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Bansko (Bulgarian: Áàíñêî)
is a town in southwestern
Bulgaria, located at the
foot of Pirin at an altitude
of 925 m above sea level. It
is considered to be the most
developed Ski and Winter
Resort in Eastern Europe,
and is one of the best in
Europe.
Bansko is the birthplace of
20th century Bulgarian poet
Nikola Vaptsarov and
Bulgarian enlighteners
Paisiy Hilendarski
(sometimes disputed) and
Neofit Rilski.
Legends
There are several legends
about who founded Bansko.
According to one of them,
Bansko was founded by people
who lived in Dobarsko, a
village in Rila, itself
according to a legend
founded by the blinded army
of Tsar Samuil.
Coat of arms of Bansko
Another legend claims that
Bansko was founded by an
Italian painter by the name
of Ciociolino, thus the
existence of the name
Chucholin in Bansko.
Still according to another
version it was a Slavic
tribe called the Peruns, who
lived in Pirin and worshiped
Perun, that founded the
village later to become a
town. There are a number of
ethnographic texts, legends,
prayers and oratories, which
lend credence to this
legend.[specify][citation
needed]
History
The archeological traces of
the inhabitants of Bansko
and the Razlog Valley in
general date to the early
periods of the Roman Empire.
Traditional taverns in a
narrow street of Bansko
The Bulgarian National
Revival-style Church of the
Holy Trinity in Bansko,
built in 1835
There are several housing
structures at the outskirts
of the town, which date to
100 BC. However, there is no
consensus nor credible
theory on who these people
were.
The Bulgarian Evangelical
Church Community, the first
Protestant church in
Bulgaria, was founded in
Bansko on 6 August 1868.
Until 5 October 1912, Bansko
was a part of the Ottoman
Empire, but enjoyed a quasi
self-rule autonomy granted
by the sultan. The town was
ruled by an assembly of the
elders, while justice was
administered by the Turkish
judge in Razlog. It was
incorporated in Bulgaria in
1912 as a result of the
First Balkan War.
Bansko today
Bansko, once mainly a
stockbreeding and travelling
merchant community, has
nowadays become a center of
winter and summer tourism.
The mountain peaks near the
town, the numerous lakes and
the old pine woods make it a
popular site for recreation.
In recent years, the town
has gained international
popularity after the start
of the annual Bansko Jazz
Festival and consequently
the annual Bansko pop-star
concert featuring top pop
stars. The nearby village of
Banya, located only 5 km
from the town, is known for
its 27 thermal mineral
springs.
A new gondola lift was built
in 2003 to replace a minibus
ride up to the ski slopes of
Todorka. Several other
gondolas and ski lifts are
in the process of being
built. These developments,
along with the construction
of extensive housing and
recreational facilities
around the gondola (which is
on the southwest end of the
town by the river), have
made Bansko a popular and
growing destination.
The town is served by a
scenic narrow gauge railway
from Septemvri to
Dobrinishte.
BANSKO.DABG.NETDABG.NET
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