Selective Background

Despite being declared a national park in 1962 and an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, this biodiverse hotspot was under attack by its own government in 2017.  The Bulgarian government planned to open up 66% and 48% of Pirin National Park's area to construction (for example, ski resorts) and logging respectively.  The Association of Parks in Bulgaria and other environmental organizations sued the government, and the Bulgaria's Supreme Administrative Court suspended the constructions and logging in 2020.

How I got to Pirin

After spending a night at the incredible Rila Monastery (1983 UNESCO World Heritage Site), I took a small bus from the monastery to a small town of Kocherinovo.  Along with some elderly men in the town centre, I waited for another small bus to take me to a larger town of Blagoevgrad.  In Blagoevgrad, there are approximately eight daily buses to Bansko.

Bankso has a clean inoffensive old town that I understand is quieter in the summer than in the winter (I visited in July 2023).  The town itself does not have any significant sights (Sveta Troitsa Church probably being the best among the few sights), but it did have a very helpful tourist information centre, which gave me details about buses to Pirin and about possible hikes there.  Buses to Pirin, specifically to Vihren Hut, ran three times a day in the summer and picked up passengers from various locations, e.g., train station, the community centre, and various larger hotels.

The Hike

Next morning, I took the bus to Vihren Hut's parking lot.  From there, there was an easy hike with a small elevation gain to Glazne River and a wooden bridge that crossed it.  I observed that most hikers stopped there, which was unfortunate as they would have been rewarded with a number of glacial lakes with just a bit more effort.  Soon after crossing the wooden bridge, there was a detour trail to a hidden small lake called Okoto.  After seeing the lake, I backtracked to the main trail.  The trail then steadily gained elevation and required a bit more energy.  Eventually, the trail led to, in order, Ribno Banderishko Lake, Frog Lake, and Long Banderitsa Lake.  Although it is unlikely that a person would use superlatives to describe these three lakes, they were pretty and set in unspoiled wilderness. 

After reaching Long Banderitsa Lake (photo), the trail then turned into steeper switchbacks upwards.  No technical scrambling skills were required for the switchbacks, just exertion.  At the top of the first ridge, is a nice view of a couple of more glacial lakes.  From there, I could have hiked higher up the ridge or to Demyanitsa Hut, but I decided to turn back and return via the same trail to catch the afternoon bus back to Bansko.  The entire return hike took approximately 4 hours with plenty of breaks for photos.  There is a restaurant at Vihren Hut that you can enjoy after your exertion.

Getting away from Bansko

Although there are definitely quicker ways to get to historic Plovdiv, I instead took the slow narrow-gauge railway from Bansko to Septemvri.  The scenery from the train ride was pleasant but not as spectacular as guide books described it.  I recommend it for those who can travel in a more leisurely pace.  At Septemvri, I took a bus to Plovdiv.