Hotels near Balkaniada (Piste No. 4)

Piste No. 4, Balkaniada, is the red that regulars ski when the Alberto Tomba run fills up. It lies roughly 400 m east of the Tomba line across the same Todorka bowl, and the Banderiza 1 four-seat chairlift feeds it, covering 1,745 m with a 630 m rise at 2,000 people an hour.

The run takes its name from the Balkaniada regional games, and it has the profile of a training course: a steady fall line, consistent width, and no long traverses to break the rhythm. Bansko Ski Resort groups Balkaniada with Todorka (No. 6) and Stara Pista (No. 7) in the red category, and of those three it is usually the emptiest, since the Alberto Tomba run and the Todorka piste pull most of the traffic off the top of the mountain. That makes Balkaniada the place to work on giant slalom turns at speed.

One warning about grading. Colours at Bansko Ski Resort run stiffer than the same colours in the French or Austrian Alps, and Balkaniada is a fair example. A cautious intermediate will find the upper pitch faster than expected, so take a warm-up lap on Shiligarnik 1 before dropping in.

Pro Tip: Use the Banderiza 1 chairlift rather than the Todorka chairlift for repeat Balkaniada laps. It moves 2,000 people an hour against Todorka's 800, so the queue clears far quicker between 11:00 and 13:00.