Image: Old Town Bansko.
Highlights
Day trips and hiking from the mountain town of Bansko, Bulgaria.
Time of Visit: September 2025
Duration of Visit: Five Nights
Description
Bansko is a charming mountain town in southwestern Bulgaria. Nested at the base of the Pirin Mountains, it makes a great base for explorations to surrounding villages. It is also Bulgaria’s top ski resort during the winter.
The town’s cobblestone streets and stone houses preserve its historic character. Its lively center features mehanas (taverns) offering hearty local cuisine and folk music. Fortunately, Bansko is under the international tourist radar so you can enjoy its historic old town with just the locals.
Beyond Bankso and hiking in the Pirin National Park, there is the village of Melnik and Rila Monastery. Both are fantastic day trips which take about an hour and a half.
Activities
Walk Around Old Town
Bansko’s Old Town has a pedestrian only street and is a delight to walk around. Outdoor restaurants and souvenir shops line the street. It has a nice view of the Pirin mountains as well.
Do not forget to stop by the visitor information center just across the Orthodox Holy Trinity Church. Seeing the inside of the church should not be missed while in Old Town. Unfortunately, taking photographs inside the church is not allowed.
Day Trips
Rila Monastery
Rila Monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was founded in the 10th century and is considered a national treasure and a significant spiritual and cultural center for Bulgaria. It is the country’s largest Eastern Orthodox monastery.
The monastery has colorful frescoes and distinctive arched hallway architecture.
Melnik
Melnik is a small village about an hour and half drive from Bansko. It is in the middle of Bulgaria’s wine region. Locals told us that Sir Winston Churchill used to buy wine from the area.
Besides wine, Melnik has stunning natural sandstone formations known as the Pyramids that offer moderate hiking opportunities (more later). There is also the Rozen Monastery, a medieval Bulgarian Orthodox monastery that is one of the largest and best preserved in the country. It features unique architecture and colorful frescoes.
If we had a do-over, we would have stayed here at least two nights or even longer for a chance to sample the region’s wine.
Hiking
What drew us to Melnik are the eroded sandstones near the village. There are several hiking trails around the area. We did the hike to the Viewing Point Melnik and Sand Pyramids (on Google Maps) which is at the small monastery of the Virgin Bogoroditsa Spileotisa.
The monastery was closed during our visit but the view of the town below and the triangular shark teeth shaped eroded sandstones were more than enough to reward our efforts in climbing the series of steps that took about 15 minutes. While up top, follow the well worn trail to the West to the ruins of St. Nicola Church and Despot Slavavo Fortress.
If you have more energy, you can do the out and back trail to the View of the Melnik Earth Pyramids which gives you a closer view of the eroded sandstones compared to that of the monastery. It takes about 2.5 hours to complete with the first half being flat and through the forest following a dry stream bed and the remaining half on a steep climb and exposed to the viewpoint. I particularly like the lone old tree at the end of the ridge.
Drink Wine
The drive to Melnik reminded us of Tuscany’s rolling hills. The climate is dry and we passed a lot of vineyards. There are a few wineries in the area. There are a number of stalls in Melnik that sell locally made wine. Some you can even sample. You can buy the bottled/corked version or the plastic/screw cap version. The latter being cheaper and not meant to be stored long term.
We stopped by Shiroff Winery which is a small mom and pop shop that is right off the road before reaching the town of Melnik. In its basement, we got to sample the wine out of the vat and not from a corked bottle. The owner was friendly and spoke English. We bought their white wine which was fruity but at the same time had a dry aftertaste. The owner gladly let us have a couple of clusters (bunch) of grapes hanging from the vine. They were sweet tasting too albeit it had seeds.
Hiking in Pirin National Park
Pirin National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of Bulgaria’s most stunning natural treasures, covering a vast area of rugged mountains, alpine meadows, and glacial lakes. Its highest point, Vihren Peak (2,914 meters / 9,560 feet) is the second-highest mountain in Bulgaria and a popular challenge for hikers which takes about 3.5 hours to reach from the Vihren Hut.
There are many other alpine lakes in Pirin National Park. A quick one line search indicates there are about 170. We imagine spending a month in Bansko would allow you to hike to most of these lakes.
We did the approximately 5 mi (8 km) hike from Vihren Hut to five alpine lakes which are Muratovo, Ribno Banderishko, Zhabeshkoto, Dalgoto Banderishko and Okoto Lakes. It has an elevation gain of approximately 1,150 ft (350 m). Muratovo, Ribno and Dalgoto were particularly beautiful. This hike took about eight hours for us to complete probably because we got worn out trying to hop over big rocks and boulders at the Southern end of Ribno lake to get to Dalgoto. We had to abort this section and had to double back on the main but longer trail.
About five kilometers before Vihren Hut, there is a sign on the road that indicates no entry between 8AM and 4PM. We asked about this sign at the Bansko Information Center. The man said the sign is there to limit the cars going in as there is limited parking space. Indeed, there are about two dozen parking spaces at Vihren Hut and another two dozen half a kilometer before the hut. There is also a parking/camping area 2.5 kilometers before the hut but that would mean more climbing. We arrived at Vihren Hut around 8:40 AM and were able to secure a parking spot half a kilometer from the hut.
How To Get There
We rented a car from Sofia, the capital city and drove to Bansko. It is about a two hour drive. The drive is mostly on an expressway where the speed limit is 120 kph. After exiting the expressway, it is another 40 or so kilometers on undivided two lane mountain road to get to Bansko.
We saw tour buses at Melnik and Rila Monastery so it is possible to reach these places without a car.
Where To Stay
We stayed in Predela LUX Aparthotel which is at the edge of town and near the border with Pirin National Park. Our apartment was a one bedroom unit with lots of space and felt homey (except for a few missing kitchen utensils).
We arrived on a Saturday and noticed that the apartment complex’s parking area was full. But it seemed like almost everyone cleared out by Monday as there were only a handful of cars left in the parking area.
How To Get Around
Having your own vehicle is the best way to get around and make efficient use of your time.
Expected Expenses
The only expense we incurred was the 5 BGN parking fee at Rila Monastery. There is free roadside parking a few hundred meters before the monastery.
Summary
Bansko is a great Bulgarian destination. Its uncrowded Old Town is delightful to walk around. The town’s proximity to Pirin National Park provides endless outdoor opportunities for hiking and enjoying the great outdoors.
The small village of Melnik and Rila Monastery are great day trips from Bansko. Melnik is in the heart of the country’s wine region and at the base of the sandstone pyramids. Rila Monastery is adorned with colorful frescoes and is the largest Eastern Orthodox church in Bulgaria.
Bansko delivers a rich and memorable experience that justifies its reputation as one of Bulgaria’s must-see destinations.