Bansko
Bansko is a mountain resort in Bulgaria with a short hot summer, long mild winter and temperate spring and autumn. The skiing season starts in the middle of December and ends in mid-April.
Bansko has the best state-of-the-art winter sport facilities in Bulgaria. It has an exclusive 16-kilometre uninterrupted ski run that starts from Todorka Peak at 2600 metres and ends at the newly built Gondola cable car on the outskirts of Bansko. The ski runs are equipped with artificial snow machines to guarantee perfect skiing conditions at all times.
In total, there are 17 pistes in Bansko, five 4-seat lifts, one 3-seat lift, 6 drags and 10 baby drags and a new gondola cable car is planned, ensuring that skiers from beginners to experts can enjoy the runs. The total length of marked ski runs is 65 km, allowing for up to 10,000 skiers a day. Ski passes are fitted with micro-chips which can be read even through clothing and rescue services include a short-code mobile number for skiers in trouble.
Skiers can also experience off-piste skiing or try out the biathlon, a mix of shooting and skiing popular with Bulgarians. Local tour operators also offer guided cross-country skiing and snowshoeing across the pine-clad lower slopes. In summer, climbers and hikers can use a network of alpine huts and many of the trails and roads that serve the ski resort are great for mountain biking.
- Slopes: 930m to 2560m
- Lifts: 23
- Pistes: 65km - 35% blue, 40% red, 25% black
Tourism
Mayor Alexander Kravarov revealed plans to invest more than ten million Bulgarian levs in Bansko at the official opening of the new winter tourism season when he also announced that procedures were underway to build an airport near the ski resorts. All of this has added momentum to Bulgaria's rise to prominence as an attractive option for property investors.
Over 200,000 tourists visited Bansko during the summer season of 2005 and around 500,000 Euros had spent time there during the winter season. Of particular interest to buy-to-let investors is the strategy to increase the number of tourists by 20 per cent. It is also believed that demand for property will intensify further as Bulgaria steps up its bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
For winter ski holidays Bulgaria is now the number one country for British tourists seeking affordable snow resorts. Meals and services are cheap with a three course meal costing about £8 and a pint of beer 80p. It is this value for money and the excellent ski school and professional instructors that are the biggest draw for skiers on a budget.
Six-day ski passes: £75
Six day ski and boot hire: £42
Ski school (24 hours): £55
Private instructor (94 hours): £35
What's special about Bansko
Developers are choosing to build at Bansko rather than Borovets, a ski-resort an hour from Sofia, or Pamporovo, two hours south of Plovdiv in the Rodopi Mountains, because of the quality of its ski facilities and the attractions of Pirin national park, a Unesco world heritage site. Bansko is almost certainly going to be Bulgaria's leading ski-resort. The slopes are unrivalled in the region and there's plenty of room to extend them.
The medium-term strategy is to bring the ski facilities up to a standard that would enable Bulgaria to host the 2014 Winter Olympics. One of the advantages of the Olympic bid would mean upgrading the road from Sofia to four lanes, which would cut the journey time from the airport to well under two hours. In the meantime, a new border crossing with Greece, due to open next year, should make the resort accessible from Thessaloniki airport in the same amount of time. Bansko is 2 hours from Plovdiv airports, 1.5 hour drive from the Macedonian, Serbian and Greek borders and 3 hours drive from the border with Turkey.
Over 200 million euros have been invested in Bansko over the last 5 years, including 15 million euro credit from EBRD for a new cabin lift in the skiing area. Ulen, a Sofia-based company, has invested €40 m in the ski facilities alone.
There are a number of projects planned in neighbouring towns that will enhance the resort. Residential units are going to be built in the near villages of Banya and Dobrinishte, and these are villages famous for their mineral water springs. A project for the development of the area between the mountains and the nearby town of Razlog has been approved which includes the building of a golf course, tennis courts, hotels and houses, making the investment in Bulgarian Property.
Ivailo Ruhov, the deputy mayor, says the area is in less danger of over-development than the Black Sea coast because of restrictions surrounding the nearby national park. Development has been a priority, it's true," he says, "but we need enough beds and service facilities to accommodate about 7,000-8,000 skiers. Once that's achieved, we'll work to maintain a high-quality environment for year-round tourism."”
Bansko was voted Europe's most improved ski resort in the first Great Skiing and Snowboarding Guide 2006 awards by Daily Telegraph correspondent Peter Hardy. The guide covers the world's best ski areas, giving up-to-date and detailed information on lifts, passes and facilities as well as critical profiles of resorts, hotels and restaurants.
According to property investment experts, Amberlamb property Investment Resources, property investors seeking affordable overseas real estate market and maximum potential for gains and yields are intensely focused on Bulgarian off plan property developments in Bulgaria's skiresorts, which are receiving unprecedented levels of investment into property and infrastructure as the country is due to become a full-fledged EU member in 2007.
The opportunity to host the Winter Olympics would have a significant impact on Bulgaria's economic development with increased employment expected in the years leading up to the event. According to the Sofia Echo, winning the bid for the 2014 Games would improve Bulgaria's reputation for natural and cultural heritage and lead to a dramatic increase in the building of sports facilities. It is believed that a successful bid would lead to investment of around 1,322 billion Euros in and around Sofia, Borovets and Bansko.
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