There’s something a little Brothers Grimm about Bansko in winter. Wooden houses rise haphazardly from a blanket of snow, stone chimneys send puffs of meat-scented smoke into the air and bears, wolves and jackals prowl the ancient pine forests. With the town’s identity drawn from the great outdoors, it’s little wonder it feels so atmospheric.
Clinging to the slopes of southwest Bulgaria’s majestic Pirin Mountains, Bansko is perhaps best known as the country’s largest winter resort, where the savvy ski set comes for some of the best powder east of the Alps — at a fraction of the cost. And while the neon-lit ‘new town’, built at breakneck speed to accommodate the growing number of winter tourists, can teeter towards feeling a little overdeveloped, the old town centre retains its charm. Tourists who tear themselves from the pistes are rewarded with a maze of cobbled streets, handsome mansions and traditional taverns (known as mehanas), where veal stews and slow-roasted boar dominate the menus.
But when the ski season dies down, Bansko sheds its winter coat to become an adventure playground. Its sweeping green landscapes are an ideal terrain for a host of outdoor activities in the summer months, from hiking in the hills and zip-lining above the treetops to rafting through winding gorges.
DAY ONE CULTURE & CRAFTS
MORNING
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der March 2021-Ausgabe von National Geographic Traveller (UK).
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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Dianne Whelan
THOUGH NOT A SEASONED HIKER TO BEGIN WITH, THE FILMMAKER BECAME THE FIRST PERSON TO COMPLETE THE WORLD'S LONGEST TRAIL NETWORK
NIGERIA
The country's many communities come together over hearty meals with plenty of heat
Katie Hale
A VOYAGE TO THE GREAT WHITE CONTINENT IS BOTH A DREAM COME TRUE AND A CALL TO ARMS, TO PROTECT OUR ICY POLES AND, IN TURN, OUR PLANET
WILTSHIRE
BEYOND THE MAIN ATTRACTION OF STONEHENGE, WILTSHIRE HAS EQUALLY IMPRESSIVE ANCIENT SITES, GIANT CHALK HORSES AND COSY PUBS IN HISTORIC VILLAGES
BATH
Thermal baths and Regency heritage have put this Somerset city firmly on the travel map - and this year the spotlight will be on former resident and literary great Jane Austen, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of her birth
GRANADA
In this Andalucian city, flamenco is an art form as well as a way of life not just for traditional dancers and singers but also for hip-hop stars, classical guitar legends and street artists
India's Golden Triangle
LINKING DELHI, THE TAJ MAHAL AND THE PINK CITY OF JAIPUR, WITH DETOURS FOR TEMPLES AND TIGERS, THIS IS THE PERFECT ROUTE FOR FIRST-TIMERS. WORDS: POOJA NAIK
FORGED BY FIRE
A SUBTROPICAL ISLAND IN THE ATLANTIC, MADEIRA HAS RUGGED VOLCANIC MOUNTAINS THAT RISE ABOVE THE CLOUDS, NATURAL SWIMMING POOLS DOWN AT SEA LEVEL AND MORE THAN 1,900 MILES OF HISTORIC AQUEDUCTS TRACING THE LANDSCAPES IN BETWEEN
ADRIFT IN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE
A KAYAKING EXPEDITION THROUGH NORWAY'S LOFOTEN ISLANDS OFFERS WHITE-SAND BEACHES, ROYAL ENCOUNTERS AND THE CHANCE TO CHANNEL YOUR INNER VIKING
the RETURN
ON A PRIVATE GAME RESERVE IN SOUTH AFRICA'S KWAZULU-NATAL PROVINCE, AN UNLIKELY CREATURE IS MAKING A TENTATIVE COMEBACK - AND VISITORS ARE OFFERED A GLIMPSE INTO THE CONSERVATION EFFORTS TO SAVE IT AND OTHER NATIVE WILDLIFE
