Most people when they think of a ski resort, think only of winter and skiing or snowboarding. In fact the mountains through out the rest of the year are busy and bustling communities.

Weather wise, we have our cake and eat it!!! The winters are long with copious amounts of snow, and the summers are long and Sultry, with temperatures averaging between 30 and 35 deg C for most of the summer months.

Through out the summer months there are numerous festivals and concerts. These are not put on just to attract the tourists, they are in fact a part of every day life here in the mountains.

Mineral springs

The area around Bansko is also very well known throughout  the region for it's hot mineral springs. Used by the local people for their therapeutic qualities, the springs are open for the public to sample, whether it's just a small bath type spring or the 'Hot spring fed' swimming pool in Dobronishte, the next village just 5km from Bansko.

Bulgaria also boasts the only Geyser in Continental Europe (2 hours from Bansko, en-route to Sofia). Spurting out of the ground at a height of 10 metres every 5 to 6 seconds it is the most temperamental in the world. Also one of the hottest at 103 deg C.

      Narrow Gauge railway

From Bansko it is possible to take the narrow gauge railway down the mountain to Septemvri (towards Plovdiv). The journey although slow is very picturesque but well worth the trip ( A whole day is needed for this experience). As the train gently winds its way down the mountain through countless villages, to the town of Velingrad (roughly the midway point) it travels through 24 tunnels of varying length. At one point it actually does a complete loop which enables the train to climb higher. Velingrad itself is a spa town and worth a couple of hours to explore (but cannot be done as well as Septemvri). On the final leg of the journey down through the gorge with its vertical cliffs the train for most part follows both the road and the river.

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