150km (93 miles) from Sofia Sprawling at the base of the Pirin, Bansko is Bulgaria's fastest growing winter resort, with a cumulative 65km of marked ski runs and brand-new lifts to ensure that the resort continues to attract the lion's share of foreigners keen to experience conditions on the slopes of "Bulgaria's Alps." Besides the range of runs -- ideal for a group comprising beginners, intermediate, and experienced skiers -- Bansko is also the only Bulgarian ski resort that is centered around a historic old quarter -- a tangle of cobbled streets lined with thick stone walls and metal-studded gates behind which half-timbered double-story homes can be glimpsed. Many of these are now atmospheric mehanas , their windows aglow with crackling fires in winter and the sound of lilting traditional songs wafting out along with the delicious aroma of Bulgarian fare, served up at such reasonable prices that even those forced to go half- or full-board by hotels during peak season can afford to junk these (generally awful) meals and head into the old quarter for a decent spread. But if you're not high up in the mountains or settled around a table in the village heart, the picture is a little less pretty, as Bansko's innate charm is increasingly compromised by the unprecedented growth seen in the last few years -- every season sees more concrete poured into foundations that creep beyond the "official" building line as developers try to deliver on the promise of "uninterrupted views,
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