investment, it is at the reach of the Pirin National Park - a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Pirin National Park is based in the Pirin Mountains near to all the ski routes and slopes within Bansko. Pirin National Park attracts visitors year round, making Bansko a prime place to invest - in all seasons.

Ivailo Ruhov, the deputy mayor, says the area around Bansko is in less danger of over-development than the Black Sea coast because of restrictions surrounding the nearby national park.

The Daily Telegraph Special Report on the 14th October described how Bansko is becoming a resort to reckon with:
"Last season the combination of rock-bottom prices and a high standard of mountain facilities made Bansko the hottest property in European skiing - and the trend seems set to continue."
"Bansko lies close to the Macedonian and Greek frontiers and on a clear day you can see the Aegean Sea. Russians, Greeks and a prodigiously high number of British skiers and snowboarders flocked to the new resort, a two and a half hour drive south of Sofia. Many of them returned home with more than just memories, having bought their own ski homes at a tenth of prices in the French Alps. They have already made - on paper - a 10% profit. You can still buy a studio apartment at the base of the ski area for less than £50,000 or a luxury two bedroom apartment for £80,000."

A new gondola lift was built in 2003 to replace the old 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.