07.02.2005 Financial Times: Bansko is one of the shiniest ski resorts in New Europe

Article by Kerin Hope, 5th Feb 2005

Bansko, no longer a down-at-heel mountain hideaway but one of the shiniest ski resorts in "new" Europe, reads the Saturday issue of the Financial Times. Last year the resort received an investment of 40 million Euros to install a state-of-the art ski facility, with equipment specifically designed for piste and weather conditions on the Pirin slopes. There are 17 pistes, including a 16 km run from beneath the summit down to the outskirts of town.

A gleaming blue gondola carries skiers and snowboarders from the ski centre outside the town to the beginners' area and ski-school at 1,600m, while two chair-lifts continue on to the highest slopes at 2,500m, beneath the Todorka peak.
Carefully groomed runs are equipped with dozens of cannons for making artificial snow. Ski passes are fitted with micro-chips readable through the pocket of a ski jacket to avoid having to fumble with a card at the gate. Rescue services include a short-code mobile number for skiers in trouble.
As foreigners grow more familiar with Bulgaria, pouring money into holiday homes along the Black Sea coastline and investing instead of renting as expatriates in Sofia, it seems only natural that ski resorts would be next in line for a property spending spree.
This sense of history, as well as the presence of Bulgaria's "new Europe" middle-class, helps make foreigners feel comfortable. English is also widely spoken and the streets are clean and well lit. A handful of bars and discos have sprung up to provide an après-ski atmosphere but nightlife centres on the mehanas, basement taverns offering hearty meals and live folk music. Most avoid being kitschy because of the quality of the music and the cuisine, which includes grilled lamb and crêpes with walnut and honey.

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