Whilst staying in Bulgaria’s largest ski resort Bansko in September, we had a number of options for our day: hiking in the Pirin National Park – the good weather option; visiting thermal springs at nearby Banyo – the wet weather option; or exploring the historic old town.
As the day’s forecast was initially good, we decided to combine a short walk and the town. We arranged a lift from our hotel up the 30-minute winding steep road to the Vihren Hut, the starting point for several trails. On route we passed the top of the Bansko Gondola Ski Lift, the Olympic downhill slope, and then steps leading to Baikushev’s pine, a 1,300 year old tree.
Because of the weather forecast, we’d chosen what was described as the moderately-challenging circular route to Lake Okoto. As it was said to take around an hour in total, we arranged to be picked up 90 minutes later. Due to the height, 1950m, it was a little misty and after a false start where we appeared to be heading in completely the wrong direction, we found the right path with the help of a mountain guide. It began with a fairly difficult assent which involved constantly clambering over rocks. We passed several wet places, presumably made worse by the previous day’s rain, with wooden pallets over them and a large rock with several memorial plaques to either skiers who had been killed or who wanted to be remembered there. Eventually after an hour of walking, the mist got worse as the cloud descended and we realised there was insufficient time to reach the lake and return in time. So we reluctantly turned around and back at the hut, enjoyed coffee on the panoramic terrace of a small restaurant.
Back in town, tourist information provided a useful map. There were numerous house-museums, dedicated to historically important people, The Holy Trinity Church with its huge bell tower, and the distinctive Paisiy Hilendarski Monument. However, we simply enjoyed wandering the cobbled streets with their distinctive stone houses. Some souvenir shops and bars were open, but we were definitely between the summer and winter seasons.
We returned to the downtown ski area, found the bottom of the Gondola Ski Lift, and imagined how busy the piste and surrounding bars would be in the middle of winter.
