SKI TRACKS BANSKO IS THE NEWEST SKI RESORT INBULGARIA IT HAS 10 YEARS OF HISTORY AS SUCH BUTIS PROUD OF A VERY WELL DEVELOPED BASE FOR SKISPORTS. TEN KILOMETERS SOUTHWEST OF THE TOWN ISLOCATED THE BIGGEST RESORT IN PIRIN MOUNTAINSHILIGARNIKA. HERE ARE SITUATED SOME OF THE BESTSKI TRACKS IN THE COUNTRY. THERE IS A CHAIR LIFTWITH THE CAPACITY OF 800 PEOPLE PER HOUR. THEUPPER STATION OF THE CHAIR LIFT IS AT ABOUT 2450METERS ABOVE SEA LEVEL AND SERVICES THE HIGHESTSKI RUN IN THE COUNTRY PLATOTO, WHERE YOU CANGO SKIING EVEN AT THE END OF MAY. A SMALL TOURISTSETTLEMENT HAS GROWN UP AROUND THE LOWER STATIONOF THE CHAIR LIFT WITH MANY PUBLIC CATERINGHOUSES, CAFES, AND HOTELS. AT A DISTANCE OF THREEKILOMETERS FROM THE TOWN OF BANSKO IS THE RESORTOF CHALIN VALOG, SETTLED ON THE NORTH SLOPE OFPIRIN MOUNTAIN. THERE ARE FOUR WORKING SKI TRACKSWITH TOTAL LENGTH OF 1300 METERS AND SUITABLE FORBEGINNERS. THE SKI TOW IS 1200 METERS LONG ANDTRANSPORTS 700 PEOPLE PER HOUR. THE PLACE IS VERYSUITABLE FOR TOURISM. THERE ARE SEVERAL HOTELS,BUNGALOWS, SKI EQUIPMENT, VILLAS ANDRESTAURANTS................................1,5 KMRILA MONASTERY THE RILSKI MONASTERY ST. IVANRILSKI IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE MONUMENTS OFTHE BULGARIAN ARCHITECTURE AND ART. IT IS THEOLDEST INHABITED CLOISTER IN OUR COUNTRY. IT HASALSO BEEN THE BIGGEST LITERARY CENTER IN BULGARIASINCE THE OTTOMAN YOKE. THE MONASTERY WAS FOUNDEDIN THE 10TH CENTURY BY THE BULGARIAN HERMIT IVANRILSKI WHO LATER WAS CANONIZED AS A SAINT. THEMONASTERY WAS ERECTED ON ITS PRESENT PLACE IN THE14TH CENTURY AS AT THE BEGINNING ONLY ONE DEFENCETOWER WAS BUILT. THE SUCCEEDING MOST IMPORTANTPART OF THE BUILDING OF THE MONASTERY WAS THEPERIOD 1816 1870 WHEN WITH FUNDS COLLECTED FROMTHE WHOLE NATION AND WITH THE HARD WORK OF MANYMASTER BUILDERS, WOOD CUTTERS, ICON PAINTERS,SCULPTORS AND ARTISTS, THE BIGGEST BULGARIANMONASTERY, WHICH IS PRESERVED IN THIS APPEARANCEEVEN TODAY, WAS BUILT. IT IS ANNOUNCED A