Hotels Restaurants Cafés Nightlife Sightseeing Events Maps

BANSKO
Winter 2008/2009

Skiing
World cup, Helicopters
and More
Bansko Nights
Party now, Sleep later

No 3
www.inyourpocket.com Enjoy your
COMPLIMENTARY
COPY
of Bansko
In Your Pocket
 Contents 3

E S S E N T I A L C I TY G U I D E S

Contents
Arriving in Bansko 5
Comings and goings

The Basics 7
Essential reading for those not sure where
they are

History 9
How the past has shaped the present
Introducing Bansko 10
Facts, figures and Mayor

Culture & Events 11

Events and Holidays
Famous Bulgarians – Nikola Vaptsarov
Name days

Where to stay 13 Dining & Nightlife

Places to recharge the batteries and catch up Restaurants 20
on your beauty sleep Where to wine and dine
Cafés 22
Feed the addiction
Nightlife 24
Enough to keep any pub crawlers on their hands
and knees

What to see 26
Museums
Churches
Pirin Mountain

Winter sports 30
Ain`t no mountain high enough

Directory
Shopping 32
Go on a spree
Lifestyle and Business directory 33
Doctors, Dentists and Services

Maps & Index

Street index 35
Index 35
Skiing map 36
Town map 38
Bulgaria map 39

Winter 2008/2009
4 ForeWord
As days get shorter and the smell of winter fills the chilly air
of December mornings, vacation, partying and hitting the Europe In Your Pocket
mountain slopes becomes our top priority. While you are
sharpening the edges of your skis and snowboards, the
people of Bansko are preparing for the winter season with
all their strength. The piles of firewood are ready for the long,
cold nights, wines, rakias and the good old Banski Starets
are seasoning in the basements and vigorous maintenance
gives a new life to the lonely lifts and ski runs. They are all
waiting for the colorful throngs who come each winter to
enjoy the snow and the mountains.
Going uphill on Bansko’s main Pirin street, we can see
that things are changing for good. You can still step into
an occasional muddy hole, or get splashed by a heavy
cargo truck, passing by, but there are few construction
sites left to litter the picturesque vicinity. It is an end of
an era of uncurbed, megalomaniac building, which almost
ruined the magic of this cosy, rural community. Apart
from some finishing touches, building has stopped and
entrepreneurs are mostly investing in quality and comfort
at reasonable prices.
Talking of luxury and glamour, we have visited some new
and pretty posh places for you to stay in and some recently
opened food, drinking and party-time joints for you to check
out while not skiing or snowboarding. See the newest ac-
commodations in town on page 13 and find out where to
fill up those empty stomachs on page 20. Learn about the
cool places for partying on page 24, but drink reasonably,
because Bulgarian alcohol is pretty strong.
We should not forget all these old and traditional features of With the launch of Moscow In Your Pocket now
the place as the mehanas with their “kapama”, ”chomlek” imminent, check out what we have to offer in the
and revolutionary Macedonian music, the beauty of the Old
town and of course, the Pirin mountain and winter sports, Russian capital at www.inyourpocket.com: the full
which made this trade and agricultural centre into the big- content of Moscow IYP is now online. There are
gest winter resort in Bulgaria. also online guides to Sarajevo and Banja Luka,
As most of us will go to Bansko for skiing and snowboarding, Bosnia to enjoy, ahead of print editions to both
on page 30 there is some useful information about the cities, to be launched in October and November.
slopes, mountain rescue service, the lifts and gondolas Elsewhere, Glasgow In Your Pocket is in the
and even about a helicopter service which will take you to final throes of preparation: expect the guide to
the best ever free ride spots. Do not forget that this year
Bansko will host the World cup Skiing event for women, as
hit newsstands before Christmas.
well as some local race events. Go check them out for some The biggest news of all though at In Your Pocket
inspiration, but know that these people are professionals is our new, much improved website. Check it out
and if you are new to winter sports, you would better “ride” at www.inyourpocket.com and let us know
with the little kids next to the gondola. what you think via email: e-ditor@inyourpocket.
Be safe, relaxed, take your time with fun and may this winter com.
in Bansko be your best ever…

Editorial Copyright notice

Editor-in-chief Steven MacAulay
Assistant Editor Vesela Lyudskanova, Mitko
E S S E N T I A L C I TY G U I D E S Nikolov
Research Mitko Nikolov, Rumiana Benova,
Maya Kozareva, Vesela Lyudskanova
Bansko In Your Pocket Layout & Design Krassimir Apostolov
Mladost 4, bl.473, vh. 2-3, Photos Veronica de Boer
pristroika, parter Cover Vladimir Hadzhiev - www.banskotravel.
(opposite the Business Park) com
1715 Sofia, Bulgaria Sales & Circulation
tel:+359 2 881 01 02
fax: +359 2 881 53 32 Publisher Discover Bulgaria Ltd.
bulgaria@inyourpocket.com General Manager Veronica de Boer
Marketing Manager and PR Petya Racheva
www.inyourpocket.com Sales & Circulation Vesela Lyudskanova,
Maya Kozareva
ISSN 1312-742X
Discover Bulgaria Ltd Available from Airports – Burgas, Varna,
Plovdiv and Sofia, airline companies, rent-
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Printed by Delta High Print EAD centres, shopping malls, foreign embassies
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Bansko In Your Pocket

 arriVing in BansKo 5

The nearest airport to Bansko is Sofia, 150km northwest,

although some charter companies use Plovdiv, 160km to Message from the Mayor
the east. Transfer time from Sofia is about three hours in
normal conditions, and from Plovdiv is four hours - longer Welcome in Bansko – one
at weekends, or in snowy weather. town with rich history, wild
present and strongly be-
lieve – wonderful future.
By bus Ever ybod y touched to
Travelling from Sofia to Bansko by bus takes between three th e ma gi c of Bansko
and three-and-a-half hours. Buses depart from either Sofia’s can not forget the nar-
Central Bus Station (Tsentralna avtogara), near to the train row cobblestone paved
station on bul. Knyaginya Maria Luiza, or from Ovcha Kupel streets, taverns with the
bus station, 5km southwest of the city centre (on the route delicious specialties of
of trams no. 5 and no. 19). Bansko, songs and round
Bansko’s bus station is at the northern end of town, a ten dances, represented by
minute walk from the main square. There is a taxi rank in the the folklore groups, in-
bus station forecourt, and a taxi booking office, belonging to credible beauty of Pirin Mountain. All those turn Bansko
local firm Trans Taxi, inside the ticket hall. There is a public in an attractive center in the all four seasons of the year.
toilet, and a small shop, selling coffee, nibble-snacks and soft Past and present join here in one. The present-day gen-
drinks, but no other facilities. erations have kept the entrepreneurship and innovation
of the older natives of Bansko.
The natives and the investors change Bansko in a modern
and different mountain resort. The European ski zone
and the new hotel base offer wonderful conditions for
development of winter and summer sports as well as
all kinds of tourism.

Welcome in Bansko and let the national magic sur-

round you!

Aleksandar Kravarov
Mayor of Bansko

Street smarts
Street Улица (ул.) Ulitsa (ul.)
Square Площад (пл.) Ploshtad (pl.)
Boulevard Булевард (бул.) Boulevard (bul.)
Highway Магистрала Magistrala
By car Bridge Мост Most
Bansko lies two-and-a-half hours’ drive from Sofia, although
journey time can lengthen to three or four hours on busy
weekends (when getting out of Sofia is often half the prob-
lem). Quickest route is to take the main E79 south to Simitli, Bus schedule
from where a well-marked east-bound turn leads over the
Predela Pass to Bansko. Parts of the Simitli-Bansko road Sofia to Bansko – (3hr – 3hr30min) – 07:30, 08:30,
have been re-surfaced and offer a smooth ride. Several 9:45, 11:25, 13:15, 14:00, 16:45
kilometres in the middle however are still badly surfaced and Plovdiv to Bansko (2hr) – 11:00, 14:10, 15:00
can be slow going. Bansko to Sofia (3hr – 3hr30min) - 5:40, 7:00, 8:40,
Construction work in Bansko itself has made it a difficult town 13:15, 15:20
to navigate: some roads are blocked off altogether and road
signs are either non-existent or unhelpful. Bansko to Plovdiv (2hr) – 07:10, 08:20, 10:50
Bansko to Blagoevgrad (1hr) - 8:00, 8:10, 10:30, 11:20,
By foot 14:00, 17:20, 18:20, 15:00 and 16.00 (Sunday only)
There are very few things that can ruin a nice evening in Bansko to Gotse Delchev (1hr) – 08:30, 10:15, 12:20,
Bansko and getting lost ( with or without being drunk ) is one 16:00, 17:10
of them. Apart from making a fool of yourself, by helplessly For further information for Bansko Bus Station on
roaming the streets in search of your hotel, in the winter it may tel: 82 420 and at tel. 0900 21000 for Sofia Central
be pretty dangerous, wet and annoying. The stone walls and Bus Station.
look-alike houses can turn this little town into the Labyrinth of
King Minos, but actually all you will need are good land marks.
There are two main streets in Bansko - Pirin and Glazne, all the
rest are either parallel, or crossing them. Find your way to the
main streets and remember any shop, hotel or mehana, which  The Bansko
is at the beginning of the street, leading to your new holiday
residence, or just use the map on p. 38. Follow the same route telephone code is: 0749
every night and everything should be just fine.

Winter 2008/2009
6 arriVing in BansKo
Tourist information

By train
Nobody ever takes the train to Bansko if they’re in a hurry. The
journey from Sofia takes over 7 hours and involves a change
of trains at the middle-of-nowhere junction of Septemvri.
However the trip from Septemvri to Bansko is one of the most
scenic that Bulgaria has to offer, with a narrow-gauge track,
snaking its way across the western spurs of the Rhodope
mountains. It’s an especially magical journey in winter, with
the fir trees covered in frost, and snow-white minarets spear-
ing skywards from the Bulgarian-Muslim villages, sprinkled
along the route.
Bansko’s train station is near the bus station, an easy 10-min-
ute walk north of the town centre. If you need a taxi and there
are none in the forecourt, head for the bus station (turn right
outside the train station then bear left) to find one. The train
station has a ticket hall but no other facilities, although the
pair of vintage steam locos, parked outside, add an air of
jollity to the scene.
Bansko Information Centre B-2, pl. Nikola
Vaptsarov 1, tel. 88 580, fax 88 633, infocenter@
bansko.bg. Friendly English-speaking staff at Bansko’s
tourist information centre will tell you all you need to
know about the region and give you advice on local ac-
commodation. They also have a selection of brochures
and maps for sale.
Bansko Tourist Information C-2, ul. Pirin 70A, tel.
0886 543 262, Johnny@banskotouristinformation.
com, www.banskotouristinformation.com. Com-
mercial tourist information centre providing information
and assistance to all tourists and local business in
Bansko. Accommodation, activities, equipment hire,
information on places of interest and excursions. QOpen
10:00 - 20:00.
Information Centre of Alliance for Promotion
and Development of Tourism in Bansko Region
C-3, ul. Bulgaria 22, tel. 88 480/0898 700 890, al-
liance_bansko@abv.bg., www.alliance.bansko.bg.
Tourist information, reservations, business contacts.
Maps, brochures and other materials available.

Car rental
Inter Sport C-2, ul. Pirin 37, tel. 0888 703 184/0899
933 343, inter_sport@abv.bg, www.intersport-bansko.
com. Minimum driver’s age 21, minimum rental period 24
hours. Car delivery in Bansko for 10 EUR additional fee. Driver
service for 15 EUR additional per day. Pick-up service from
Bulgaria and Greece.
Popov Rent A Car C-2, ul. Garibaldi 15, tel. 0898
226 885.

Train schedule
Sofia to Bansko – 6:40 (arrives14:08), 10:40 (arrives
17:48), 15:25 (arrives 22:27). Change at Septemvri
Station.
Plovdiv to Bansko – 08:00 (arrives 14:08), 12:00 (ar-
rives 17:48), 16:40 (arrives 22:27). Change at Septemvri
station
Bansko to Septemvri – 06:59 (arrives 11:53), 10:16
(arrives 19:53), 15:19 (arrives 20:06), 18:45 (arrives
23:36)
Bansko to Dobrinishte – 07:35 (arrives 07:50), 14:18
Taxis
(arrives 14:32), 17:57 (arrives 18:10), 22:32 (arrives Trans Taxi , tel. 0886 008 505/885 05. Taxi ranks
22:46). at the bus station, lift station, hotel Strazhite and hotel
For further information call the railway station on tel. Pirin.
88 214 and 88 215 Vayk Taxi , tel. 865 05/0898 467 777.

Bansko In Your Pocket

 BasiCs 7

Alcohol Key phrases

The archetypal national tipple is rakiya or brandy, which
usually comes as either grozdova rakiya (grape brandy) or The following is a list of some of the most common words
slivova (plum). It’s usually served up in 50g or 100g shots and phrases a person is likely to need.
and is consumed alongside salad or some other form of
nibble – wait-staff will consider you peculiar if you don’t Hello Zdravei
order at least something to snack on while you’re slugging Goodbye Dovizhdane
down spirits. As far as beer is concerned, Bulgaria produces Please Molya
several palatable if unexciting lagers – Zagorka, Shumensko You`re welcome Pak zapovyadaite
and Kamenitsa are the most reliable of the big brands. Thank you Blagodarya
Much more impressive are the dry red wines, particularly Excuse me Izvinete
Cabernet Sauvignon from Svishtov and Oryahovitsa, Merlot Yes / No Da / Ne
from Stambolovo, Gumza from Novo Selo, Mavrud from Cheers Nazdrave
Asenovgrad, and Melnik from the village of same name. The I don`t understand Ne razbiram
Chardonnays and Traminers from Veliki Preslav are among I don`t know Ne znam
the best of the whites. Do you speek English? Govorite li angliiski?
What`s up? Kakvo stava?
Customs Good morning! Dobro utro!
Good afternoon / Dobur den / vecher!
If you are travelling within the EU those over 18 can now take evening!
10L of spirits, 90L of wine and 110L of beer. Most countries
Good night! Leka nosht!
will not allow more than 200 cigarettes from Bulgaria.
You’re not allowed to export antiques, artworks or coins Have you got…? Imate li…?
of numismatic value unless you have a permit issued by Where can I buy…? Kude moga da kupya…?
the Ministry of Culture. Due to fears about child trafficking, How many / how much? Kolko / Kolko struva?
travellers with small children may be asked for documentary Good / bad Dobro / losho
evidence of their parental relationship before being allowed Expensive / cheap Skupo / evtino
to leave the country. New / old Novo / staro
Hot / cold Toplo / studeno
Forgive me! Prostete mi!
Electricity You are very pretty girl Vie ste mnogo krasivo
Bulgaria runs on a 220 volt electricity supply (so some momiche
visitors will need to bring a transformer). Standard con- You are very attractive Vie ste mnogo privleka-
tinental two-prong plugs are used, so others will need to man telen mazh
furnish themselves with an adaptor if they want to use their May I have the bill? Mozhe li smetkata?
hairdryer/phone/ charger/laptop. No offence, but it`s too Ne se obizhdayte, no e
expensive for me tvurde skupo za men
Smoking I have drunk only two
beers!
Piinal sam samo dve
birichki!.
Cafès, bars and restaurants are required by law to provide an Mister policeman, he is Gospodin policai, toi e
area for non-smokers. In practice however this will probably just a tipsy tourist. prosto edin piinal turist.
consist of one or two tables surrounded on all sides by I’m feeling sick, where’s Losho mi e, kade e
nicotine addicts happily puffing away. the … hotel? hotela…?

Visas Days of week

Citizens of the EU, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the Monday Ponedelnik
USA can stay in the country visa-free for 90 days. Nationals Tuesday Vtornik
of other countries should contact the Bulgarian embassies or Wednesday Sryada
consulates in their home countries about visa arrangements. Thursday Chetvurtak
Note that visas cannot be obtained at the border. Friday Petak
If you wish to extend your stay beyond the 90-day period you Saturday Subota
should apply for a residence permit from the Immigration Sunday Nedelya
Office or Bansko Municipality, B-2 pl. Nikola Vaptsarov, 886
11, www.bansko.bg. Numbers
1 edno
Roads & Traffic police 2 dve
Most Bulgarians turn into psychopaths as soon as they get 3 tri
behind the wheel of a car, although given the state of the road 4 chetiri
network one can hardly blame them. Cow-sized potholes, 5 pet
suicidal pedestrians and drunken cyclists riding on the wrong 6 shest
side of the road are just some of the things to look out for – 7 sedem
and with hazards like these you need to swerve around like 8 osem
a stunt driver in order to stay in one piece. 9 devet
In order to drive on Bulgarian roads outside Bansko you’ll 10 deset
need to purchase a vignette which must be glued to the 100 sto
windscreen. You can get these from border crossings, all 1000 hilyada
post offices and OMV and Shell gas stations. For a car or

Winter 2008/2009
8 BasiCs
SUV vignettes cost 10Lv for one week, 25Lv for one month,
and 67Lv for a year. The Cyrillic Alphabet
Talking on a mobile phone while driving is strictly forbidden,
as is driving under the influence of more than 0.5/1000 of Аа a as in arm
alcohol. Foreigners are well advised to obey the rules of the Бб b as in bath
road even if they see locals behaving otherwise: the police Вв v as in van
rarely speak English and are unlikely to show any lenience. Гг g as in go
Policemen checks on major highways are common, especially Дд d as in dog
when entering or leaving Bansko. Policemen are allowed to Ее e as in let
charge on the spot fines up to 50Lv. Жж zh as ’s’ in measure
Зз z as in zoo
Body language Ии
Йй
i
y
as in
as in
bit
yoke
The first thing that any visitor to Bulgaria needs to Кк k as in keep
know is that “yes” is indicated by a shake of the head, Лл l as in like
while “no” is expressed with a nod. It’s a tribute to the Мм m as in map
resilience of Bulgarian culture over the centuries that Нн n as in not
such obtuse habits have been preserved. Foreigners Оо o as in opera
have no choice but to practice the correct Bulgarian Пп p as in pen
gestures in front of the mirror every morning before Рр r as in run
they go out. Сс s as in sit
Тт t as in tap
Уу u as in rule
National holidays Фф f as in fan
Хх h as in hand
January 1: New Year’s Day (Nova godina) Цц ts as in cuts
March 3: Liberation Day (Liberation from the Ottoman Чч ch as in church
rule) (Denyat na osvobozhdenieto) Шш sh as in short
Щщ sht as in smashed
April 19: Easter (Velikden)
Ъъ a as in but
May 1: Labour Day (Denyat na truda) Ьь softens ’o’ as in yoga
May 6: St. George’s Day (Gergyovden; Day of the Bul- Юю yu as in you
garian Army) Яя ya as in yard
May 24: St. St. Cyril and Methodius (Sveti Sveti Kiril
i Metodyi; Day of the Cyrillic Alphabet and Bulgarian
Education and Culture) Basic data
September 6: Unification Day (Saedinenieto; mark-
ing the unification of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia in Territory: Bulgaria takes up 110, 550 km2 of land. It
1885) shares borders with Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia
and Romania. The country is bordered to the east by a
September 22: Independence Day (Denyat na neza-
354km-long stretch of Black Sea coastline.
visimostta)
Rivers: The main rivers in the country are Danube,
December 24,25,26: Christmas (Koleda) Maritsa, Mesta, Strouma, Iskar, Yantra. There are more
than 600 warm and cold mineral springs.
Highest Point: Musala (2925m), south of Sofia in the
Market values Rila mountains.
Population of Bulgaria: 7,385,367 (July 2006 est.)
Population of Sofia: 1,377,531 (July 2006 est.)
How do costs compare to back home? Here is handy list Local time: Bulgaria is part of the Eastern European Time
of local prices to give you an idea. Zone (GMT +2); when it is noon in Sofia it is 11:00 in Berlin,
10:00 in London and 05:00 in New York City.
Leva Euro Religion: Traditional religion in the Republic of Bulgaria
Loaf of white bread 1.00 0.50 is Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Orthodox 85%, Muslim
Snickers bar 0.80 0.40 8%, others 7%.
Litre of vodka 40.00 20.00
Bottle of local beer 2.00 1.00
20 Marlboros 5.00 2.50
Important phone numbers
Exchange rates (as of December 2008: US$1 - 1.51Lv;
€1 – 1.95Lv; £1 – 2.24Lv Fire station: 160, 88 430
Ambulance: 150, 88 270
Police: 160, 888 60, 888 61
Road assistance: 146
Telephone information: 11800
Mountain control and rescuing service: 88 132
Anti-corruption unit: 02/982 22 22, www.nocorr.
mvr.bg

Bansko In Your Pocket


History
Antiquity In antiquity, Bulgaria, the land of Orpheus and
Spartacus, belongs to the Kingdom of Macedonia.
4th century BC The territory of contemporary Bulgaria is
conquered by the Macedonians, lead by Philip II and his son
Alexander the Great. During the first century AD these lands
become Roman provinces.
632 The History of Bulgaria as a separate country begins
with the establishment of Old Great Bulgaria (also known
as Onoguria).
681 First Bulgarian Kingdom is established by Khan
Asparuh.
865 Bulgaria becomes a Christian country. Tsar Boris I ac-
cepts Orthodox Christianity.
9th-10th centuries “The Golden Age” period under the rule of
Tsar Simeon the Great. The Slavic writing is officially accepted
throughout the country. Literature schools, imposing temples
and monasteries are built. Bulgaria has an outlet on three
seas - the Black sea, Aegean Sea and the Adriatic. The capital
is moved to Veliki Preslav, which during that period could be
compared with the beauty and glory of Constantinople.
1018 Bulgaria falls under Byzantine rule until 1185.
1185 The Second Bulgarian Kingdom (1185-1396) is founded
after two brothers, Asen and Peter. The capital city of the new
kingdom becomes Veliko Turnovo.
12th-13th centuries Under the rule of the Tsar Kaloyan (1197-
1207) and Tsar Ivan Asen II (1218-1241), Bulgaria becomes
a dominant power in the Balkans.
1393 The Ottomans occupy the Bulgarian capital Veliko
Turnovo after a three-month siege.
1396 The Kingdom of Vidin is occupied, bringing the Second
Bulgarian Empire and Bulgarian independence to an end.
14th-18th centuries By the end of the 14th century, the
Turks control all of Bulgaria. Ottoman rule continues for five
centuries.
18th century The Age of the Bulgarian National Revival begins.
In spite of the resistance of the central Turkish authorities and
the Greek clergy (the so-called phanariots), the struggle for an
independent church, the publication of books and, later on, of
periodicals in the Bulgarian language, the establishment of lay
Bulgarian schools and the official recognition of the language
and culture, become real steps to the revival of the nation.
One important landmark was the writing of the Slav-Bulgarian
History (1762) by monk Paissi of Hilendar.
1876 Bulgarian revolutionaries launch the April Uprising at
Koprivshtitsa. The Turks suppress it with unprecedented
brutality. About 15,000 Bulgarians are massacred at Plovdiv
and 58 villages destroyed. Outraged European allies come to
Bulgaria’s rescue in the late 1870s. Russia, the chief saviour,
suffers 200,000 casualties in the conflict.
1877-1878 The Russian-Turkish war leads to the liberation
of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Empire.
March 1878 The Treaty of San Stefano provides for an
independent Bulgarian state, which spans the geographical
regions of Moesia, Thrace and Macedonia.
July 1878 The Treaty of Berlin, under the supervision of Otto
von Bismarck of Germany and Benjamin Disraeli of Britain,
splits Bulgaria into three parts: an independent Principality of
Bulgaria based in Sofia, the autonomous Ottoman province
of Eastern Roumelia; and Macedonia, which remains under
direct Ottoman rule.
April 1879 The Turnovo Constitution is passed by the First
Grand National Assembly.
June 1879 Alexander Battenberg becomes prince of Bulgaria,
and Sofia becomes the capital of the new Bulgarian state.
September 1885 Eastern Rumelia declares union with
Bulgaria.
1887 A coup replaces Alexander Battenberg with Ferdinand
of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.
history 9
Recent History
In June 2001, the Bulgarian monarchy makes an
unprecedented comeback when former king Simeon II is
elected prime minister. Unable to ease economics hard-
ships for the majority, however, he too sees his popular-
ity plummet after a few months in power. In the same
election, the country’s Turkish minority is represented
in the government for the first time, and the president
encourages Bulgarians to be more tolerant of Turkish-
Bulgarians. Progress continues under President Georgi
Parvanov, albeit slower than most hope. Membership of
NATO is granted in 2004, and entry into the European
Union follows in 2007.
July 27, 2005 the Bulgarian Parliament chose Sergey
Stanishev of the Bulgarian Socialist Party as the new
Prime Minister in a coalition government with the Move-
ment for Rights and Freedoms. August 15, 2005 the
BSP and National Movement Simeon II formed a stable
government, along with the Movement for Rights and
Freedoms. This grand coalition comprises the three
largest parties. This coalition has a large majority in
parliament with 169 of the 240 deputies.
September 1908 Ferdinand upgrades Bulgaria from principal-
ity to kingdom and declares himself Tsar.
1912-1913 The Nationalist Prime Minister, Ivan Geshov,
forms an alliance with Greece and Serbia to attack the Ot-
tomans and to drive them out of Macedonia and Thrace. The
Balkan Wars are sparking. The alliance soon fall out, with
Greeks and Serbs expelling Bulgarian forces from Macedonia,
and then dividing up the spoils.
1915-1918 Bulgaria joins the German side in World War I. A
Serb-French-British offensive in Macedonia causes Bulgaria’s
collapse. Ferdinand abdicates in favour of son Boris III.
1919 Elections are won by the Peasant party of Aleksandar
Stamboliyski promising widespread social change.
1923-1934 Democratically elected governments are toppled
via coups that bring authoritarian regimes to power.
1941 Bulgaria enters World War II on the side of the
Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis. The country is the only ally of
Hitler’s Germany which did not allow the killing of its Jewish
citizens. It was thanks to king Boris III and to the Bulgarian
governments that no hostilities are waged in the country’s
territory.
1944 After World War II, as a result of the Yalta agreements
between the Great Powers, Bulgaria ends up in the field of
influence of the Soviet Union.
1953-1989 Years of the communist rule of Todor Zhivkov
who headed both the party and the state.
10 November 1989 Under pressure from domestic and
international circumstances Todor Zhivkov is forced to
resign. Bulgaria once again takes the road of democratic
development.
7 December 1989 The Union of Democratic Forces (SDS) is
formed as a unification of 13 opposition organisations.
June 1990 First free parliamentary elections.
12 July 1991 A new democratic Constitution is passed.
13 October 1991 First free local authorities elections.
1992 First free presidential elections. Zhelyu Zhelev is
elected head of state.
3 November 1996 Petar Stoyanov, proposed by the SDS,
is elected with President of the Republic of Bulgaria with a
landslide majority.
19 April 1997 The Parliamentary elections are won by the
Democratic Forces United. A government is formed headed
by Ivan Kostov as Prime-Minister. Bulgaria starts on the road
of genuine democratic reforms.
Winter 2008/2009
10 introduCing BansKo
Bansko lies upon the ruins and artifacts of different
cultures, among which Thracians, Romans, Byzantines
and Slavs, who built fortresses and strongholds and burial
mounds around the river Glazne.
History
9th and 10th century - Bansko is established when several
hamlets merged together.
16th century - Bansko is first mentioned with the name
Baniska in the Ottoman registers of sheep breeders. It is
also a craft center for carpentry and leatherworking, with
workshops, using the power of the river. It served as an
important stop on the caravan trade-routes from the coasts
of the Aegean Sea and Central Europe. During the Ottoman
Rule, the town was among the richest in the Bulgarian lands
and local entrepreneurs opened successful trading offices in
Budapest, Wien, Leipzig, Marseille and London.
Bansko In Your Pocket
Facts, figures and Mayor
The population of the Bansko municipality is about
13700 in the year 2005. It has eight settlements on its
territory. The average annual temperature in Bansko is:
10,4 degrees Celsius, so expect snow and always bring
extra warm clothes, even in the brief, but cool summer.
The mayor of Bansko is Aleksandar Kravarov.
October 5th 1912 - Bansko is liberated at the start of the
Balkan Wars. After the Russo-Turkish war the town was left in
the Ottoman province of Macedonia. Two major anti-ottoman
uprisings took place in the area - the one in Kresna and Razlog
in 1878-79 and the so called Ilinden-Preobrazhenie uprising
in 1903. These events fuel the revolutionary spirit and pride
of the locals and inspire a huge part of the local Macedonian
folklore songs.
 CuLture & eVents 11

Bansko isn’t big enough to have a theatre or a cinema.

However numerous cultural events are organized by the
local municipality to coincide with the winter tourist sea-
son. In addition, annual Bulgarian folk rituals, combined
with the saints’ days celebrated by the Orthodox Church,
provide plenty of excuses for a party.
Macedonian music
Bansko is in the Bulgarian part of Macedonia, a huge region
stretching from southwestern Bulgaria to the eastern borders
of Albania, and taking in portions of northern Greece besides.
Macedonia became politically fragmented in the political
turmoil of the early twentieth century. Macedonian music and
folklore still form the bedrock of local Bansko traditions, how-
ever, and the music heard in local restaurants or performed
by local heritage societies is subtly different from that found
in the rest of Bulgaria. The use of bagpipes, shepherds’ flutes
and a huge booming drum known as the tupan combine to
give Macedonian music a lyrical majesty that you’ll be hard
put to find anywhere else.
The majority of the band’s playing in Bansko’s folk-style
restaurants concentrate on a crowd-pleasing repertoire of
sentimental songs which feature the word “Macedonia” in
the lyrics as many times as possible. Main subject matter of
such songs appears to be the plight of Macedonian maidens
awaiting the return of boys who have left to join anti-Ottoman
guerrillas. The majority of Macedonian songs contain seven or
nine beats to the bar rather than the customary four, making it
well-nigh impossible to tap your foot to them unless you have
a degree in mathematics.
Although female solo singing is an important part of the
musical landscape in other parts of Macedonia, it is the male
group that rules the roost in Bansko. In fact there’s a distinct
style of male singing in Bansko, with a solo voice backed by
strident, raw-sounding harmonies.
Events and Holidays
Apart from national holidays, there are several local
festivities on Bansko territory, which should not be
missed by any self-respecting tourist. For those who
find Bulgarian art, music and dance more interesting
than a day of skiing or hiking, Bansko’s museums and
festival stages will give something to remember. If play-
ing instruments, made of skinned sheep is not your cup
of tea, then listen to some good jazz on the annual Jazz
festival, or go eat and drink as much as you can on our
personal favourite Sudzhuk Festival – Bansko’s own way
of celebrating good food.
December 25th – Christmas Concert – Community
Center Hall – 17.00h
December 25th – Christmas Mass – “Holy Trinity”
Church - 8.00 – 10.30h
January 1st 2009 – “Happy New Year” – A Holiday Folk-
lore Concert and Kukeri Festival– Central Square
January 14th 2009 –A Festival of the Banski sudzhuk
and red wine – Central Square – 17.00h
May 17-25th 2009 – Days of the Bansko traditions –
dedicated to notable enlighteners, concerts of amateur
artists, display of traditional outfits and cuisine from
Bansko, art exhibitions, best hotel, street and summer
garden competitions, Flower holiday
May 24 – 25th 2009 – “Between Three Mountains” –
Folklore festival for authentic Bulgarian songs
May 24th 2009 – Day of the Slavonic Culture and Alpha-
bet – Official start of the Summer tourist season
June 19th 2009 - Celebrating the day of St. Paisiy
Hilendarski
July 23th 2009 – 67 years since the execution of Nikola
Vaptsarov and 57 years of museums in Bansko
August 8-13th 2009 – International Jazz Festival
“Bansko 2009”
September 2009 – Pirin Folk Bulgaria – Bansko Interna-
tional Festival for Original Bulgarian songs
October 5th 2009 – Day of Bansko, 97 years from the
liberation from Turkish rule
November 1th 2009 – Day of the Bulgarian Enlighteners,
216 years since the birth of Neofit Rilski

Winter festivals
Winter brings out the weirder side of Bulgarian folklore, with
the menfolk of small towns and villages donning animal
masks and cow bells to perform daft-as-a-brush dances
to ensure peace and fertility in the coming year. Known as
kukeri or mummers, the dancers aim to drive away malevolent
spirits, who use the long dark nights of winter as cover for
their pranks.
Kukeri rites are enacted in many areas of Bulgaria around
January 1, although some communities celebrate on January
14 (New Year’s Day according to an old Orthodox Christian
Calendar which still endures in some areas).
Bansko traditionally celebrates the kukeri rituals on January
1. On the same day, even bigger kukeri processions take
place in the nearby town of Razlog, where neighbourhoods
compete to dress up in the most outlandish costumes.
Kukeri rituals marking the end of winter take place on
Easter Sunday in Eleshnitsa 20km east of Bansko, where
men in huge hairy headdresses scamper crazily round the
main square.

Winter 2008/2009
12 CuLture & eVents

Name days Famous Bulgarians

In Bulgaria, one’s name day is considered as important as Nikola Vaptsarov
a birthday. It is customary to buy treats for family members A controversial national hero, praised as a poet, despite
and colleagues. Take note of the dates below and ingratiate of his communist ideas, Nikola Vaptsarov was born in
yourself with any Bulgarians you meet by buying them a Bansko on the 7th of December 1909. His family name
shot of rakia on their name day. Either that, or exploit your originates from his grandfather’s craft, who was dying
own by getting lashings of free drinks from your friends and fabrics (in Bulgarian “vaptsam” means to paint or dye).
acquaintances. When in Rome and all that. He attended the Naval Mechanical School in Varna, which
was later turned into a Naval Academy and named after
• 5th December –St. Sava - Sava, Savka, Slavi, Slavka, him. His only poetry collection “Motor Songs”, praising the
Vladislav, Vladislava machines and the working class was translated into 60
• 6th December - Nikulden (St. Nikolai ’s Day) – Nikola, languages and earned him a World Peace Award in 1952.
Nikolai, Nikolina, Nenka, Neno, Nina, Kolyo. Unfortunately, due to his anti-Nazi revolutionary activities,
• 9th December – St. Anna – Anna, Ana he was executed by a firing squad in 1942.
• 24th December – Badni vecher (Christmas Eve) – Eve-
genia, Evgeni, Biser, Bistra, Bozhin, Bozhana, Bisera, Letter
Bozhan Do you remember
• 25th December – Christmas – Hristo, Hristina, Radostin, Sea and engines
Radoslav, Radomir
• 1st January – Vasilyovden - Vasil, Vasilena, Veselin, Holds, full of
Vasko, Vesela Sticky gloom?
• 6th January – Yordanovden (St. Jordan’s day) – Yordan, And that wild longing
Yordanka, Dancho, Danka, Bozhan, Bozhana, Dana,
Bogdan, Bogdana. For the Philippines,
• 7th January – Ivanovden - Ivan, Ivanka, Vanya, Yoan, For the big stars
Yoana, Yova, Zhan, Zhana
• 17th January – Antonovden – Anton, Andon, Antoniya, Over Famagusta?
Toncho, Tonka
• 18th January – Atanasovden - Atanas, Atanaska, Translated from:
Tanas, Naso, Nasya
• 1st February – Trifonovden - Trifon, Trifonka
• 10th February- St. Haralampi – Haralampi, Valentin, Писмо
Valentina
Ти помниш ли
• 13th February – Evlogi, Zoya
• 1st March – Marta, Martin, Evdokia морето и машините
• 4th March – Gerasim и трюмовете, пълни
• 9th March -The Holy 40th Martyrs - Mladen, Mlad-
enka с лепкав мрак?
• 10th March – Galya, Galin, Galina И онзи див копнеж
• 19th March – Daria, Nayden, Nayda по Филипините,
• 25th March – Blagoveshtenie (the Annunciation) – Bla-
govest, Blagovesta, Blagoy, Blaga, Evangelina, Vangel по едрите звезди
• 28th March – Albena, Boyan, Boyko, Boyka над Фамагуста?

Bulgarian Obituaries – Signs Of The Dead

Have you ever wondered what all those black and white post-
ers are with pictures of people, names, dates and short text
beneath them? You have seen them all over doors, street
corners, kiosks and bus stops throughout Bulgaria. These are
neither wanted criminals, nor candidates for the next elections,
some of whom are too young or old. As morbid as it may be
for some of you, these posters have been commemorating
deceased relatives and friends for decades. Instead of putting
obituaries in newspapers, Bulgarians print these grim notices
so everyone concerned would know if someone had passed
away. There are several types of “nekrologs” as they are
called: one for the family, for the relatives and friends, one for
the colleagues…the ones without pictures are usually made
immediately after the person’s demise and after 40 days, the
family of the deceased makes a new obituary with a picture
of their loved one. Usually, the short texts are sombre poems
about how good the person was and how much they are
missed. These nekrologs are typical for smaller towns and
villages, but you can still see them in big cities too.

Bansko In Your Pocket


Fifteen years ago Bansko boasted one hotel and a
scattering of rooms, offered privately by local grannies.
Nowadays the number of tourist beds in town stands at
an estimated 25,000 and is still rising. With a rash of
hotels in every category, it shouldn’t be too hard to find
something that suits.
Cream of the crop
Guinness C-1, ul. Yavor, Shipitsko area, tel. 0878 909
805, guinnesshotel@abv.bg, www.hotel-guinness.com.
Looming above the southwestern suburbs of town, Guinness
is one of the most talked-about hotel developments of re-
cent years, and is well worth taking a look at whether you’re
considering staying here or not. With panoramic elevators
overlooking an inner courtyard, and a 20-metre-high fireplace,
a sprouting from the centre of the lobby, the building is either
masterpiece or monster. The rooms themselves are in warm
beige-brown colours, and many boast mountain-facing balco-
nies. Additional 5-star indulgences include Spa centre, indoor
swimming pool, sauna, gym, and wireless internet connection
for your laptop. Q120 rooms (singles €111 - 148, quads
€259, suites €74 - 126, apartments €79 - 290, Studio €100
- 128). HARIFLKDCW hhhhh
Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena Bansko E-1, ul. Pirin
96, tel. 88 888, fax 88 560, reservations.grandarena@
kempinski.com, www.kempinski-bansko.com. Looking
like an alpine chalet inflated to palatial proportions, the
Austrian-run Kempinski is perfectly placed at the cable-car
end of town. The spacious and comfortable rooms come with
luxury bathrooms, each of which has both shower cubicle and
bathtub. Each room has a balcony, many with sweeping views
of the Pirin mountains. There are two excellent if slightly pricy
restaurants, numerous bars, and both outdoor and indoor
heated pools. The bright, mood-enhancing Spa centre has
floor-to-ceiling windows with mountain views, and offers Turk-
ish steam bath, solarium, massages and other post-piste
muscle-soothing treatments. Q159 rooms (132 doubles
€135 - 250, 27 suites €380 - 540). PTHAIFEG�
KDCW hhhhh
Upmarket
BelleVue Residence Hotel D-2, ul. Vardar 15, tel.
86 660/0882 429 493, reception@bvp.bg, www.
bellevueresidence-hotel.com. Along with its modernistic
lobby which reminded us of a James Bond movie set, this
hotel boasts apartments with unique individual designs.
Each of the spacious guest quarters satisfies the taste of its
owner and designer, but is there for your luxury and offers an
atmosphere, closest to any contemporary apartment. There
is a big pool and a superb Spa, massage and fitness centre
for your leisure and four conference rooms, ready to meet
any corporate working demands. Q59 rooms (22 1 room
apartment €44 - 100, 24 2 room apartment €28 - 58, 13 big
apartment €58). HA6FLKDCW hhhh
Evelina Palace B-2, ul. Ikonom Chuchulain 34, tel.
86 428, fax 86 430, evelinapalace@mail.bg, evelina-
palace.com. Recently-built hotel, incorporating traditional
architectural touches, on the right bank of Glazne river, just
five minutes’ walk from the old town. The large bright rooms
 The Bansko
telephone code is: 0749
Where to stay 13
Symbol key
P Air conditioning A Credit cards accepted
O Casino H Conference facilities
T Child friendly U Facilities for the disabled
R Internet L Guarded parking
F Fitness centre G Non-smoking rooms
K Restaurant M Nearest metro station
D Sauna C Swimming pool
6 Animal friendly W Wi-Fi connection
come in a combination of beige and red-brick hues and feature
wooden furnishings. You can play billiards or darts in the sports
bar. Room prices include use of the fantastic big swimming
pool with kids’ corner, fitness hall and sauna. Q48 rooms (43
doubles €52 - 118, 3 suites €60 - 144, 2 apartments €84 -
180). TJAR6UIFLEKDCW hhhh
Glazne C-1, ul. Panayot Hitov 2, tel. 88 022, fax 88 029,
glazne@dir.bg, www.glazne.bansko.bg. Over on the west
bank of the Glazne river, the Glazne offers stylishly designed
rooms in beige, blue and grey. All the rooms come with bath-
tubs - which is good to know, if you need a soak after a day
on the pistes. The complex also offers seven family houses,
built in tradional style, but featuring swanky modern interiors.
The hotel’s top-floor sky bar offers a spectacular panorama
of Bansko and the surrounding mountains. There’s both a
European-style restaurant and a traditional mehana on site,
as well as Rossignol ski rental. Q23 rooms (8 doubles €56
- 84, 8 suites €94, 7 villas €176 - 184). TJHA6I�
FLEGKDCW hhhh
Lion E-2, ul. Georgi Nastev 1, tel. 86 800, fax 86 868,
bansko@hotelslion.com, w w w.hotelslion.com/in-
dex_bansko.php. Opened in December 2005, the Lion offers
reasonably spacious rooms in a building which mixes traditional
design elements with contemporary touches and swanky
bathrooms - most of which are equipped with a full-size tub.
Apartments and family rooms come with small kitchenettes.
Relaxation areas include a lounge with open fireplace, various
bars and a restaurant. Rates include use of the gym and shuttle
transport to the lift station. Q191 rooms (167 doubles €90 -
170, 8 apartments €120 - 250, 16 family room €105 - 200).
THAUIFLGKDCW hhhh
Martin C-3, ul. Neofit Rilski 28, tel. 88 301, fax 86 510,
hotelmartin@bansko.bg, www.banskobg.org/goto/
hotelmartin/index_bg.html. A newly kitted-out hotel in calm
residential streets, ten minutes’ walk east of Bansko’s histori-
cal centre. Contemporary design and Italian ceramics in the
bathrooms give the place a moderately swanky feel. The big
10-person Jacuzzi can be rented out by anyone with a particular
kind of party in mind. Transfers from/to Sofia are available upon
request. Q32 rooms (26 doubles €90 - 123, 6 apartments
€120 - 140). THARLEKDCW hhhh
Mountain Paradise C-1, ul. Moratovo ezero 10, tel./
fax 88 179, hotel@mountain-paradise.com, www.
mountain-paradise.org. Large apartment complex on the
western side of town offering a good choice of well-equipped
apartments, from 2-person studios with kitchenette to two-
bedroom family affairs. There’s also a small indoor pool and a
beauty centre. Q89 rooms (18 Studio: €40 - 110, 58 1-bed
apartament €53 - 150, 13 2-bed apartament €81 - 210).
HKDCW hhhh
Winter 2008/2009
14 Where to stay
Perun E-2, ul. Georgi Nastev, tel. 88 477, fax 88 485,
office@hotelperunbansko.com, www.hotelperunbansko.
com. Hotel Perun seems to offer all the amenities that its
4-star categorization deserves - a great Spa and swimming
pool, and a great location only 10 minutes’ walk from the
cable-car station. Rooms are swish and come with decent-
sized bathrooms with full-size tubs. Many rooms come
with mountain-facing balconies. Table-tennis, billiards and
electronic games are available in the games hall. Room price
includes use of swimming pool, Jacuzzi, gym, sauna and
steam bath. A shuttle bus service to the gondola station,
a ski wardrobe equipment rental are also available. Q145
rooms (145 doubles €158 - 190). THARIFLEG�
BKDCW hhhh
Pirin C-3, ul. Tsar Simeon 68, tel. 88 051, fax 88 044,
hotelpirin@bansko.bg, www.hotelpirin.bansko.bg. In the
centre of Bansko, conveniently placed for the old town and
its inns and about 2km north of the cable-car station (shuttle
service is provided). Modern,pastel-coloured rooms with
TV, minibar, and shower. There’s a games room with table
tennis and billiards, along with ski and snowboard rental
facilities. Room price includes use of the swimming pool, gym
and sauna. Q68 rooms (4 singles €66 - 104, 56 doubles
€92 - 158, 8 suites €117 - 184). PTJHARI�
FLEKDCW hhhh
Elegant D-1, ul. Peyo Yavorov 31, tel. 88 860/0886
337 789, fax 88 861, hotel_elegant@mail.bg, www.
elegant.bansko.bg. No matter which of the Elegant hotels
you choose or if you go for the apartment complexes, they
really do live up to their name. Between the Lux, the Spa and
the Elegant itself, every wish is catered for from Jacuzzis to
pools to full body chocolate wraps. All of the Elegant rooms
and apartments are very tastefully designed and decorated
and come with all mod cons. They offer studios, 1 and 2
bedroom apartments. Service is excellent and a whole range
of cuisine is on offer at their various restuarants. It’s possible
to get everything you need for a top class holiday covered
by the Elegant empire. The Elegant Spa is also the home of
The Crown Irish Pub. Q33 rooms (1 single €41 - 113, 23
doubles €52 - 225, 9 apartments €76 - 248). PTAI�
FLEBKDCSW hhhh
Elegant

Shato Bansko D-3, ul. Solun 23, tel. 95 015, officeban-

sko@tural.bg, www.shatobansko.com. A pretty elegant
place on the outskirts of town which incorporates parts of
a Byzantine fortress wall. Rooms are light, comfortable and
extravagantly furnished, some with sweeping mountain Elegant 3 ul. Peyo Yavorov 31, 0897 950 210.
views. All bathrooms have bath tubs and multicoloured 5 One bedroom apartment: €40, 5 Two bedroom apart-
marble-effect colour schemes. The Spa area offers mas- ment: €55.
sage, steam bath and sauna. The hotel’s two restaurants Elegant Boutique ul. Nayden Gerov, 86420, 0886
include a traditional-style mehana, kitted out in rustic 337 789. 21 Apartments: €50.
style. Baby-sitting, ski rental, and a minibus shuttle to the
lift station are among the extras. Q70 rooms (6 singles
€35 - 109, 60 doubles €48 - 110, 4 apartments €60 - 150).
THARFKDC hhhh

Strazhite D-1, ul. Glazne 7, tel. 88 700/88 040, fax

88 118. At the southern end of town on the way to the
cable-car station, Strazhite is more of a self-contained re-
sort, than a hotel, with numerous bars, restaurants, discos
and a bowling alley to keep you occupied. A favourite of tour
groups, it’s often packed to the gills with Balkan Holidays
clients. Additional facilities include a Spa centre offering
massages and beauty treatments, and a small medical
centre, equipped to deal with piste-related strains and Elegant Lux - apartment Hotel ul. Nayden Gerov,
bruises. Room price includes swimming pool, sauna and 0886 337 789. 9 Studio: €40, 27 One bedroom apart-
gym. Q160 rooms (135 doubles €100 - 140, 25 apart- ment: €60, 11 Two bedroom apartment: €70.
ments €130 - 160, maisonettes). OHAFKDCW
hhhh

Tanne D-2, ul. Georgi Nastev 7, tel. 88 100, fax 88

101, info@hotel-tanne.com, hotel-tanne.com. Bulgar-
ian-German resort complex near the cable-car station,
with modern stone buildings grouped, traditional style,
behind a gated stone wall. Rooms combine traditional
Bulgarian folksiness with contemporary comforts, and
all the bathrooms are equipped with tubs. The ‘Viennese
lounge’, with its Austrian-style cakes and pastries, is a
major feature. Kids will be kept occupied by a games
room, stocked with toys, electronic games, table football
and other distractions. Use of gym, swimming pool, sauna Elegant Spa ul. Nayden Gerov, 86420, 0886 337
and steam bath is included in the price. Q 33 rooms 789. 3 Studio: 40 Euro, 27 One bedroom apartment:
(25 doubles €80 - 100, 5 apartments €145, 3 maison- €60, 7 Two bedroom apartment: €70, 1 Three bedroom
ettes €155 - 175). THA6UIFLEKDCW apartment: €80.
hhhh

Bansko In Your Pocket


Hotel Avalon
El Tepe No. 4 , Bansko 2700 Bulgaria
Tel (00359) 74988399 • Fax (00359) 74988398
www.avalonhotel-bulgaria.com
Vihren Palace behind the parking lot of the Gondola,
tel. 87 777, office@vihrenpalace.com, www.vihren-
palace.com. Just a minute’s walk from the Gondola, this
hotel is just big enough to get lost inside. The lobby bar is
superb with leather couches and a huge fish tank. The Spa
centre and the indoor pool are tastefully and luxuriously
decorated. The big suites and apartments offer comfort and
picturesque views. Apart from the restaurant, there is also
a mehana, which incorporates the best from the traditional
and modern design and style. Q145 rooms (9 singles
€79 - 136, 58 suites €124 - 372, 63 Studio €96 - 160, 15
maisonettes €136 - 422). TAFKDCW hhhh
Villa Roka B-2, ul. Glazne 37B, tel. 88 337, fax 88
446, hotel@villaroka.com, www.villaroka.com. Tucked
away in the northwestern corner of the centre, the Villa
Roka will go down a storm with design freaks. Featuring stark
silvery-grey cladding on the outside, the interior is filled with
Japanese-inspired design touches and matt black and red
colours. The low tables and sofas in the lobby immediately
let you know that you’re entering a world of contemporary
cool. Standard doubles feature a central shower cabin
entered through Japanese-style sliding partitions. The ten
split-level apartments are very bright and sunny. The Spa
centre contains more matt black and natural wood surfaces,
and offers swimming pool, sauna, steam bath, aroma therapy
and massage - all of which is included in the room price. Q99
rooms (89 doubles €40 - 110, 10 maisonettes €80 - 125).
HARFLKDC hhhh
Mid-range
Aneli B-1, ul. Rila 10A, tel. 88 070/0888 420 233, fax
88 071, www.hotel-aneli.com. Medium-sized family-run
place in residential streets ten minutes’ walk from the town
centre, offering simple but comfortable rooms with laminated
floors, small desks and en-suite shower/WC. Warm colours
and chequered bed-spreads add a bit of warmth. Q18
rooms (12 doubles €30 - 36, 5 triples €45 - 54, 1 apartment
€). ALKDW hhh
Avalon C-2, ul. El tepe 4, tel. 88 399/0886 397 245,
info@avalonhotel-bulgaria.com, w w w.avalonhotel-
bulgaria.com. Medium-sized place with friendly and intimate
feel, located in a quiet residential part of town a short walk
from the historic centre. The helpful staff radiate a winning
mixture of professionalism and informality. Neat rooms fea-
ture simple but soothing décor mixing modern and traditional
materials. Be sure to book the top-floor rooms (numbers 32,
33 and 34) if you want a bit of attic-ceilinged cosiness with
mountain views thrown in. The lobby bar with its roaring log
fire is an excellent place to unwind. The hotel has its own team
of English-speaking ski instructors who can handle anything
from beginners’ classes to guided off-piste excursions. Q13
rooms (2 singles €35 - 65, 8 doubles €45 - 50, 3 triples €49
- 55). ARIGKW hhh
Where to stay 15
Banderitsa C-1, ul. Han Asparuh 2, tel. 86 600/0889
623 704, office@banderitsahotel.com, www.banderit-
sahotel.com. Package-friendly hotel, which nevertheless
retains a warm and welcoming feel. The rooms feature
hand-made wooden furniture and soft brown-sugary decor.
There’s also a large number of apartments, each equipped
with kitchenette. There’s a 24hr café-bar on the ground
floor and 24hr room-service too. The Spa complex includes
an authentic-style Turkish bath where you can soothe your
muscles with a massage. Q54 rooms (34 doubles €45 - 70,
20 apartments €85 - 95). AFLKDCW hhh
Bulgaria D-1, ul. Hristo Matov 2, tel. 88 010, fax 88
011, office@hotelbulgariabansko.com, www.hotel-
bulgariabansko.com. Conveniently close to the cable-car
station, the Bulgaria is decked out in natural materials and
warm colours. Rooms are reasonably spacious, and the
apartments come with either a small terrace or a glass-
enclosed conservatory-like porch. Rates include use of a
swimming pool, gym, sauna, steam bath and solarium. Q29
rooms (21 doubles €100 - 170, 8 apartments €140 - 310).
PTHARIFEGKDCW hhhh
Edelweiss-Park Hotel C-2, ul. Neofit Rilski 33, tel.
87 070/0887 507 097, fax 87 071, www.edelweiss-
bansko.com. Not far from the centre, just by the local sta-
dium is a small quiet hotel, built as a typical Bansko house,
where you can rest after a busy skiing day. Far from luxury,
the rooms are nevertheless welcoming and comfortable, with
cable TV, mini-bars and phones. The studios are equipped
with kitchenettes with all mod cons. There’s also a sauna to
ease your muscles after a day on the slopes . The personnel
are very hospitable and always at your disposal. The hotel has
6 double rooms, 3 triple rooms, 5 apartments and studios for
4 people and 1 apartment for 6. There is also a restaurant
for 60 people without live music. The skiers are transported
to and from the first lift station by mini-bus. Q13 rooms (6
doubles €32 - 48, 3 triples €48 - 55, 5 apartment €55 - 75,
2 studio €55 - 75, 1 apartment for 6 persons €50 - 110).
RFLKD hhh
Friends D-1, ul. Rayna Knyaginya 2, tel. 86 439/0886
660 601, office@friendshotel.org, www.friendshotel.
org. Friends is aimed squarely at the young and upwardly
mobile, hence the sushi restaurant on the top floor and
the Jacuzzi bar in the basement. The rooms feature bright
carpets and textiles and make a nice change from the predict-
ably chintzy styles on offer elsewhere. The leather sofas of
the ground-floor bar are the perfect place for a post-pistes
slump. Q (33 doubles €45 - 100, 8 apartments €55 - 120).
ARFGKDW hhh
Hermes A-2, ul. Ivan Belezhkov, tel. 490 07 67/0885
545 477, fax 490 09 29, hermesbansko2007@abv.bg,
www.hotelhermes.eu. A nice new building on the Glazne
River only 10 minutes from the first Gondola station, this
hotel offers its guests comfortable rooms and apartments
furnished with everything necessary for a good rest. Unfor-
tunately, the owners do not believe in credit cards, so be
prepared to pay in cash. There is a restaurant for 80 people
where you can try something specific from the Bulgarian
cuisine or, if you are not that adventurous, you will find out
that the chef is good internationally. Skiers do not have to
Winter 2008/2009
16 Where to stay
be afraid of walking in heavy shoes as there is bus shuttle
to the lift. At the time of our visit it was a 3-star hotel but
the owners had applied for a higher category. Let’s hope the
season will start with a new 4-star hotel Q78 rooms (62
doubles €26 - 70, 11 apartments €74 - 95, 5 maisonettes
€66 - 90). TRULKW hhh
Holiday Group Hotel A-2, ul. Tsar Simeon 2, tel. 88
575, fax 88 574, holidaygroup@bansko.bg, www.holi-
daygroup.bansko.bg. A nice hotel at the northwestern en-
trance to the town, offering comfortable and spacious rooms,
some with fireplaces. Transfer to the ski lifts. Hospitable staff.
Q25 rooms (17 doubles €42, 2 apartments €52 - 180, 6
maisonettes €52 ). ARIKDW hhh
Hotel Bariakov D-2, ul. Peyo Yavorov 41, tel. 82
150/0887 251 921, fax 82 017, hotelbariakov@gmail.
com, www.hotelbariakov.com. This place has a lot to
offer, apart from their big studios and double rooms. They
have sauna and massage, along with table tennis and an
area for children. They deliver food to their rooms from the
Bariakov mehana and regularly host a special day for ethnic
exhibitions in their “ethno” corner. It lies 150 meters from
the Gondola. Q22 rooms (18 doubles €38 - 51, 4 Studio).
TKDW hhh
Hotel Grami D-1, ul. Vasil Drumev 6, tel. 88 407, fax
88 408, www.grami.hit.bg. This big house offers an
opportunity for a fairly priced vacation with everything you
may need. They don’t accept credit cards and don’t have an
indoor pool, but still you can relax in the sauna and workout
at the fitness, or shoot some billiards after an evening meal.
Q24 rooms (9 doubles €36, 11 triples €41, 4 apartments
€46). IFLKDW hh
Hotel Rodina C-2, ul. Pirin 7, tel. 88 106, reserva-
tion@rodina.bg, www.rodina.bg. Built right in the centre
of town in 1998, the Rodina is an odd building, which tries
to be modern, traditional and vaguely Alpine at the same
time. Rooms were given a fresh lick of paint in 2006 and it is
a reasonably solid mid-range choice, offering ensuite rooms,
equipped with simple shower cabins. There’s an attractive
atrium café and a reasonable restaurant. All rates are on a
half-board basis (covering buffet breakfast and a set-menu
dinner). Q42 rooms (34 doubles €25 - 50, 4 apartments
€46 - 92, 4 maisonettes €36 - 77). JAUILEG�
KDW hhh
Ivel D-1, ul. Hristo Matov 5, tel. 88 437, w w w.
bansko-ivel.com. Cosy family-run place at the cable-car
end of town, offering neat en-suite rooms with TV and
fridge. Terracotta-coloured carpets and mood-enhancing
citrus colours make for a pleasant stay. Go for one of
the corner rooms if you want a little extra in the way
of light and space. In a refreshing break from the folksy
décor on offer elsewhere, the breakfast room features
bold modern mosaics. Q 10 rooms (10 doubles €35).
TARILEKDW hhh
Kralev Dvor C-1, ul. Terzi Nikola 3, tel./fax 88 527,
tel. 0894 632 066, kralev_dvor@abv.bg, www.hotel-
kralevdvor.com. Small and snug hotel, run by a very nice
family, located ten-minutes’ walk from both the town centre
and the cable-car station. There’s a choice of either standard
double rooms or maisonette-style apartments, all decorated
in soothing orange-beige colours. Breakfast is in the warm
and intimate restaurant. Extras include beauty treatments
and massage facilities. Q15 rooms (7 doubles €40 - 50, 8
apartments €60 - 75). hhh

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GLAZNE MESTA
Apts Apts

Bansko In Your Pocket


Maraya D-2, ul. Nayden Gerov, tel. 86 463/86 462,
fax 86 462, maraya_bansko@yahoo.com, www.hotel-
maraya-bansko.com. Situated at the southern end of town
near the lift station, the Maraya Hotel is a good place for skiers
with its modern interior and multiple facilities. The complex
consists of two wings (the “Elvy” and the “Maraya”), each of
them decorated with plush modern fittings. Rooms come
with either shower or bathtub (so specify which you want if
you’re particular about such things), most also have terraces
with views of the faraway pistes. Included in the hotel’s long
list of amenities is a “dentist’s laboratory” - sadly we did not
have time to try this out. Room prices include shuttle bus
to the lift station. Q37 rooms (29 doubles €60 - 148, 4
apartments €80 - 222, 4 Studio €72 - 182). HAR6F�
KDC hhh
Momini dvori B-2, pl. Nikola Vaptsarov 2, tel. 88
076/0885 406 595, mominidvori@mominidvori.
com, www.mominidvori.com. Right across from the
town hall is the oldest mehana in Bansko, Momini dvori.
The reconstructed building now houses a Balkan’s style
mehana and a boutique hotel. It’s a dazzling combination
of Bulgarian and oriental style with elements of a hunting
lodge. The rooms are uniquely decorated with Indone-
sian, Malaysian and Singaporean furniture and seating
areas from dark wood or wicker, wooden screens, straw
mats and bamboo blinds. Even the dustbins are made of
wood. Some of the rooms have king size beds covered
with cotton fabrics and cushions, where each room has a
specially designed bathroom and most are with a hydro
massage shower. The apartment has an in-room hydro
massage bathtub next to a circlular bed, a fireplace, a
rocking chair and a wooden sink. Q11 rooms (6 doubles
€41 - 77, 4 triples €52 - 98, 1 VIP Apartment €72 - 128).
JILEBKDSW hhh
Mountview Lodge D-1, ul. Banderitsa, tel. 0889 002
227, office@mountviewlodge.com, www.mountview-
lodge.com. Located in the southern part of town near the
cable-car station, Mountview offers 52 elegantly-furnished
studio apartments, each with dining area, fireplace, and
fully-equipped kitchenette. Kindergarten, ski rental centre
and Italian restaurant are all on-site, and transport is pro-
vided to the cable-car should you need it. Q52 rooms (12
Studio €58 - 85, 15 One-bedroom apartment €75 - 100,
25 Two-bedroom apar tment €85 - 120). THAR�
LKDW hhh
Olymp B-2, ul. Tsar Simeon 1, tel. 88 094, fax 88 096,
olymp-bansko@abv.bg, www.olymp-bansko.com. This
hotel may be the first thing you see when you enter Bansko.
A new development, it has been open for 2 years and the
staff are eager to show their guests the best they can do
for them. There’s an excellent restaurant for the guests.
Don’t hesitate to give it a try. The hotel offers internet
services and Wi-Fi in the lobby, the spa centre will help you
relax and three rooms on the first floor are equipped for the
disabled. Q35 rooms (29 doubles €80 - 85, 4 apartments
€100 - 140, 2 Maisonette €100 - 140). THAULG�
KCW hhh
Panorama (Vakanova kashta) C-2, ul. Pirin 39, tel.
82 376/0888 399 156, panorama.c@abv.bg. Family-run
hotel, one of the first in Bansko, on Pirin Street, 7-8 min to
the Gondola. The white three-story house is built in Bansko
www.inyourpocket.com
Matsurev Han • Hotel and Mehana • ul. Otets Paisiy 15 •
Where to stay
www.matsureva.bansko.bg • 0899142340 • 82782 17
Matsurev Han
Hotel and Mehana
ul. Otets Paisiy 15
www.matsureva.bansko.bg
+359 899 142 342
+359 749 82 782
style with southerly exposure. The rooms are medium sized
with single or queen size beds, sitting area, mini bar, cable
TV; some are with showers others with hydro massage
or normal bathtubs. There is transport organized to the
gondola, breakfast is available for an extra charge. There
is a small inside swimming pool, steam bath, Jacuzzi and
sauna. They provide transport to the Gondola. The hotel
also has a pizza and steak restaurant open to the public,
but with a second entry from inside. Q9 rooms (7 doubles
€21 - 64, 1 apartment €60 - 130, 1 Maisonette €60 - 130).
AIKDCSW hhh
Vihren D-1, ul. Pirin 55-57, tel. 88 097, fax 88 098,
office@hotelvihren.com, www.hotelvihren.com. Mid-way
between the old town and the lift station, Vihren is a moder-
ately comfy place, that offers a mixture of ensuite doubles
and apartments with kitchenette. Some rooms have small
balconies, looking out onto the interior courtyard. The on-site
restaurant specializes in steaks. Q19 rooms (11 singles
€40 - 55, 8 apartments €43 - 85). TJILEKDW
hhh
Apartment hotels
Apartment House Eagle Lodge E-2, ul. Georgi
Nastev, tel. 0899 890 870. Luxur y ski chalet-style
apartment complex in the southern part of Bansko, close
to the ski gondola, combining Alpine chalet-style architec-
ture with typical Bansko motifs. The serviced apartments
feature modern interiors, swish bathrooms, and - if you’re
lucky to be on the right side of the building - stunning
mountain views. The complex has an on-site restaurant,
ski wardrobe, basement car park, sauna, steam bath
and Jacuzzi. Q 32 rooms (32 apartments €40 - 180).
TARFKD hhh
Complex Tamplier E-2, Gramadeto area, tel. 86
790/0889 599 881, tamplier@almatour.net, www.
tamplier.com. Several businessmen and celebrities have
their own apartments in this spacious stone and wood
complex. You can actually stay in the soccer superstar
Hristo Stoichkov’s apar tment, which is big, superbl y
furnished and has a collection of sports t-shirts on its
walls instead of boring pictures. There is a big winery and
a sommelier in the restaurant, lobby bar and a beautiful
pool, fitness, Spa, massage and medical centre. The
apartments are comfortable and some have a remarkable
views to the mountains. There is also a creche which will
keep the wild youngsters occupied while you’re relaxing.
Q 28 rooms (10 doubles €63 - 105, 12 apar tments
€80, 4 2 room Apartment €70, 1 President Apartment
€74, 1 Studio €70). TA6IFLGBKDCW
hhhh
Winter 2008/2009
18 Where to stay
Dream Apartment Complex Bansko E-2, Grama-
deto area, tel. 82 204/0899 303 738, dream_ban-
sko@abv.bg, www.dreambansko.com. The comfortable
grounds of this apartment complex will make your family
and guests feel at home. There are several types of spa-
cious, well furnished apartments, which can satisfy all
your holiday and household demands. All the apartments
have terraces, kitchenettes, TV-sets, safes and internet
connection. There is a swimming pool, Spa, massage and
fitness centre, and their Russian bath, with a big wooden
cask-tub, a vodka and caviar menu and special brooms to
hit your naked friends with, will make you feel as a Russian
Tsar. Q78 rooms (4 Studio €50 - 110, 50 Deluxe Suite
€50 - 210, 4 Tower Suite €75 - 240, 6 Grand Suite €100
- 310, 14 Grand Tower €100 - 310). TA6IFLG�
KDCW hhhh
Lucky Bansko A-2, ul. Kir Blago Todev 4-10, tel.
806 61 61, fax 806 61 74, info@luckybansko.com,
www.luckybansko.com. The 4-star complex offers a
5-star level service, furnishing and equipment. Nice and
comfortable atmosphere combined with polite person-
nel. Guests have at their disposal a restaurant, a lobby
bar, conference room with up to 100 seats, piano bar,
a swimming pool, a SPA and fitness centre, numerous
services, as well as the most varied forms of entertain-
ment in their leisure time. All residences are equipped
with TV sets, telephones, wireless Internet, mini-safe and
fully equipped kitchenette with Lavazza coffee machines,
ceramic plates, toasters, refrigerators and microwave
ovens. The bathrooms are with bath tubs, showers, hair
dr yers and are supplied with slippers and bathrobes.
Skiers are transported to the lift by a mini-bus. Q 102
rooms (50 apartments €140 - 170, 52 Studio €100 - 140).
THAULGKCW hhhh
Sofia C-2, ul. Radon Todev 16, tel. 88 502, fax 88
362, hsb@mail.bg, w w w.banskohotelsof ia.com.
On a quiet street near the historic centre of town, this
medium-sized hotel is a relaxing and friendly place. Most
of the rooms are apartments with kitchenettes, making
it a good choice for families with children. There’s a ski
wardrobe, winter garden, steam bath and Jacuzzi, and free
transfer to the cable-car station. Q14 rooms (2 singles
€34 - 91, 2 doubles €51 - 92, 10 apartments €74 - 120).
HARKD hhh
Hostels
Turisticheski dom Okoto B-2, ul. Hristo Botev 2,
tel. 82 310. Basic hostel-type accommodation on a
quiet street bang in the centre. Nothing special, but clean
and well maintained, and marginally more friendly than
the Edelvais. 13 rooms and 3 apartments. Q €8-10
per bed. 6L
Guest houses
Alpin C-2, ul. Neofit Rilski 6, tel. 88 075, fax 88 076,
alpin@bansko.bg, www.alpin.bansko.bg. Opened in 1992,
this old-town B&B offers en-suite rooms a stones’-throw from
the historic centre. There is a tradiotional-style mehana on
site. Skis and sleighs are available for rental. Q18 rooms (12
doubles €44 - 88, 3 triples €90 - 180, 3 suites €80 - 240).
TJRILBKDW hh
Bansko In Your Pocket
Out of town
Aparthotel Penbro A-4, ul. Neofit Rilski 2, Banya,
tel. 0889 859 902, info@penbro.com, www.penbro.
com. Six kilometres east of Bansko in the bucolic village
of Banya, this Scottish-Bulgarian venture comprises six
self-catering units in a traditional-style building. Each
of the apartments is named after a Bulgarian strain of
vine - which gives you some idea of the owners’ priori-
ties in life. Inside you’ll find a fully-equipped kitchenette,
neat bathrooms and mood-enhancing peach-coloured
fabrics. The second floor split-level maisonettes have
plenty of sleeping space and are perfect for families. All
units come with south-facing balconies. Washing and
ironing facilities are freely available in the basement. If
you don’t fancy slaving away in the kitchen, breakfast can
be ordered for a few extra leva, and there are a couple of
welcoming village taverns within walking distance. Price
reductions are available for stays of over four days. Q6
rooms (3 apartments €30 - 50, 3 maisonettes €46 - 50).
T6LW hhh
Makedonska krachma ul. Georgi Dimitrov 1,
Dobrinishte, tel. 0888 792 299, makedonia@
galia-online.com. Ten kilometres southeast of Ban-
sko, Dobrinishte is a laid-back village which has so-far
been spared from the hotel-building frenzy of its near
neighbour. If quiet and characterful B&B accommoda-
tion is what you’re after then you could do much worse
than head for this modern-built house in the centre of
the village, featuring traditional wood panelling, hand-
woven floor coverings and timber-beamed ceilings.
Rooms feature TV, minibar and simply-furnished WC/
bathroom units. The Makedonska krachma’s fantastic
restaurant is right next door. Q6 rooms (6 doubles
€20). K hhh
Aseva kashta C-2, ul. Georgi Kovachev 7, tel. 84
451/0889 121 968, aseva_bansko@abv.bg. Located 5
min off the main street Pirin and 10 min from the Gondola.
The rooms are medium sized in unpretentious style with
double beds, wardrobes and medium sized bathrooms
with shower. For the guests they house a small mehana
restaurant for 25 with a fireplace and use of the kitchen
on request. Breakfast included, lunch or dinner should
be requested in advance. They provide transport to the
Gondola. Q 11 rooms (9 doubles €30, 2 triples €40).
6KW hhh
Dedo Pene C-2, ul. Aleksandar Buynov 1, tel. 88 348,
fax 82 223, info@dedopene.com, www.dedopene.
com. Bang in the centre of the old town, “Grandad Pene’s
Inn” is one of the classic addresses in Bansko, a traditional
restaurant in a 200-year-old stone house that offers guest
rooms in outbuildings ranged around the walled courtyard.
Rooms combine modern pine furnishings with timber-beamed
ceilings, wood-and-coal-burning stoves, and limestone
bathrooms that use antiquated milk pails as washing ba-
sins. Q10 rooms (8 doubles €25 - 30, 2 triples €30 - 40).
JARILEGKD hh
Devonshire Lodge C-1, ul. Stefan Karadzha 71, tel.
0888 559 594, info@devonshirelodge.com, www.
devonshirelodge.com. Famil y-run B&B wi th friendl y
English-speaking hosts, ten minutes’ walk from the cable-

car station. Rooms can sleep between two and four people
and feature pine furnishings and warm colours. There
are tea and coffee-making facilities in the rooms, and
full-English breakfast is served in the dining room. Q5
rooms (4 doubles €35 - 70, 1 Family room €100 - 150).
TRLGKW hhh
Dvata smarcha C-2, ul. Velyan Ognev 2, tel. 82
632/0887 449 021. Unpretentious family-run place,
that doesn’t go overboard with folksy décor, just round the
corner from the central Holy Trinity church. There’s a decent
breakfast room/restaurant downstairs, and a lovely walled
garden, dominated from the two soaring fir trees from which
the B&B gets its name. Q5 rooms (3 doubles €10 - 15, 2
apartments €15 - 20). JLK hhh
Kadiata Inn C-2, ul. Yane Sandanski 8, tel. 88
555/0899 969 370, kadiata@banskobg.org, www.
kadiata-bansko.com. Despite hiding behind a trad-style
mehana, this is in fact a modern family house with small but
swish rooms, each featuring modern bathrooms and a small
TV. The position could not be more central. Q7 rooms (4
doubles €36 - 47, 1 Studio €47 - 57, 2 Studio-lux €62 - 72).
RLK hhh
Kashta Kiritsovi C-2, ul. Dame Gruev 4, tel. 0887 882
123/84 556, kiritc@abv.bg, www.kiritc.com. The guest
house offers rooms with a view to Pirin Mountain, balconies,
kitchenette with hotplates for cooking and toaster. The
rooms are on the small side, but the double beds are wide.
The apartment has a separate kitchen with hotplates and a
sitting room area. They don’t provide transport to the gondola
which is 7-8 min away. Q10 rooms (9 doubles €21 - 36, 1
triple €26 - 41). TLW hhh
Klecherova Kashta D-2, ul. Mingyo Todev 12, tel.
83 364/0886 897 744, m_klecherov@abv.bg, www.
klecherovakushta-bansko.com. The two-storey Bansko
style house, found in a sunny courtyard, offers several rooms
and outside seating downstairs and on the wooden terrace.
For the guests they have their own small mehana called Dedo
Mitar. It is for 35, decorated with old rifles and deer horns,
several wooden tables, bar and fireplace, breakfast included.
The rooms are comfortable with double bed, nightstands,
wardrobe and cable TV, nothing fancy. The bathrooms are
with showers. The apartment is with two double rooms and
a walkthrough kitchen with hotplates, fridge and a dining
table. Q7 rooms (4 doubles €21 - 28, 2 triples €26 - 31, 1
apartment €41 - 49). ILBKW
Nevi C-1, ul. Khan Asparuh 10, tel. 88 250/0889 197
286, nevi23@abv.bg, www.nevi.bansko.org. A newly
built house which can offer a calm atmosphere to the tour-
ists. This B&B is located about 5 minutes from the ski lift in a
new neighbourhood with easy access. There is a restaurant
for the guests where you can enjoy any meal, traditional for
the region. For children up to 12 years you pay only 50%
of the bed price, and children up to 2 are free. However, If
it is luxury you are looking for, look somewhere else. Q8
rooms (5 doubles €26, 1 apartment €36, 2 Maisonette).
ALKW hh
Roshkoff House (Roshkova Kashta) (Rosban)
D-3, ul. Mozgovitsa 17, tel. 83 161/0886 840 827,
hotel_roshkoff@abv.bg, roshkoff-house.netfirms.com. A
cosy and intimate hotel, located within easy striking distance
of the cable-car station, offering unfussy en-suite rooms with
satellite TV. There’s a folksy mehana on site, and a small
private parking lot. Q5 rooms (1 single €11, 2 doubles €22,
2 triples €33). L
Where to stay 19
Hotel Avalon
El Tepe No. 4,
Bansko 2700
Bulgaria
Tel (00359) 74988399
Fax (00359) 74988398
www.avalonhotel-bulgaria.com
Sevda D-3, ul. Skopie 18, tel. 0887 476 729, hotel-
sevda@bansko.bg. A small family hotel, renovated in 2003.
Rooms are equipped with modern bathrooms, cable TV and
central heating. Some rooms have balconies or an extra
bed. Breakfast is served in the folksy downstairs mehana.
There’s also a mini spa-center with Jacuzzi and steam bath.
Ask about transfers from the bus/railway stations. Q11
rooms (9 doubles €, 2 apartments €). €15 per person BB,
€20 per person HB. ARLKW hh
Chalets
Chalet Isabella B-1, ul. Banderitsa 32, tel. 0885
060 095, w w w.chalet-bulgaria.com. If you want a
snug home from home with a bit of pampering thrown
in for good measure, then Chalet Isabella should do the
trick. It’s tucked away in a peaceful residential street in
the western part of Bansko - but only ever a short walk
away from the things you need. The bedrooms feature
a nice mixture of traditional wooden features and crisp
modern décor, and the comfy lounge-cum-diner is difficult
to drag yourself away from. Rentals run from Saturday to
Saturday and can either be on a self-catering basis, or
with main meals provided. Q All inclusive (food, drinks
and transport) for 12 persons for 7 days for the total of
3000 euro. AKW hhh
Chalet Jora , tel. 0889 744 367/0044 796 77 505
92, info@skichaletbansko.co.uk, www.skichaletban-
sko.co.uk. A beautifully renovated traditional house just 2
minutes from the main street and the town square. Run by
Brits Jay, an experienced off-piste snowboard instructor, and
Laura, a qualified masseur, the chalet beautifully combines
the traditional with the modern. Jora caters for groups of
8-14 and comprises 5 comfortable bedrooms and 4 well ap-
pointed bathrooms, one with a bathtub. There’s an open fire.
They also provide a shuttle to the gondola. With its beautiful
setting and friendly hosts, the Jora is an excellent location
for your Bansko holiday. Q5 rooms (5 pp/ww €160 - 223).
TJIW
Chalet Soltir D-2, ul. Kiril i Metidiy 19, tel. 0895 330
349, mark@boardingbansko.co.uk, www.boardingban-
sko.co.uk. Hidden away in the alleyways of the old town,
Soltir is a traditional nineteenth-century house complete
with stone walls, exposed beams, gated courtyard, open
fireplace with a sensitively renovated interior which pre-
serves much of the original rustic atmosphere without
skimping too much on the mod cons. Knowledgeable
British hosts, Mark and Amy will make you feel welcome
from day one and will sort you out with ski rental and
piste recommendations. There’s a Wi-Fi as well. Soltir
functions as a rent-the-whole-house ski chalet in winter
(both self-catering and fully-catered options are available),
and turns into a B&B in spring and summer. Q 12 sleeps.
Fully catered - 272 euro per person, semi catered - 200
euro per person, self catered - 129 euro per person for 7
days. TIW hh
Winter 2008/2009
20 restaurants
Bansko is chock-full of mehanas, traditional-style taverns
where Bulgarian food is washed down with copious
quantities of local wine and spirits. Each mehana tries to
cultivate a folksy feel through its choice of wooden furnish-
ings, stripey tablecloths, brightly-coloured textiles and
stone-clad walls (although these ethnic interior elements
are becoming so standardized that it’s become increas-
ingly difficult to tell one mehana apart from another). The
other characteristic feature of the Bansko mehana is the
ubiquitous presence of Macedonian folk music - either on
the CD player or performed live by a local band. With shrill
clarinets drilling holes in your grey matter and the clatter of
a darbuka drummer echoing around your ears, dining out
in Bansko can be a wonderfully raucous experience.
If neither Bulgarian munchies nor music are quite your cup
of tea, then Bansko offers respite in the form of a handful
of pizzerias, a couple of steakhouses, and a reasonable
range of international food in the restaurants of the big-
ger hotels. In the restaurant reviews below the prices in
brackets refer to the average cost spread (from cheapest
to most expensive) of a main course.
Bulgarian
Banski Han A-2, ul. Vasil Kanchev 2, tel. 0888 990 663,
www.bansko.bg. Typical for this sort of restaurant, mehana
Banski Han is all wood, stone and bottles of wine on shelves.
It has 3 rooms on different levels for 170 guests. The staff are
polite and fast, but sometimes a little insistent. There is no
live music which may be an advantage if you are in a mood
for a quiet evening. The food is very good and you should try
the famous Katino Meze together with a half a litre jar of the
local red wine. QOpen 09:00 - 24:00. (10-20Lv).
Baryakova mehana C-2, ul. Velyan Ognev 3, tel. 0899
670 734/0889 534 582, baryakova@bansko.org, www.
baryakova.bansko.org. This well-established and classy-
looking mehana has a good reputation for serving up quality
local cuisine backed up by a handsome selection of Bulgarian
wines. Service was so slow during our visit however that we
had to vacate the premises before we died of starvation.
Hopefully staffing problems will have been sorted out by the
time the winter season gets into full swing. QOpen 17:00 -
02:00. (7-18Lv). JAILEB
Bohemi C-2, ul. Neofit Rilski 8, tel. 0878 103 588/0878
103 587. Found just 200m off Pirin Street this tavern (me-
hana) welcomes you with an old wooden cart and the donkey
Armando in the yard. This used to be the famous Hadzhi-
ruskovi kashti tavern. The cuisine is national Bulgarian with
the traditional chomlek, kapama, Banski strets (sausage),
rakiena salad (rakia’s salad), stuffed turkey, rabbit the hunter’s
way, baklava s lokum (Turkish sweet desert), sheep’s yoghurt,
crème Brule, etc. The menu is English, Russian and Greek. You
probably won’t miss the place as they hire a whooper, who will
try to lure you in several languages. QOpen 12:00 - 04:00.
(11-29Lv). J6IEBSW
Boide D-1, ul. Pirin. Looking a bit like a rustic shack from
the outside and relatively unadorned on the inside, Boide
looks like a surviving relic of pre-tourist-boom Bansko and is
all the better for it. Friendly service, inexpensive grilled meats
and ultra-cheap drinks put this time-warp of a restaurant in
a class of its own. Conveniently near the cable-car terminal
too. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00. (4-10Lv).
Dedo Pene C-2, ul. Aleksandar Buynov 1, tel. 88
348/0888 795 970, fax 82 223, info@dedopene.com,
www.dedopene.com. Dedo Pene has established itself as a
must-visit Bansko location over the years, not least because
Bansko In Your Pocket
Symbol key
P Air conditioning A Credit cards accepted
E Live music S Take away
T Child friendly U Facilities for the disabled
G Non-smoking areas L Guarded parking
O Casino M Nearest station
R Internet 6 Animal friendly
of its enjoyably eccentric interior - antlers, old radios, a star-
tled-looking stuffed marten, and bits of wood that resemble
human sexual organs are just some of the decorations to look
out for. Pretty much everything in the local culinary repertoire
is available here - from kapama and chomlek to the deliciously
eccentric makedonski mandzhi (diced chicken cooked with
prunes). For dessert, try the banitsa (flaky pastry pie) stuffed
with bits of lokum (Turkish delight). The atmosphere is always
lively and the folk music frequently excellent, ensuring that
Dedo Pene is always worth a try. QOpen 09:00 - 24:00.
(8-25Lv). JAIES
Dedo Yonkata D-1, ul. Pirin 84, tel. 0888 203 937. Dedo
Yonkata handles the full range of Bulgarian and regional dishes
in competent style, although it is hardly one of Bansko’s must-
visit culinary destinations. Main advantages of this place are
that it’s conveniently located at the lift-station end of town
and is much better value than the restaurants of the nearby
hotels. QOpen 11:00 - 24:00. (5-16Lv) . I
Chubanov Han B-2, ul. Tsar Simeon 13, tel. 0899 213
337/0898 555 611, www.banskohan.eu. This is the
biggest restaurant in Bansko with 250 seats inside and 300
in the garden. The two floors are decorated in a combination
of Bulgarian folk styles from different regions - Trakiiski, Ro-
dopski and Pirin. They have live performances of folk dances
by Ensemble Pirin and you will have the pleasure to watch
Wedding and Kukeri dances; a true Bulgarian experience.
The cuisine is Bulgarian and they have an outside barbeque
for the summer months. QOpen 00:00 - 24:00. (10-24Lv).
A6ILEBKSW
Kadiata Tavern C-2, ul. Yane Sandanski 8, tel. 88
555/0899 969 370, kadiata@banskobg.org, www.
kadiata-bansko.com. Friendly family-run place that doesn’t
have the tourist-trap feel of the bigger mehanas on the same
street. Expect the usual salads and grilled meats, plus a few
speciality-of-the-house oddities: the Bansko-style peppers
(stuffed with cheese and bacon fat then grilled) come highly
recommended. QOpen 08:00 - 24:00. (5-13Lv). L
Kamenica mehana C-2, ul. Pirin 31, tel. 0888 221
912/0887 638 441, kamenicabansko@abv.bg, www.
kamenicabansko.hit.bg. A small pub in the central part of
the town with a nice fire place and a typical atmosphere for
Kashta Dedo Pene
MEHANA & GUEST HOUSE
ul. Buynov 1• tel. 88 348, 0888 795970

Out of town
Makedonska krachma Dobrinishte, ul. Georgi
Dimitrov 1, tel. 0888 792 299. Some of the best home
cooking in the region is served up in the “Macedonian inn”,
a traditional-style building in the middle of Dobrinishte,
8km southeast of Bansko. Meat-laden main courses
include a reliably tasty Katino meze, alongside other lo-
cal favourites such as chumlek and kapama. Vegetarians
could do worse than try the panirani domati sirene (tomato
and cheese deep-fried in fluffy batter). Hung with cowbells
and dried red peppers, the evocative interior also displays
century-old sepia photographs of anti-Ottoman guerrilla
fighters. The lovely south-facing courtyard is something
of a sun trap even in winter. Reservations advisable.
QOpen 11:00 - 24:00. (5-12Lv). IB
Bansko mehanas - woollen rugs and national costumes on the
walls, folkl style tablecloths and slow service. The food is good
but you have to be very patient as it takes a long time for it to
come to you. There is no live music, so you’ll be able to hear
your friends. QOpen 12.00 - 24.00. (5-10Lv). J
Kasapinova kashta (Butcher’s house) C-2, ul. Yane
Sandandski 4, tel. 0889 213 337/0898 317 555. Found
right next to the central square Vaptsarov and the town hall
and right across from the icon museum, this Bulgarian style
mehana offers delicious food and you are served with a smile.
Also great for lunch combined with visiting of museums and
sites in Bansko. Also works during summer months, where
the top floor terrace offers an exquisite view and leafy shadow.
Phone for home delivery (except on holidays) 0878 317 555.
QOpen 00:00 - 24:00. (10-24Lv). JA6IEBSW
Kutelo C-1, ul. Khan Asparuh 11, tel. 0886 513 837. This
small restaurant is in the Kutelo Apartment Hotel Complex
almost in the centre of the western part of the town. Calm
atmosphere without live music and good Bulgarian and
international cuisine. Suitable place for an inexpensive quick
bite. QOpen 07.00 - 24.00. (5-15Lv). L
Molerite B-2, ul. Glazne 41, tel. 88 494/0888 844
944. One of the classic Bansko addresses, with two floors
of wooden benches covered with traditional textiles and
crockery and nightly live music. The fact that there’s always
as many Bulgarians as foreigners eating here tends to
suggest that standards are consistently good. Expect vast
platters of delicious meat, including excellent roast lamb and
frightening-looking sword-grilled kebabs. QOpen 12:00 -
02:00. (6-20Lv). AILEB
Momini Dvori B-2, pl. Nikola Vaptsarov 2, tel. 88
076/0885 406 595, mominidvori@mominidvori.com,
www.mominidvori.com. Found at the beginning of Pirin
street, across from the town hall, this is the oldest commercial
mehana in Bansko. It was first opened on May 1st, 1970 and
was visited by prominent guests, writers, artists and high
members of the Communist party. Today it is decorated in
Bulgarian style, neat and not overwhelming with wooden seat-
ing and columns of white fir. There is a decorative water mill
in the middle of the place, fireplace and a ceiling of wooden
carvings by Triavna craftsmen. The cuisine is Bulgarian and
there is show kitchen. The winter garden holds two big plasma
TV’s and has become the meeting point of sports’ fans from
all over the world. The big garden area with lots of flowers and
greenery is designed with wooden sculptures, artificial brook
and children’s swings. Open all year round. QOpen 08:00 -
04:00. (10-50Lv). TJAILEBSW
restaurants 21
Bulgarian food
The Bulgarian culinary repertoire relies heavily on grilled
meats, with mincemeat rissoles (kebapche), meatballs
(kyufteta) and grilled fillets (file) of pork or chicken form-
ing the mainstay of most menus.
There`s also a strong tradition of slow-cooking stews
in clay pot or gyuveche: kavarma (deced meat cooked
in a clay pot), sirene po shopski (cheese baked in a clay
pot) and yaytsa po panagyurski (eggs poached in a clay
pot) are all examples of this method in action.
Bulgarian salads are full of fresh healthy vegetables.
Shopska salata, a mixed salad topped with crumbly white
cheese, is the most famous, and is considered the obligatory
accompaniment to a round of rakiya, the local firewater.
Don`t forget that Bulgarian yoghurt (kiselo mlyako) is
among the healthiest in the world, containing bacillus
bulgaricus, a beneficial bacterium unique to the country.
Bansko specialities
Banski starets – fat local sausage, usually sliced and
served as a hors-d`oeuvre.
Chomlek – pieces of meet (usually veal or beef) cooked
in a large pot or a deep pan together with potatoes
and carrots.
Kapama – slow-cooked stew of rice, sauerkraut and
chunks of meat (often bits of sausage and chicken), in
a spicy sauce.
Katino meze – diced meat stewed in a tomato-and-red-
pepper sauce together with onions and mushrooms.
Banski sudzhuk – made of pork and sweetbreads. A
special flavouring called polski koprets, with an aroma of
caraway and dill weed is used. It grows on the meadows
above Bansko between 900 and 1000 metres.
Sache – a plate made of clay, on which the meal is served
and kept warm. The meal itself consists of pork bon
fillet, bacon, carrots, onion, mushrooms, baked peppers
and white wine.
Turkish delight banitsa – a dessert similar to baklava and
banitsa. The pastry from banitsa, with the syrup from bak-
lava. Turkish delight is placed between the pastry sheets.
Motikata C-2, ul. Pirin, tel. 0898 434 344. A kilometre
south of the lift station, Motikata (“the hoe”) lies slightly off the
main mehana crawl, which may explain its popularity among
locals and in-the-know outsiders. Motikata apparently gets its
name from the fact that agricultural workers used to stop off
here, get drunk, and forgetfully leave their hoes behind as they
staggered off home. The place preserves an informal rustic feel,
with an interior that goes for wood-panelling and soaring house
plants rather than the folksy trinkets on display at Bansko’s other
mehanas. The barbeque-grilled meats are outstanding: other
well-prepared local dishes worthy of mention include Banska
nadenitsa (a succulent long sausage seasoned with herbs).
Motishki kartofi (baked potatoes with garlic) is the perfect winter-
warming side-order. QOpen 12:00 - 24:00. (5-12Lv) . I
Obetsanovata kashta C-2, pl. Vazrazhdane, tel. 82
236/0878 317 555, dimovidis@abv.bg. One of the oldest
mehanas in town with water feature in the dining hall. There’s
a lip-licking variety of grilled pork, veal and turkey dishes on
the menu, and a whole pig or lamb on a spit if you order 24
hours in advance. They offer game like wild boar, deer, and
rabbit. Don’t miss out on the warm wine with blueberries.
Party animals should be aware that Obetsanovata kashta
is one of the best places in town for shkembe chorba, the
spicy tripe soup used by locals as a hangover cure. QOpen
09:00 - 04:00. (13-25Lv). JAIEBSW
Winter 2008/2009
22 Restaurants
Mehana Bohemi
ul. Neofit Rilski 8
0878 103 588
Sirleshtovata kashta C-2, ul. Yane Sandanski 12, tel.
84 668/0896 685 668. Seventeenth-century house with
a suite of stone-lined, timber-ceilinged chambers decorated
with stuffed birds and strange wood carvings. Covering the
usual gamut of grilled meats and Bansko-style stews, the
food is not as good as the top mehanas in town but still does
the job of filling you up while making you feel as if you’ve ac-
cidentally stumbled into an ethnographic museum. QOpen
11:00 - 24:00. (6-12Lv). LEB
Stariya Komita C-2, ul. Aleksandar Buynov 5. Offering
virtually the same menu as every other mehana in town,
Komita (”the guerrilla”) offers a touch more atmosphere
- the stone-floored, timber-beamed interior hung with
tobacco leaves and hunting trophies is cosy and tradi-
tional. When In Your Pocket last called, the heavy wooden
front door was so impossible to shift that we went away
assuming that the place was shut - an apologetic waiter
had to chase us down the street. QOpen 10:00 - 01:00.
(5-12Lv).
Zehtindzhievata kashta C-2, ul. Georgi Kovachev
11, tel. 0899 559 599, zehtindjieva@bansko.bg, www.
zehtinjieva.bansko.bg. Roomy mehana in a side street
just off the main ul. Pirin offering the kind of meat heavy,
calorific dishes which will keep your vital functions ticking
over throughout the long winter nights. Meals are sometimes
prepared on an open griddle in the dining room, producing bil-
lowing clouds of barbeque smoke. Stand-out dishes include
the Makedonska pletenitsa (“Macedonian pleat”), a huge
sausage wrapped in steak and cheese; and the Siromashka
salata (“poor man’s salad”), a steaming bowl of baked beans
with cheese, ham and herbs. QOpen 11:00 - 01:00. (8-15Lv)
. ILEB
Bansko In Your Pocket
International
Jordan’s Steakhouse C-2, ul. Byalo more 5, tel. 0897
771 593. Welcoming basement restaurant offering all kinds
of steaks grilled to your specifications, as well as very good
grilled fish. English breakfast is served all day, and there’s a
big choice of pasta dishes too. The soothing browny-ochre
décor makes a refreshing change from the folk-style places
elsewhere in town. QOpen 10:00 - 23:00. (8-25Lv).
Ma Baker . At the time of going to press we weren’t really
sure when or if Ma Baker was due to open its doors in time
for winter season 2008/9 but it’s definitely worth investigat-
ing.Mixing the distressed furnishings of a traditional mehana
with surfboards, psychedelic swirly drapes and portraits of
Bob Marley, it blends Bansko tradition with contemporary
cool and serves darn good Tex-Mex food into the bargain.
Q (6-12Lv).
Patio Pizza C-2, ul. Pirin 39, tel. 0898 695 228/0895
792 681. This pizza and steak restaurant is found in hotel
Panorama on Pirin street. It is something of a refuge for those
who tire of Bulgarian cooking and the music that goes with it
and you will be able to enjoy a conversation. Patio Pizza offers
a wide variety of pizza, salads, soups, well-prepared steaks,
grilled fish dishes, duck and rabbit dishes, and some meat-
free Italian pastas that will appease the vegetarian in your
life. The menu is in Bulgarian, Greek and Russian. QOpen
10:30 - 24:00. (7-30Lv). A6CSW
Pizza-restaurant Zande C-2, ul. Pirin 1, tel. 0887 194
571/0899 890 507. Centrally-located pizzeria with a base-
ment dining room decked out with wooden tables and bland
décor. The pizzas have Italian names but are made with Bul-
garian ingredients, so don’t expect a sensual Mediterranean
experience. Cheap and filling, nothing more. Home deliveries
till 20:00. QOpen 10:00 - 01:00. (4-8Lv). TB
Cafés
Daire B-2, ul. Tsar Simeon 53, tel. 0888 999 850. This
atmospherically-lit café-bar, right in the centre, will probably
leave you pleasantly confused by its part-oriental, part-
ancient and part-modern interior topped off by frescoes of
bullfights. Providing you stop wondering what is the point
of it all you’ll feel totally at ease getting into the fine range
of alcoholic substances ranged behind the bar. Good for a
daytime coffee, even better for an intimate evening drink.
QOpen 08:00 - 24:00. PJW
Eliz B-3, pl. Nikola Vaptsarov. Occupying an enviable
position on a raised terrace looking out across the main
square, Eliz is the place where locals come to gossip, read
the papers or gawp at a TV screen permanently tuned to
video channels. A pair of Grecian columns at the back of the
room provide a half-hearted attempt to drum up a sense
of south-European glamour. The coffee is instant though,
so don’t expect a transcendental brown-bean experience.
QOpen 08:00 - 24:00.
Parfe C-2, ul. Pirin 36, tel. 0888 554 812/0888 959
649, parfe_bansko@abv.bg. A combination of vaguely
sixties’-style minimalism and soothing amber lighting help
make this place a relaxing café during the day and a lounge
bar (albeit with slightly Austin Powers-like undertones) at
night. Unlike many other lounge bars in which we have wasted
large portions of our guide-book-writing lives, Parfe features
genuinely comfy black leather sofas that you can sit in for
several hours without seriously damaging your spine. Prices
are average. QOpen 08:00 - 24:00. PB
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24 nightLiFe
A good deal of night-time drinking and revelry takes place
in the taverna-like mehanas, listed in our Restaurants sec-
tion. However, Bansko also boasts a lively bar scene, and
with English-speaking tourists and investors, increasing
their presence in the town, there’s a steady increase in the
number of pub-like places too.
Bars and Pubs
Bander Pub C-1, ul. Han Asparuh 2, tel. 86 600/0889
623 704, office@banderitsahotel.com, www.bander-
itsahotel.com. Soft lighting and lots of wooden furniture
transform the basement of the Banderitsa hotel into a
welcoming and enjoyable place. Pop-rock cover bands oc-
casionally squeeze onto the small stage. QOpen 11:00
- 03:00. IE
Base Camp C-4, ul. Tsar Simeon, opposite ZTA, tel.
83 098/0878 216 416, basecamp@mail.bg, www.
basecamp-bansko.com. Drinking red wine in a traditional
mehana while men in embroidered shirts sing dities about
Macedonian maidens is all very well, but occasionally one
yearns for a proper bar serving proper drinks to the accompa-
niment of proper music. And Basecamp is most emphatically
that place. Expect alternative rock, latin or funk on the sound
system, occasional live acts, and an easy-going vibe that
helps you feel at home no matter how much of a misfit you
may be. The edge-of-town location brings a certain unpredict-
ability to Basecamp: sometimes the place is rammed to the
rafters with a devil-may-care, wave-your-ski-pants-in-the-air
crowd of hedonistically inclined drink demons, at others it
comes across as a laid back neighbourhood pub. QOpen
18:00 - 04:00. AEW
Disco Party Bar Amigo B-2, ul. Glazne 67, tel.
0886 888 454, www.disco.bg/amigobansko. Snug
drinking den centred on a quadrangular bar beneath barn-
like beams. The football-related memorabilia hanging from
the walls suggests a vaguely sporting theme, although
regular DJ evenings and karaoke sessions ensure that
you don’t necessarily need to be soccer-obsessed to fit
in. There’s a restaurant section serving up a something-
for-ever ybod y menu of inexpensive Bulgarian dishes,
pizzas, pastas and salads. Q Open 11:00 - 02:00. (7-
8Lv). PJALW
Molerite B-2, ul. Glazne 41, tel. 88 494, molerite1792@
abv.bg, www.molerite.com. This folksy-style mehana
turns into a disco after about 11pm, with the DJ concentrat-
ing almost exclusively on chalga - the indigenous Balkan
folk-pop which gets its inspiration from traditional Turkish,
Greek and Gypsy beats. Full of hands-in-the-air, hip-swaying
young locals, this place is hugely enjoyable. QOpen 11:00
- 03:00. AL
The Crown ul. Naiden Gerov, tel. 0894 430 450, www.
crownpub-bansko.com. A brand new pub housed in the
basement of the Elegant Spa Hotel (see p. 14), The Crown
promises to become a Bansko hot spot. It’s run by Ivor of
The Gallahad, so it’s sure to be run with efficient and quality
service. It’s quite a big place and boasts some brand new,
high quality pool tables as well as darts and table football.
The furniture is really comfortable and should prove difficult
Bansko In Your Pocket
Casinos
Blitz Club D-1, ul. Glazne 7, tel. 88 530. Slot ma-
chines, roulette, pseudo-Egyptian décor and waitresses in
Nefertiti-inspired dresses. Also one of the best places in
town for a decent cappuccino. QOpen 00:00 - 24:00.
Gold Club D-1, ul. Pirin 55-57. Slot machines. QOpen
00:00 - 24:00.
to leave if you’re watching the full satellite sports channels.
There’s a wide menu on offer including pub standards and
pizzas.
The Irish Pub D-2, ul. Angel Kanchev 1, tel. 0887 196
702. This is one of the new additions to the Bansko pub scene.
Totally revamped and run by Rob and Gemma, the place prom-
ises to be very competitive on pricing and that the food will be
prepared by an English chef. Stop laughing, the lady in question
has loads of experience working in some Great British boozers
and bangs out a wonderful steak and Guinness pie and great
homemade burgers. Rob, the manager, told us that there’ll be
a full fried breakfast for around 10 Levs, daily specials, kids
menu and full sports package. Sounds like a great place to
live. QOpen 08:00 - 04:00. (2-10Lv). AW
The Lions Pub D-1, ul. Pirin 90A, tel. 0885 039 885,
kopanarov@gmail.com. Twenty-four-hour-a-day haven for
anyone addicted to cheap pints of lager, fried breakfasts,
dartboards, and TVs permanently tuned to sport. The place
has been totally renovated for the 08-09 season but promises
to retain the all day drinking sports bar identity. They have a
full satellite package, so you won’t miss any of the important
football matches. QOpen 00:00 - 24:00. PL
Disco clubs
Dance Club Amnesia B-2, pl. Vaptsarov 1, tel. 0897
935 381. Popular disco-club which is a magnet for long-
distance drinkers in the early hours. Mainstream dance DJs
and occasional appearances by Bulgarian pop stars keep a
predominantly young crowd happy. QOpen 21:00 - 04:00.
Admission: 2Lv. PJEG
Disco Club Happy End B-2, ul. Glazne (next to the Gon-
dola lift), tel. 0889 664 725, www.disco.bg/happyend.
As the name itself might hint, this is the end-of-the-skiing-day
venue most favoured by the hordes falling out of the gondola as
it returns to Bansko from the pistes above. A healthily cosmo-
politan mix of Bulgarians and foreigners, a mind-boggling array
of drinks, and frequent live music, all help to keep the party
going until the early hours. QOpen 09:00 - 02:00. PL
Oxygen B-3, ul. Opalchenska, tel. 0898 664 554/0899
605 410. Located in the basement of an innocuous-looking
house, Oxygen is a vibrant and friendly standing-room-only
bar that looks like a psychedelic ice cave but has a warm
and welcoming feel. Good-natured bar staff and nightly DJ
sessions keep the young locals coming in their droves.
Regular house, reggae and techno nights throughout the
winter season make this an essential stop-off for discerning
clubbers. QOpen 21:00 - 05:00.
 The Bansko
telephone code is: 0749

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Guidelines to Bulgarian lifestyle, bars, clubs and discos
1. Try not to stare at women that are accompanied by their
boyfriends, no matter how beautiful they are, it might be
taken as an insult.
2. Try to avoid conflict if you notice Bulgarian people stare
at your wife/girlfriend, or at yourself, usually they will be
just curious. Don’t forget some 19 years ago the majority
of people didn’t even meet foreigners from beyond the iron
curtain, so you are still new and exciting. Bravo!
3. Don’t try to act overly macho, particularly in more provin-
cial towns or cities. Unless of course you are Mike Tyson.
4. When in a bar do not shout or insult the waiters or other
staff members, it may be taken very deeply.
5. If you feel that someone is in some way being threat-
ening or intimidating to you, it is often best to befriend
them. In many cases locals feel threatened by foreigners
and try to show themselves as tough but when you act
as equals and friends they will often almost immediately
drop this façade.
6. If however a conflict situation rises, leave immediately.
Do not stay around and add on to the fire. Bulgarians are
very social and family driven and under a common goal a
big group of people is summoned very fast.
7. Good icebreakers are compliments on the country: The
food, the football, the women, the inventions created by
Bulgarians such as the Cyrillic alphabet and so on. As ad-
ditional benefit you might get an interesting story or two.
Make them talk, they love it.
8. Strong drinks (vodka, whisky etc.) come in quantities
of 50ml for a small and 100ml for a large. In some places,
unless you specifically ask for small you will be handed a
large by default.
9. Rakia must only be drunk with shopska salad. Don’t ask
us why, it just should. If you order one without salad you
may well be looked at as if you are from Mars.
10. The Bulgarian for “cheers” is nazdrave, which literally
means “to your health”. If someone proposes a toast (and
nightLiFe 25
Folk clubs
Bulgari C-2, pl. Vazrazhdane 1. If you want to immerse
yourself in the world of chalga (Bulgarian pop-folk), then
the belly-shaking sounds on offer at this glitzy venue are
guaranteed to bring out the Balkan beast in you. Popular
chalga stars perform here live at least once a week. QOpen
22:00 - 04:00. E
Planeta Payner B-3, ul. Tsar Simeon 48, tel. 0899 969
991. Standing on the spot where disco No Name, a Bansko
institution, once stood, is this relatively new branch of the
Planeta empire, a chain of clubs operated by one of Bulgaria’s
biggest record labels. Dominant musical style is the belly
shaking brand of Balkan pop-folk known as chalga, although
a fair quantity of mainstream pop and retro-disco is added
to the mix. QOpen 23:00 - 05:00. PLE
this could happen innumerable times during the course of
the evening) you have to clink your glass with absolutely
everyone, no matter how many are sitting round the table,
making sure to look in the eye at the point of clinking. If you
fail to make eye contact, they will think you are disrespect-
ful (or just an uninformed foreigner). The custom comes
from ancient times. In days gone by kings, khans and
other important figures would look deep into the eyes of
the person they cheer to guess his intentions. Then they
would bang their glasses so hard, so that a drop of each
drink gets into the other (mixing the drinks would guarantee
they are not poisoned).
11. Be prepared to mix your own drinks. Whilst in England
a “vodka and coke” means a nice mixed drink from the bar,
in BG it means 1 vodka (most likely large) and 1 coke. Mix it
yourself to your own perfect proportions. Cheers.
12. Bring a gas mask. Many Bulgarians are heavy smok-
ers although this becomes less with new generations.
Some bars can be closed in and stuffy places. Combine
this with a crowd of 40 a day hardcore smokers and you
get quite a fog.
13. Take advantage of the hospitality of the Bulgarian soul.
You might be invited to dinners, parties, cocktail parties,
promotions, etc. Generally Bulgarians love foreigners.
14. In bars you can not bring drugs, guns or other forbid-
den substances. Pretty much like most places you have
been in your life.
15. Big fat silver chains that you could anchor a boat with
are an absolute must. That is if you want to appear young,
cool, like a gangster or simply need to anchor a boat.
16. If you are going out on a Friday night to a bar and
want to blend in like a local, it is essential that you
haven’t shaved for at least 3 days. Dressing entirely in
black is a bonus.
17. Girls, for you to catch the attention of Bulgarian men,
just act natural and dress sexy.
Winter 2008/2009
26 What to see
If you think that Bansko is a Balkan village suddenly
catapulted to fame and fortune by its latter-day develop-
ment as a ski-centre, then think again. Bansko was one
of nineteenth-century Bulgaria’s richest towns, and the
monuments are still here to prove it.
Bansko owed its wealth to a central position on key inland
caravan routes, which lead from the Aegean port of Thes-
saloniki to the cities of central Europe. As well as providing
food and lodging to the caravan drovers, Bansko folk
became traders themselves, warehousing rich silks from
the east and fine furniture from the west.
The caravan trade died out in the late nineteenth century
when it became more convenient to transport goods
on steamships and trains rather than on the backs of
donkeys. Bansko continued to flourish as an agricultural
centre rich in goats, sheep and cattle, and enjoyed a
considerable political role in the years before World War
I when it was an important centre of the anti-Ottoman
Macedonian revolutionary movement.
The nineteenth-century houses lining central Bansko’s
cobbled alleyways provide enduring evidence of the town’s
historical importance. Note that Bansko’s museums lack
effective central heating and can be extremely chilly in
winter - so don’t forget your thermal undies.
Churches
Holy Trinity Church (Tsarkva Sveta Troitsa) C-2,
pl. Vazrazhdane, tel. 883 44. Built in 1835, Bansko’s
Holy Trinity Church was the biggest church in Bulgaria in the
nineteenth century, and is still one of the most attractive.
Ottoman restrictions specified that Christian churches should
never be higher than a man on horseback, ensuring that most
nineteenth-century Bulgarian churches were squat structures
built slightly underground. Bansko’s elders decided to ignore
these restrictions, confident that the town’s importance as
a trading centre would dissuade the Turkish sultan from tak-
ing any action. The churchyard’s high wall was erected first,
concealing the rest of the building site from prying Ottoman
officials. The church is entered via a lovely porch lined with
wooden benches. Inside, elegant pillars rise above rows of
Bansko In Your Pocket
Bansko’s old houses
Despite Bansko’s headlong rush towards modernization,
the centre of town can still boast a spectacular collection
of traditional nineteenth-century houses. Lurking behind
a high stone wall and a bolted wooden gate, the typical
Bansko house is of a type known as the Kashta-Krepost
- literally “Home-Fortress”.
During the first half of the nineteenth century this part of
the then Ottoman Empire was particularly prone to roving
bands of bandits, who would descend on unsuspect-
ing households, rob the family silver, kidnap a goat or
two, then scarper to the safety of the surrounding hills.
Bansko’s leading citizens opted to defend their wealth
as best as they could, building solid houses hidden in
walled courtyards.
Typical Bansko houses featured two storeys, the lower
one reserved for animals and agricultural stores. The
upper floor was divided into living quarters for the fam-
ily, although even here a sequence of bolted doorways
would lead to a ‘safe room’ into which the family would
withdraw in case of attack. Safe rooms were often
equipped with trap doors allowing family members to
drop down into a secret basement hiding-place, in some
cases fitted with a tunnel leading to the street outside.
Upstairs rooms were also fitted with diagonal holes
through which musket barrels could be poked, providing
an additional deterrent to would-be intruders.
The upper storey also contained everything necessary
for a comfortable life. Benches running along each wall,
brightly-coloured kilims on the floor, and wall paintings
providing an air of luxury. The entire family usually slept
on a huge bed in the kitchen. Other rooms were used for
entertaining guests, receiving the head of the family’s
business clients, or providing the women of the household
with a work-space for weaving and embroidery. During
the summer months social life would move outside to
the chardak or wooden balcony, where meals would be
prepared on an outdoor hearth and where menfolk would
while away the warm evenings drinking and smoking while
lolling on huge divans. An additional verandah or koliba
was used for drying cereals and fodder during the dry,
sunny months.
Nowadays you need to visit the Velyanova kashta or the
Neofit Rilski Museum to see an example of a Bansko
house whose traditional layout has been preserved.
However there are plenty of other surviving nineteenth-
century houses in the centre of town, most now serv-
ing as B&Bs, mehanas, or twenty-first century family
homes.

wooden pews. The main icon screen is an extravagantly
detailed piece of wood carving, featuring exquisitely-rendered
floral shapes, birds, dragons and other traditional folk motifs.
At the back, wooden grilles serve to barrier off the rear part
of the church, traditionally reserved for female worshippers.
Best time to visit the church is the Sunday morning service,
when many of Bansko’s older women attend in traditional
costume. QOpen 08:00 - 18:00.
Chapel of the Holy Virgin (Tsarkva Uspenie
Bogorodichno) A-3, ul. Bulgaria. Located in the town
graveyard, near the railway station, this cemetery chapel
was built in 1774. Semi-submerged in order to comply with
Ottoman restrictions, and illuminated by four tiny windows,
it has the feel of a mysterious grotto. The intricate wood-
carved iconostasis is a masterpiece of eighteenth-century
folk-influenced art, and is filled with icons by local painter
Toma Vishanov. Unfortunately, the chapel is rarely open, and
may only be accessible at mass times on certain Sundays
throughout the year. The tourist office may be able to advise
on the best time to wander down and take a look.
Museums
Icon Museum C-2, ul. Yane Sandanski 3, tel. 882 73.
During the nineteenth century Bansko was an important
centre of icon-painting workshops. Bansko-trained painters
decorated monasteries and churches throughout the region,
many of them working on Bulgaria’s most famous monastic
foundation, Rila Monastery, 70km to the northwest. Bansko’s
icon-painting traditions began with local boy Toma Vishanov,
who accompanied local merchants on a trip to Vienna in the
late eighteenth century and came back with a book of Austrian
religious prints. Setting up his own painting studio, Vishanov
What to see 27
(subsequently nicknamed “Moler” by the locals after the Ger-
man word for painter, Mahler) went on to produce a stream
of icons that combined both eastern Orthodox and modern
western styles. Vishanov’s son Dimitar Molerov and grandson
Simeon Molerov carried on the family tradition - Dimitar is
reckoned to be the most talented of the bunch. Bansko’s
icon museum occupies a nineteenth-century metoh, a small
monastery-cum-lodging house where monks journeying
between Mount Athos and Rila Monastery would rest up for
the night. The metoh also took in orphans and taught them
basic crafts. The metoh’s former cells and workshops are now
occupied by a display devoted to Vishanov and his followers.
On the opposite side of the metoh’s courtyard, the former
stables now house a gallery of nineteenth century icons,
with Vishanov and his descendants featuring prominently.
Q Open 09:00-12:00 and 14:00-17:00. Closed Sat, Sun.
Admission: 3Lv.
Neofit Rilski House C-2, ul. Pirin 17, tel. 88 272.
Lurking behind a stone wall round the back of the Holy Trin-
ity church is the birthplace of Neofit Rilski, (1793-1881), the
monk and scholar who presided over the development of
primary education in nineteenth-century Bulgaria. The part
of the display devoted to Rilski’s life and works is rather
boring, to be quite frank, but there’s plenty to enjoy in the
period rooms of the house itself. Neofit’s father served as
Bansko’s parish priest, and used one room in the house to
teach reading, writing and bible study to the local kids. Pupils
wrote in wooden boxes filled with sand, examples of which can
still be seen today. The family’s main living room features an
open hearth on which meals were cooked, and a low central
table -nineteenth-century Bulgarians ate sitting on the floor.
Q Open 09:00-12:00 and 14:00-17:00. Closed Sat, Sun.
Admission: 3Lv.
Winter 2008/2009
28 What to see
The Bears of Belitsa
Twenty kilometres northeast of Bansko, the village of
Belitsa is famous for being the site of a reserve set up to
rehabilitate dancing bears. Although outlawed in 2002, the
practice of keeping dancing bears has deep roots in the
Balkan peninsula. Bears taken as cubs by bear-trainers
have little chance of returning to the wild, however, and the
Belitsa reserve provides them with something approaching
a normal life by giving them a large fenced-off area of forest
in which to roam. Funded by the Brigitte Bardot Foundation
and the Austrian-based wildlife organization Four Paws,
the reserve is located at the end of a badly potholed road
11km north of the village. Unfortunately, the bears are likely
to be snoozing in their burrows from December through to
March, and you’ll have to wait until April if you want to see
them roaming their new terrain.
Nikola Vaptsarov Museum B-2, pl. Nikola Vaptsarov
3, tel. 88 304. One of Bansko’s most celebrated sons is
Nikola Vaptsarov (1909-1942), a revolutionary poet who
wrote modernist verse, gravitated towards the communist
party, and was shot as an anti-fascist subversive by Bulgaria’s
pro-German government in 1942. Educated as an engineer,
Vaptsarov was fascinated by machines and factories, and
his poems - unusually for Bulgaria - waxed lyrical about
modern technology as well as mountains and meadows.
The museum is entered via a modern concrete structure
decorated with murals of Macedonian revolutionaries and
socialist heroes. Tacked onto the rear of the building is the
Vaptsarov’s original nineteenth-century family house, which
preserves domestic furnishings and textiles, as well as a
few of Vaptsarov’s manuscripts. An annexe to the museum
houses a vivacious display of hand-woven woollen rugs and
embroidered tablecloths made by local artisans, many of
which are for sale. Q Open 09:00-12:00 and 14:00-17:00.
Closed Sat, Sun. Admission: 3Lv.
Velyanovata kashta C-2, ul. Velyan Ognev 5, tel. 88
274. Presiding over an attractive walled garden filled with fruit
trees, the Velyanova kashta is the best surviving example of
a traditional nineteenth-century Bansko house. It belonged
to Velyan Ognev, an itinerant artist from Debar in western
Macedonia who came to Bansko in 1837 to paint the interior
of the newly-constructed Holy Trinity Church. Marrying local
girl Sofia (the sister of Neofit Rilski, see above), he ended up
staying in Bansko for the rest of his life. The house is entered
via an exterior staircase that leads to the chardak, the first-
Bansko In Your Pocket
Razlog
Razlog is situated at the foot of three mountains
– Pirin, Rila and Rhodope. It is surrounded by high
ridges and sheer cliffs above fertile fields and dense
forests. Historical conditions, geographic location,
natural resources and infrastructure all assisted in
the development of the region, over the last few years.
Snow capped peaks, beautiful nature, hot mineral springs
and multiple protected areas, objects of cultural and world
heritage, well maintained ski tracks and warm hospitality,
attract guests and visitors from all over the country and
abroad. In the Razlog municipality there is good tourist
infrastructure and well marked walking paths, especially
suited to mountain trekkers.
floor wooden verandah where the family would have cooked,
eaten and slept during warm summer weather. Leading off
the verandah are a suite of beautifully-decorated rooms, with
frescoes executed by Ognev himself. The guest room features
a colourful frieze of flowers and fruit, a chained lion (symbol of
Bulgaria under Ottoman rule), and a delightful picture of a male
and female wolf tending a cub - intended as a symbol of married
life and family-raising. The most charming room in the house is
the so-called Blue Room, thought to have been decorated by
Ognev for his wife, and featuring landscape paintings of Istanbul
and Venice - the kind of cities that Bansko merchant families
would have known from their travels. Q Open 09:00-12:00
and 14:00-17:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Admission: 3Lv.
Statues
Father Paisiy of Hilendar (Otets Paisiy Hilendar-
ski) C-2, pl. Vazrazhdane. Bansko-born Father Paisiy of
Hilendar (1722-73) is one of those eminent historical scrib-
blers whom every Bulgarian schoolchild knows about but
whom few people have ever read. Father Paisiy is famous for
writing a manuscript known as the Slavo-Bulgarian History,
which accused Bulgarians of having forgotten their traditional
language and culture and urged a new interest in the exploits
of Bulgaria’s medieval Tsars. Bearing in mind that Bulgaria
was subject to the Ottoman Empire at the time, Paisiy was
regarded as a potentially dangerous subversive and his
book failed to find a publisher. Circulated in manuscript form
by patriotic Bulgarians, however, it became a key text in the
cultural revival that took off in the nineteenth century.
Peyo Yavorov C-2, Courtyard of Bansko’s Holy Trinity
Church. Topping a grey pillar in the courtyard of Bansko’s
Holy Trinity Church is a bust of Peyo Yavorov (1878-1914),
twentieth-century Bulgaria’s most charismatic poet. Provin-
cial post-office clerk Yavorov was catapulted to literary fame
in the early 1900s when Sofia’s literary circles discovered
his lyrical verse and declared him a genius. As well as writing
the kind of soppy love poetry that is still quoted by sensitive
handkerchief-clutching students, Yavorov was also a revolu-
tionary idealist, volunteering to fight with anti-Ottoman free-
dom fighters who operated in the mountains around Bansko.
It was with such a group of guerrillas that Yavorov entered Ban-
sko during the First Balkan War of 1912, liberating the town
from the Ottoman Empire and reuniting it with Bulgaria. Yav-
orov’s position in Bulgaria’s romantic-literary pantheon is en-
hanced by the tragic circumstances in which he took his own
life. Enraged by his repeated dalliances with both revolution-
ary politics and other women, Yavorov’s wife Lora shot herself
on November 29, 1913. A remorseful Yavorov took the same
gun, shot himself in the head, but survived. Hounded by Lo-
ra’s family and friends, however, Yavorov shot himself again
a year later, this time with rather more success.

Pirin Mountain
Pirin Mountain is the second highest mountain in Bul-
garia and on the Balkan Peninsula. It’s also the sev-
enth highest in Europe. Pirin is situated in the south-
western part of the country between the Mesta and
Struma rivers and the Predela and Parilska passes. It
covers about 1210 square kilometers. The name “Pi-
rin” comes from the name of the god Perun, who, ac-
cording to the legend, had lived there. The highest
peak is Vihren (2914 m.) Other famous peaks are:
Kutelo, Kamenitsa, Polezhan, Todorka, Sina nitsa as
well as the saddle, named Koncheto (The nag). In Pi-
rin, there are situated many glacial lakes, formed dur-
What to see 29
ing the glacial period. Ice spreads only over northern
area of the mountain. Famous lakes are: Popovo eze-
ro (Priest lake), Valyavishki ezera and Vasilyashki ezera.
In Pirin there is a rich biodiversity and for its protection,
there is an area designated “Natsionalen Park Pirin” (Pirin
National Park). There are also 3 reserves - Baiuvi dupki –
Dzhin dzhiritsa, Yulen and Orelyak. In the Pirin range lives
one of the famous venerable trees – Baykusheva Mura
(Bayku sheva white fir). Because of the beautiful nature,
there are several towns at the base of the mountain–
Bansko, Gotse Delchev, Melnik and Sandanski. There
are direct bus lines to and from Sofia.
Winter 2008/2009
30 Winter sports
Bansko lies in the so-called Kotlovina, a level plain lying
between three mountain ranges – the Pirin to the West,
the Rila to the north and the Rhodopes to the east. It is
the Pirin range that is the closest at hand, its wooded
flanks rising suddenly from Bansko’s southern suburbs.
Pirin’s compact cluster of glacier-carved peaks cultivate in
the handsomely chiselled limestone summit of Mt Vihren
(2914m), which looms over Bansko to the west.
To the slopes
Most of Bansko’s skiing opportunities are located just
southwest of town on the slopes of Mt Todorka, which
culminates in the 2756m peak of Todorin vruh.
Access to the pistes is provided by the gondola which de-
parts from Bansko’s lift station, located at the southwestern
end of town. Lift passes cost €28 per day or €159 for six
days, with reductions of almost 50% for children. Passes
can be bought from 4pm onwards on the previous day if
you want to avoid queuing on the morning itself - you can’t
purchase them in advance over the internet. Expect queues
to get on the gondola itself - especially between the 9-10am
‘rush hour’.
The lift-operating company Ulen run a ski-hire centre at the
lift station. This is certainly the most convenient place at
which to rent and store your kit, but it’s by no means the only
ski-hire place in town and you should check prices elsewhere
before making your choice.
The gondola ascends in two stages, first to Chalin valog
directly above Bansko, which is the starting point for a couple
of shortish red runs. The second stage of the gondola climbs
to Banderishka polyana, where a trio of chairlifts branch
off to higher altitudes. To the west of Banderishka polyana
lies Tsarna mogila, the longest of the intermediate routes,
although there’s a much wider range of opportunities to the
south, where the upper reaches of Mt Todorka host the
densest network of pistes. An interlocking web of red runs
descend down Todorka to the Shiligarnika area, while longer
blue runs wind their way down to Shiligarnika via the so-called
Plateau on the eastern shoulder of the mountain. Todorka is
also the start of the Alberto Tomba run, Bansko’s only black
route, which ends up at Banderishka polyana.
There are plenty of snacking, eating and drinking op-
portunities at Banderishka polyana, Shiligarnika and the
Plateau.
Snowboarders should aim for the half-pipe at Banderishka
polyana, or the two snowboard runs at the Plateau.
Ice rings
Ice ring D-1, ul. Pirin. QOpen 10:00 - 22:00.
Bansko In Your Pocket
Winter ski sports
Even if you have been skiing or snowboarding for ages and
your skills are pretty rad, there will always be someone
better than you. In case you want to know who are the
big boys and girls on Bansko’s slopes, there are plenty of
competitions to check out, as well as a World Cup alpine
skiing event for women.
November 22-23 – “Todorka” Cup – alpine skiing
event, men
December 16-17 – “Cappy” Cup - alpine skiing event,
girls and boys
December 18-19 – “Yulen” Cup - alpine skiing event,
men and women
February 7-8 2009 – National snowboard competition,
all ages
February 17-20 2009 – National competition - alpine
skiing event, men and women
February 28 – March 3 2009 – World Cup alpine skiing
event, women
- February 28 – Downhill Event
- March 1 – Giant Slalom
March 6-8 2009 – National competition for veterans,
man and women
March 26-27 2009 – National snowboard competi-
tion, all ages
March 31 – April 1 2009 – National competition “Ban-
sko” Cup – alpine skiing event, man and women
April 4-5 2009 – “Pirin” Cup - alpine skiing event, men
and women
Extreme Air Free Ride
Sometimes it is too boring to take to the pistes, especially
if you’re a very skilled skier or snowboarder who wants
to go for something more extreme. You can always leave
the runways and go into the forest. But there is a risk of
unintended tree-hugging or even the nature-friendly bear
or wolf feeding, you being the tasty morsel. Riding the
pristine and virgin slopes of the mountain is a dream out
of extreme movies, but if you are eager to spend some
cash, it may become a reality for you and your friends.
There is a helicopter service in Bansko, which can airlift
your crew and gear onto every possible mountain slope
or peak, so you can plummet down the unknown paths at
your own risk. So do not spare money, get on that chopper
and free ride into ski and snowboard Valhalla! For contact
the phone is 88 914.
Dobrinishte
Ten kilometres southeast of Bansko, the village of Do-
brinishte is the gateway to another skiing area, although
the range of pistes is much more limited and access to
them is time-consuming. Main route to the slopes is a
chairlift, which rises from the Gotse Delchev chalet 12km
south of the village, to the Bezbog chalet, just below the
2645m Bezbog peak. The pistes running back down
the mountain to the Gotse Delchev chalet are marked
as red, but are quite a challenge for intermediates who
don’t have a previous knowledge of the area.

Skiing statistics
Bansko altitude: 925m above sea level
Altitude of main skiing area: 2000-2500m above
sea level.
Total length of pistes: 70 km and total capacity 10
000 persons per day
Longest uninterrupted descent: 16km (from
Todorka Peak back to Bansko lift station).
Rentals
Inter Sport C-2, ul. Pirin 37, tel. 0888 703 184/0899
933 343, inter_sport@abv.bg, www.intersport.bansko.
bg. Ski equipment rental at reasonable prices.
Ulen E-1, Lift station, tel. 88 049, www.banskoski.
com. The latest ski and snowboard models from the leading
brands, testing of the ski automats, grinding machine.
Winter Ski Sport E-1, ul. Pirin, opposite Kempinski
hotel, tel. 0887 880 434, winter_skisportbansko@abv.
bg, www.bansko-tourism.com. “Head” ski and ski boots
rental. QOpen 08:00 - 18:00.
Ski schools
Banskosport E-1, ul. Pirin 60, tel. 0888 782 977,
tourism@banskosport.com, www.banskosport.com. Ski
training and ski tours.
Bansko Travel , tel. 0886 396 401, info@banskotravel.
com, www.banskotravel.com. Small groups or individual
training with highly proficient instructors. Free ride tours to
untouched snow terrains with professional guides.
Winter sports 31
Method Snow School , tel. 0888 887 969, nfo@
methodsnowschool.com, www.methodsnowschool.
com. The onl y Bur ton approved learn to ride centre
and the only English owned and operated snowspor t
school in Bansko wi th highl y qualified ski and board
instructors.
Pirin 2000 E-1, ul. Pirin 107, tel. 82 284, blagovesr@
banskoskischool.info, www.banskoskischool.info. Ex-
perienced ski and snowboard teachers. Winter hiking, cross
country skiing, extreme skiing.
Ulen E-1, Lift station, tel. 0749 880 49, www.ban-
skoski.com. More than 100 licensed instructors. Courses
range from beginners to advanced skiers and snowboarders.
Kindergarten for children 4-7 years at Bunderishka polyana
with children’ ski drags, ski roundabout, moving path and
many fun facilities.
Sports equipment shops
Adventure Sport C-2, ul. Pirin 24, tel. 0898 449 314.
Q Open 09:00-12:30 and 15:30-20:00.
Konov C-2, ul. Gotse Delchev 5. QOpen 09:00 - 20:00.
Max Sport D-1, ul. Glazne 7. QOpen 09:00 - 20:00.
Rossignol C-1, ul. Glazne 57, tel. 0887 170 107.
QOpen 10:00 - 19:30.
Rucanor & Killtec B-2, ul. Todor Aleksandrov 1, tel.
0888 307 847. QOpen 09:30 - 19:00.
Salomon B-2, ul. Glazne 37B, hotel Villa Roka, tel. 88
516. QOpen 10:30 - 19:30.
Simo Sport C-2, ul. Pirin 22, tel. 0898 483 794. Q
Open 08:30-13:30 and 15:30-20:00.
Ski Board Centre C-2, ul. Pirin 19, tel. 0898 603 988.
QOpen 09:00 - 21:00.
Winter 2008/2009
32 Shopping
Antiques
Antique shop D-1, ul. Pirin. Choose between Russki-style
fur hats, accordions, cameras, gramophones, and some of
granny’s old milk churns. At the southern end of town up near
the cable-car terminal.

Clothes & Accessories

Benetton C-2, ul. Pirin 27, tel. 82 092. Female and
kid’s fashion from United Colours of Benetton. Q Open
10:00 - 20:30.
Disma C-2, ul. Pirin 40, tel. 0888 032 400/0030 246
708 16 78. Greek owned leather and fur shop.

Flowers
Boutique Flo B-2, ul. V. Tarnovo 2, tel. 0888 580 822.
QOpen 9:30 - 20:00.

Furniture
Stil Decor C-2, ul. Pirin 56, tel. 0889 688 220, furnish-
ing@mebex.org, www.furnishing.mebex.bg.

Gifts & Souvenirs

Anar C-2, ul. Pirin 48, tel. 0888 580 822. QOpen
10:00 - 19:30.
Art Shop C-2, Corner of ul. Pirin and ul. Georgi Kovachev.
A lovely little treasure trove of kooky things, including woolly
socks, shawls, felt bags, scented candles and rustic-looking
pottery.
Babini D-1, ul. Bratya Veleganovi 14B, tel. 0898 774
779, babini.bansko@gmail.com, www.babini-bansko.
com. Friendly and inventive craftspeople who sell souvenirs
and also run courses on how to make them.
Ella Art C-3, ul. Shipka 5, tel. 0888 587 990, ella_art@
abv.bg. QOpen 10:00 - 21:30.
Magazincheto za podaratsi C-2, ul. Nikola Vapt-
sarov. Felt bags, felt jewellery, and the kind of swirly-
patterned Bulgarian ceramics that you find in trad-style
restaurants.
Stefany 7 C-3, ul. Nikola Vaptsarov 7, tel. 0887 421
896/0885 979 904, stefany7@abv.bg. Embroidered
tablecloths, skin creams and other cosmetics made from
Bulgaria’s famous rose oil. Opposite the Hotel Pirin.
Supermarkets
El Mi D-1, ul. Pirin 74, tel. 0888 323 685. QOpen
07:00 - 05:00.
Ko-op B-3, ul. Tsar Simeon 53. All your basic needs,
but not exactly a big choice. QOpen 08:00 - 21:00, Sun
10:00 - 13:30.
Volan A-2, Junction of ul. Patriarh Evtimiy and ul. Tsar
Simeon. Big orange-coloured thing on the edge of town brim-
ming with fruit, veg and things in tins.

Bansko In Your Pocket

 Business direCtory 33

Banks
Bulgarian Post Bank B-2, pl. Nikola Vaptsarov 13, tel.
0749 881 24. QOpen 08:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat, Sun.
First Investment Bank C-3, ul. Tsar Simeon 68, tel.
0749 881 10. QOpen 08:30 - 16:30. Closed Sat, Sun.
United Bulgarian Bank C-2, ul. Pirin 7, tel. 0749 888
20. QOpen 08:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat, Sun.

Dentists
Dr. Daneva B-3, ul. Todor Aleksandrov 15A, tel. 0888
603 439. QOpen 13:30 - 19:00. Closed Sat, Sun.
Dr. Yanchovichina C-3, ul. Tsar Simeon 67 - in the
building of DSK Bank, tel. 0889 300 360. QOpen 09:00
- 17:00. Closed Sat, Sun.
Anar C-2, ul. Pirin 48, tel. 0888 580 822. QOpen
10:00 - 22:00.

ISPs
Evrokom C-2, pl. Vazrazhdane 1, tel. 88 299, www.
ekk.bg. Lan and cable internet, IP telephony, Cable TV,
DTV, HDTV.

Kindergartens
The Blue Kangaroo Gramadeto area, tel. 950
33/490 01 00, office@balkan-homes.com, w w w.
kandahar-bansko.com. Provides child care for children
between 6 months and 7 years. It takes place in one of the
apart hotel complexes opposite the gondola. There are 4
groups - Baby club (6 to 12 months), Toddler club (1 to 3
years), Mini club (3 to 5 years) and Kids club (5 to 7 years).
QOpen 08:30 - 17:30.

Medical centres Post & Couriers

Medical Centre Dr. Ruskovi B-2, ul. Tsar Simeon
10, tel. 851 85/0887 208 413, ruskov10@gmail.
com. General practice, English speaking staff. Emergency
24hr phone 0887 227 660. QOpen 09:00 - 18:00. Closed
Sat, Sun.
Medical Centre Sveto Blagoveshtenie C-3, ul. Louis
Pasteur 1, tel. 88 333, sv_blagoveshtenie@mail.bg. Or-
thopedist, surgeon, gynaecologist, neurologist and GP. Clinic
laboratory, X-ray and specialized transport. Emergency 24hr
phone 0898 778 700. QOpen 08:00 - 19:00.
Pharmacies
Margarita C-3, ul. Tsar Simeon 73, tel. 883 58. QOpen
08:00 - 20:00, Sun 08:00 - 14:00.
Sanita B-2, ul. Tsar Simeon 57, tel. 884 90. QOpen
07:30 - 19:30, Sun 09:00 - 18:00.
Sonya C-2, ul. Pirin 44. QOpen 8:00 - 21:00.
Vili C-2, Otets Paisiy 18, tel. 0888 907 920. QOpen
08:00 - 22:00.
Post Office C-3, ul. Tsar Simeon 67, tel. 88 211. QOpen
08:00 - 17:30. Closed Sat, Sun.
Speedy C-3, ul. Viktor Yugo 7, tel. 88 396. Courier servic-
es. QOpen 09:00 - 18:00, Sat 09:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun.
Real Estate
Bower Properties C-2, ul. Pirin 67, tel. 0885 320
799/0885 702 886, sales@bower-properties.com,
www.bower-properties.com.
Crown Developments C-2, ul. Otets Paisiy 20, tel. 84
994/0897 973 993, warren@crowndevelopments.com,
www.crowndevelopments.com.
Crystal Cleaning , tel. 0890 335 966, crystalclean-
ingservices@hotmail.co.uk. Homecare services - clean-
ing, meet & greet and welcome services. Flexible working
hours.
Foros B-2, ul. Pirin 6, tel. 885 41/0896 698 721, fax
885 42, bansko@foros.bg, www.foros.bg.

The Sunday-morning market Winter Ski Travel

One of southern Bulgaria’s liveliest markets takes place www.bansko-tourism.com
on Bansko’s central ulitsa Tsar Simeon every Sunday
morning. Main focus of the market is cheap clothes and
shoes, although there are plenty of handicrafts on offer
too. Brightly coloured hand-woven rugs, embroidered folk
costumes, and huge cowbells are among the potential
souvenirs

Winter 2008/2009
34 Business direCtory
Grato Investment C-2, ul. Gotse Delchev 13, tel. 0878
334 993/0896 598 263, office@gratoinvestment.com,
www.gratoinvestment.com. Q Open 10:00 - 18:00.
Closed Sat, Sun.
Home Care B-3, ul. Todor Alexandrov 4, tel. 0899
985 930, bansko@homecarebg.com, w w w.home-
carebg.com. Property management, rental and cleaning
services.
Inter Prime Bansko D-2, ul. Naiden Gerov 5A, tel. 0898
564 296/0898 556 008, office@interprime-bansko.com,
www.interprime-bansko.com.
Redwood Joinery , tel. 0890 335 965, redwoodjoinery-
services@hotmail.co.uk. Bespoke service for all joinery &
maintenance requirements - fitted wardrobes, new kitchens,
shelving etc. Flexible working hours.
Security and PI
Salamander Group Holding (Bansko office) A-2,
ul. Tsar Simeon 19-21, tel. 0888 293 222, salamander-
security@abv.bg. Regional association of security guards
and private detectives.
Travel agencies
Alma Tour E-2, ul. Nayden Gerov - Gramadeto area,
tel. 88 395, bansko@almatour.net, www.almatour.
net.
Inter Sport C-2, ul. Pirin 37, tel. 0888 703 184/0899
933 343, inter_sport@abv.bg, www.intersport-bansko.
com. Hiking trips, rock climbing trips, sightseeing excursions,
biking trips, rent-a-bike, off-road Jeep trips, ATV trips, raft-
ing, horseback riding, fishing, barbeques and tennis school
and camps.
Bansko In Your Pocket
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 Index 35

Street Index Edelvays C-1 Lui Pastyor C-3 Peyo Yavorov D-1/2 Toma Vishanov B-2
El tepe C/D-2 Lyuben Karavelov A-2 Pirin C-1/2, D/E-1 Tsar Asen C-2
3-ti mart pl. C/D-3 Pliska A-1/2 Tsar Boris III B-3/4
5-ti oktomvri C-3 Garibaldi C-2 Marko Teodorovich B-3 Tsar Kaloyan C/D-2
Georgi Benkovski B-2 Mincho Todev D-2 Radon Todev C-2 Tsar Samuil B-3/4
Aleksandur Buynov C-2 Georgi Nastev D-1/2 Mozgovitsa D-2/3 Rayna Knyagina D-1 Tsar
Aleko Konstantinov B-2 Glazne A/B/C-2, C/D-1 Rila A-1, B-1/2   Simeon A-2, B-2/3, C-3/4
Angel Balev B-3 Gotse Delchev C/D-1, C-2 Neofit Rilski C-2/3, D-2
Angel Kunchev D-1/2 Nikola Popfilipov C-2 Simeon Molerov C-2 Usta Gligora C-2
Hadzhi Dimitur D-2 Nikola Vaptsarov B/C-2 Shipka B/C-3
Banderitsa A/B/C-1 Han Asparuh B/C-1 Nikola Vaptsarov pl. B-2/3 Skopie D-3 Vasil Aprilov B-1
Banyo Marinov B/C-3 Hristo Botev B/C-2 Solun D-3 Vasil Levski C-2
Bratya Miladinovi B-2 Hristo Chernopeev C-1/2 Oborishte pl. D-2 Stara planina C-1/2 Vazrazhdane pl. C-2
Bratya Molerovi B-3 Hristo Danov C/D-4 Ohrid B-3 Stefan Karadzha A/B-1 Veliko Turnovo B-2, C-3
Bratya Veleganovi D-1/2 Hristo Matov D-1/2 Opulchenska B-3 Sveti Ivan Rilski D-1 Velyan Ognev C-2
Bulgaria A/B/C-3 Hristo Smirnenski B-1/2 Otets Paisii C-2 Sveti Kliment Viktor Yugo C-3
Byalo more C-2/3   Ohridski B-2/3
Ikonom Chuchulain B-2 Paligoden B-1 Yane Sandanski C-2/3
Dame Gruev C/D-2 Ilinden pl. B-1 Panayot Hitov C-1 Terzi Nikola C-1 Yantra C-3
Damyanitsa B-1/2 Ivan Vazov B-2 Panayot Volov B-2/3 Todor Aleksandrov A/B-3 Yulen C-3
Dimitur Talev C-3 Patriarh Todor Kableshkov C/D-2
Dobri Chintulov D-1/2 Kiril i Metodii C/D-2   Evtimii A-2/3, B-3/4, C-4 Todorin vruh A/B-2 Zahari Stoyanov D-2
Drama C/D-3 Knyaz Boris D-3 Petko Slaveykov C-1/2 Todorini vrati B/C-2 Zahari Zograf D-1/2

Index Dance Club Amnesia 24 Kadiata Tavern 20 Oxygen 24

Alpin 18 Dedo Pene 18, 20 Kamenica mehana 20 Panorama (Vakanova kashta) 17
Aneli 15 Dedo Yonkata 20 Kasapinova kashta (Butcher's Parfe 22
Aparthotel Penbro 18 Devonshire Lodge 18 house) 21 Patio Pizza 22
Apartment House Eagle Disco Club Happy End 24 Kashta Kiritsovi 19 Perun 14
Lodge 17 Disco Party Bar Amigo 24 Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena Pirin 14
Aseva kashta 18 Dream Apartment Complex Bansko 13 Pizza-restaurant Zande 22
Avalon 15 Bansko 18 Klecherova Kashta 19 Planeta Payner 25
Banderitsa 15 Dvata smarcha 19 Kralev Dvor 16 Roshkoff House (Roshkova
Bander Pub 24 Edelweiss-Park Hotel 15 Kutelo 21 Kashta) 19
Banski Han 20 Elegant 14 Lion 13 Sevda 19
Baryakova mehana 20 Eliz 22 Lucky Bansko 18 Shato Bansko 14
Base Camp 24 Evelina Palace 13 Ma Baker 22 Sirleshtovata kashta 22
BelleVue Residence Hotel 13 Friends 15 Makedonska krachma 18, 21 Sofia 18
Blitz Club 24 Glazne 13 Maraya 17 Stariya Komita 22
Bohemi 20 Gold Club 24 Martin 13 Strazhite 14
Boide 20 Guinness 13 Molerite 21, 24 Tanne 14
Bulgari 25 Hermes 15 Momini dvori 17 The Crown 24
Bulgaria 15 Holiday Group Hotel 16 Momini Dvori 21 The Irish Pub 24
Chalet Isabella 19 Hotel Bariakov 16 Motikata 21 The Lions Pub 24
Chalet Jora 19 Hotel Grami 16 Mountain Paradise 13 Turisticheski dom Okoto 18
Chalet Soltir 19 Hotel Rodina 16 Mountview Lodge 17 Vihren 17
Chubanov Han 20 Ivel 16 Nevi 19 Vihren Palace 15
Complex Tamplier 17 Jordan's Steakhouse 22 Obetsanovata kashta 21 Villa Roka 15
Daire 22 Kadiatta Inn 19 Olymp 17 Zehtindzhievata kashta 22

Hotels Restaurants Cafés Nightlife Sightseeing Events Maps Hotels Restaurants Cafés Nightlife Sightseeing Events Maps Hotels Restaurants Cafés Nightlife Sightseeing Events Maps

SOFIA PLOVDIV BANSKO

October-December 2008 Autumn 2008 i
Winter /
2008/2009

Skiing
Word cup, Helicopters
and More
Bansko Nights
Party now, Sleep later

International
E S S E N T I A L C I TY G U I D E S
Plovdiv Fair
Sofia districts 29 September –
Learn more about them 04 October 2008
What’s on? The Old Town
Complete events listings A crossroad of cultures

.O .O No 3
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Winter 2008/2009
36 Streets & Maps

Bansko In Your Pocket

Streets & Maps 37

Winter 2008/2009
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Bansko In Your Pocket

Streets & Maps 39

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Winter 2008/2009
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