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Bansko is situated at the foot of the majestic Pirin mountains, 160 km from Sofia and 60 km from Blagoevgrad, at an altitude of 950 m. The town has a population of about 12,000.

Bansko is the native place of well known personalities in Bulgarian history, a popular tourist center and a starting point for outings in the Pirin mountains. The town flourished as a trade and crafts center during the National Revival Period (18^th-19^th c.), when the Bansko merchants traded between the Aegean and Central Europe. During that time Bansko also established itself as a center of culture and enlightenment. The town is the birth place of these great figures of our history: Paisii of Hilendar, author of the famous Slav-Bulgarian History (1762), Neofit Rilski - the celebrated man of letters and enlightenment, Toma Vishanov-Molera - the founder of the Bansko School of Painting.

In fact the Bansko School of Painting was one of the best ones in the Bulgarian lands during the 18^th-19^th c. The Bansko artists who worked along the Mesta and Struma river valleys, broke the established canons and introduced secular and historic themes to church painting, besides also painting portraits, the iconostasis in the Holy Trinity Church in the town centre are a fine example of this art.

Other landmarks include the House of Neofit Rilski, as well as the Sirleshova, Boianova, and Velianova Houses - all typical of the local building tradition of the 19^th century, now architectural monuments. Also, the monument of the great Bulgarian National Revival Figure Paisii of Hilendar is most impressive.

The collection of icons painted by Bansko masters is certainly worth visiting. The church of the Holy Trinity built in 1835 is the largest and richest in mural paintings in the Pirin mountains region. The belfry and clock tower is the symbol and pride of Bansko. The town will strive to preserve the amazing presence of spirituality and try to combine it with the fast growing modernization of its infrastructure. Such combination will make Bansko an even more attractive place to visit or live in.

More about Bansko's  History by Svetla Baryakova, to whom we are thankful.

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