Old town of Bansko
Churches, merchant houses and mehanas, behind the ski shops.
Stone, wood and stories
Behind the ski shops lies old Bansko: cobblestones, high stone walls and heavy wooden gates. In the 18th and 19th centuries, merchants from Bansko traded far beyond Bulgaria. Their houses are still there, and in the old mehanas you eat as people did back then.
What you will see
Holy Trinity Church
The big church in the centre, built in 1835. The bell tower stands apart and the whole complex is walled, almost like a monastery. Inside you will see murals and can light a candle.
Velyan House
The house of a wealthy merchant, painted by the artist Velyan Ognev. You see how people lived here in the past, with a study and a place where fruit was dried. There is an audio tour in several languages.
The old streets
Turn off Pirin Street at the church and you walk into narrow cobbled streets, like Neofit Rilski Street. Houses of stone and wood, some centuries old. In the morning it is quiet, in the evening it comes to life.
Writers and scholars
In the centre stand the birth houses of the scholar Neofit Rilski and the poet Nikola Vaptsarov, now museums. The Paisiy Hilendarski centre tells the story of the monk from Bansko who wrote the first Bulgarian history.
Eating in a mehana
In the old stone restaurants the wood fire is burning. Kapama, grilled meat and local wine, often with live folk music. More about the local cuisine on our Local dishes page.
Affiliate links: we receive a small fee, you pay nothing extra.
Active
Hiking
Thermal baths
Narrow-gauge railway
Culture and events
Nature and wildlife
Sights
Places
How to get here