Mountains, lakes, forests and rivers (and skiing)

Our apartment is small, cosy and very bright, with a large patio door as you step out onto a sweeping view of the Rhodope mountains. From our super comfortable couch, there is a 65' smart TV ready to drop in your Netflix, YouTube or any other account. so for those evenings in, all the entertainment you need is right there. There is a fully fitted kitchen with clothes washing machine. There is no dishwasher in the apartment because we prefer to do that by hand. Everything you'd expect to find in a kitchen is there, including microwave and steam cooker, wok and slow cooker. Whatever your cooking style, you can do it here. The terrace of our 1 bedroom mountain apartment opens up onto a 180 degree view of the mountains, whether covered in snow as far as they eye can see or covered in Summer green foliage, sitting on the terrace with a steaming hot coffee or an ice cold cold beer, you'll feel the peace of the mountains surround you, whatever time of year you choose to visit. The apartment is on the top floor of a three level apartment block. Mainly full time residents live here. There is elevator access. There is parking directly outside, for residents only but not dedicated. Easy parking in the Spring, Summer and Autumn. In season as you'd expect in a ski resort, it's busier but manageable. Bansko is a 2 hour drive from Bulgaria's Sofia airport and about 3 and a half hours from Thessaloniki International airport in Greece. Once in town you'll see a town of three parts. Many of the traditional stone houses in Old Bansko are around 150 to 250 years old. The distinctive Bansko style really developed during the 18th and 19th centuries, when the town became wealthy through trade and crafts. The substantial stone buildings you see around the old centre were deliberately built almost like small fortresses, with thick stone walls, heavy wooden gates and protected internal courtyards. Bansko Municipality specifically dates this architectural tradition to the 1700s and 1800s. Bansko itself is considerably older. The settlement is thought to have formed from several neighbourhoods during the 15th and 16th centuries, with its first known reference dating to 1576. The modern area is the main town square, where families gather on a Sunday and is the home to restaurants, tavernas and in the Summer, to a range of cultural and music events. The local fruit and veg market is just behind. Walking up through the town's main streets, both pedestrianised, you'll come up to the top of town. Bansko's new town is all about winter sports, skiing, hiking, ATV, and summer trekking, biking and exploring. Everything in town is walkable and recommended. Though it is a mountain town and so it is not flat. We have a large supermarket as well as many local grocery, butchers and fish sellers as well as an amazing Sunday vegetable market with all kinds of choices, all locally grown. Our main walking street, Pirin Street, is a pedestrianised area of street cafes, both modern and traditional restaurants, local shops and craft beer bars with both international and local craft beers. There is a vegan cafe and if you like a later evening, Pirin75 bar at the top of the street (and 5 minutes from home) is a lively venue, especially at the weekend. Bansko is really multicultural and the main second language is English. Because the town is made up of such a diverse melting pot of nationalities, English is used almost everywhere. Bansko’s old railway is part of Bulgaria’s famous narrow gauge Rhodope line, a wonderfully slow and scenic route that winds through mountains, forests and remote villages. Built in stages during the early 20th century, the railway was designed to connect isolated communities across the Rhodopes and Rila regions. The track is much narrower than a standard railway, allowing the trains to negotiate tight bends, steep gradients and difficult mountain terrain. From Bansko, the line runs toward places such as Razlog, Velingrad and Septemvri, passing through dramatic valleys, tunnels and high mountain scenery along the way. At its highest point near Avramovo, the railway reaches more than 1,200 metres above sea level, making it the highest railway station in the Balkans. Today, it is less about speed and more about the journey itself. The little trains still operate as regular public transport, but for visitors they offer a glimpse of an older Bulgaria, when rail travel was slower, communities were more isolated and the journey through the mountains was part of everyday life. Road trips, train trips and bus trips are all close at hand. You can be on the Greek coast in a little over two hours. Visit Istanbul by road, coach or night train, which is highly recommended. Macedonia, Serbia and Romania are all within easy reach, and if you’re a little more adventurous, drive down through Greece, take a ferry to Ancona or Venice, then make your way back through Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and North Macedonia before returning to Bansko. When it's time to relax again. you can choose from 5 star hotel meals right through to local tavernas with home cooked food. If golf is your thing, we've got that too! -Pirin Golf & Country Club sits just outside Bansko, at the foot of the Pirin Mountains, and gives the area a very different kind of appeal beyond skiing and hiking. The centrepiece is an 18 hole championship golf course, surrounded by mountain views, pine forest and open countryside. There is also a second, shorter course, practice facilities, a golf academy, restaurants, spa facilities and accommodation, so it works as much as a resort and social hub as a place to play. For residents and longer term visitors to Bansko, it adds another dimension to life here. You can ski in winter, hike and cycle through the warmer months, then be on the golf course within minutes of town. The setting is hard to beat, particularly on clear days when the Pirin peaks dominate the skyline. It is also useful for entertaining visitors or clients. Even for non golfers, Pirin Golf is an easy place to go for lunch, dinner, a spa day or simply a change of scenery from the centre of Bansko. Biking, ATV, MTB, Golf, trekking, guided walks, fishing, spa...you name it, we have it.