Nature and wildlife

Chamois, eagles and mountain lakes, a few hours' walk from the village.

3mountain ranges

Chamoison the meadows

Observation towerin Razlog

All yearwinter and summer

Nature

Three mountain ranges, four seasons

From the valley you look out on three mountain ranges. Pirin National Park begins at the edge of Bansko and Dobrinishte. Bears, chamois and eagles live there, and every season it looks different.

Pirin

Sharp peaks of granite and marble, with Vihren at 2,914 m. More than 170 mountain lakes. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983.

Rila

The highest mountain range in the Balkans, with Musala at 2,925 m. Known for the Seven Rila Lakes and the Rila Monastery.

Rhodopes

Gentle and wooded, with deep gorges and small villages. The narrow-gauge train winds right through it.

All year round

A different valley every season

Spring

Crocuses by the lakes

When the snow melts, the shores turn purple and yellow. The streams fill with meltwater and birds sing everywhere in the forest.

Summer

Chamois on the meadows

Above the tree line chamois graze among the rocks. Edelweiss and gentian bloom on the slopes, and eagles circle high above the peaks.

Autumn

Colours in the valley

Gold, red and green, with the first snow on the peaks. The paths are quiet and the air is clear, ideal for a long hike.

Winter

Silence in the snow

A white forest, a wooden hut and nothing else but silence. In the fresh snow you see the tracks of foxes and deer.

What you can see

Wild nature, close to home

Chamois

Often seen on the high meadows

Eagles

Circling above the peaks

Bear park

Bears up close

Reptiles

Emerald lizard and viper

Flowers

Crocuses and marsh marigolds

Winter hiking

Snow, sun and silence

Viewpoints

Razlog Observation Tower

Mountain lakes

Mirror-like lakes in the Pirin

Belitsa Bear Park

A second life for dancing bears

High above Belitsa, in the Rila and about an hour's drive from Bansko, live bears that used to have to perform on the street as dancing bears. Since 2007 that has been banned in Bulgaria. In a large stretch of forest they learn to be ordinary bears again, together with bears rescued from other Balkan countries. With a guide you walk past the enclosures and hear their story.