Bansko to host European Rafting Championship June 23-29

Bansko will host the first-ever European Rafting Championship in Bulgaria. From June 23 to 29, 2025, participants from over 10 European countries will compete in this extreme sport, said the Bansko Town Hall. The competitions will take place on the Struma River in the Kresna Gorge, according to the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA).

Training will begin on June 23, and the official opening ceremony will be held in the center of Bansko on June 24.

The participating countries are Bosnia, Bulgaria, the United Kingdom, Greece, Romania, Lithuania, Croatia, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Germany. Six teams from Bulgaria will compete in various disciplines – slalom, sprint, H2H (head-to-head), and downriver.

The championship is organized by the Bulgarian Rafting Federation and the Bansko Town Hall, with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, as well as the nearby municipalities of Kresna and Simitli.