20 New Places That Opened in 2024

In this week’s Buzz:

• Sooooo excited: I got engaged in Bansko!

• All of the new places that opened in 2024 in town

• Honorary Banskalian wins gold at the World Cup in Italy

• Back to busy Thursdays for events in town

• Snowed in today, so we’re just going to drink Prosecco

20 New Food & Drink Places Opened Last Year in Bansko

Last year, there seemed to be an abundance of new food & drink places opening in Bansko, whether these were newly opened businesses or takeovers of previous places with new owners and concepts.

Below is a full run down. You’ll probably have heard about some, but there might be one or two that you haven’t.

Basilico Italian Shop
A taste of Italy on your doorstep in Bansko (8 Pirin Street).

Pizza Verona
A pizzeria that took over the old Oscar’s Wine Bar location at 10 Pirin Street.

Tuscani Coffee Shop
Located at 27 Pirin Street, a new coffee shop serving coffee, hot chocolate, and hot wine.

Sweet House Cake Shop
Located at 29 Pirin Street, a new cake shop with some tasty items opened in July.

Wine & More
A wine shop at 13 Simeon Molderov Street (just off Pirin Street) offers a selection of different wines and spirits to purchase and take home.

Blackho Cake Shop
Located at 31 Pirin Street, Blackho Cake Shop offers cakes and sweet treats.

The Bottle Wine Shop
A new wine shop on Pirin Street (56) just up from Five M offering fig wine, hot wine, and various wines to buy and take home.

Cherry Berry Coffee & Smoothies
The old Coconut coffee place on Gotse Delchev Street opened with new owners under a different name, offering coffee, smoothies, smoothie bowls, and craft beer.
 
Le Golosie
Moving from their previous place opposite Pirin 75 (Gelato Italiano) to 55 Glazne Street, offering gelato, coffee, and cakes.

New World Coffee
A franchise coffee place serving coffee, cakes, smoothies, and gelato. Nice tasting coffee and great gelato at 34 Gotse Delchev Street.

Energy Coffee & Bar
Opening in December 2024, they offer a full-service bar and coffee. It is located at 78 Pirin Street in the old fast food place.

Beer Shop Shark
Opening in January 2024, Shark Beer Shop (77 Pirin Street) has become a contender to Pivoteka for those wanting a craft beer or two when in town.

Focaccia
Offering Italian sandwiches, homemade bread, and premium products from Italy (93 Pirin Street).

Food Box Bansko
A fast food place with tasty, quick meals to eat on the go. Well worth the visit (95 Pirin Street).

The Fox Beer House
Taking over the old Station Bansko’s location, a bar serving beer, sandwiches, meat plates, and salads (apparently, they also have bakery products 🤷; located on Neyden Gerov Street near the Ginger traffic lights).

Subway
Thought we’d got rid of them when they closed near the Kempinski? Nope! A new Subway branded sandwich shop opened in December near Contrabar.

Alpen Italian Restaurant
A new Italian restaurant opened in the old Casa di Papi location near the Gondola. Lots of reports saying how good it is: I’ll be trying it this month and will let you know.

Casa di Papi
Opened in a new location on Pirin Street opposite Happy End. It’s a very similar menu to the old one, and the food is pretty much the same.

La Familia
It keeps its name but opened under new owners (same ones as Pizza Verona) offering traditional Bulgarian dishes. Reports are mixed. Location opposite 4 Directions on Nayden Gerov Street.

The Chef’s House
Keeping the same name as the previous owner (before that it was Salt & Pepper), but offering a completely new menu: great food. Well worth the visit. Located at 20 Nayden Gerov Street.

Noteable closures: Bakery Alya, Five Points, and The Irish Harp.

I might have missed one or two from the above, so if you think I have, reply to this email and let me know.

Five M — Delicious Food & Everlasting Conversations

At Five M, every dish is a masterpiece, from delicious appetizers to exquisite main courses and desserts. Everything is created to bring you delight and unforgettable moments.
See our new menu here.

Inside the Bansko Notice Board Group

✍️ 162 New Posts, 💬 1,070 Comments, 👍️ 2,920 Reactions

I Got Engaged On The Mountain in Bansko!
Lisa posted a photo of her boyfriend (Cai) proposing on the mountain in Bansko. Great to see. I wonder if they’ll have the wedding here?

Where Can I Buy Snow Chains For My Car?
Thomas asked where he could buy quick-fix chains for his car. There were a couple of suggestions.

How Much Should We Budget Each Day For Spends?
Sometimes you’re unsure how much you’ll need to spend on your ski holiday when you come to Bansko. Emma wanted to know what the general consensus was. Worth leaving a comment if you have one.

I’m Planning My Ski Trip To Bansko, But I’ve Seen Lots of Queue Complaints
Ahhhhh, gondola queue complaints. There have been a lot! 😂 Jonathan is planning to come to Bansko to ski but is concerned about the queue times he’s read about. Quite a few people shared their opinions.

I Want To Buy a Birthday Cake
Zana posted that she wants to buy a good homemade birthday cake and was looking for recommendations. There were a few.

Local/Municipality News

Albert Popov Wins Gold at The World Cup in Italy
This week in the World Cup night slalom, Albert Popov (deemed “honorary Bansakalian” by the local municipality) won gold in Italy. This was forty-five years after fellow Bulgarian Petar Popangelov won gold in the same competition in 1980. If you’ve been on social media, you’ve probably seen a few people sharing this story. More info.

Bansko Mayor Hikes Vihren Peak To Celebrate 100-year Anniversary
Bansko’s Mayor, Stoycho Banenski, hiked Vihren Peak this week with full mountaineering gear to mark the 100th anniversary of the first recorded winter ascent of Mount Vihren. At 2,914 metres (Bansko sits at 925 metres), Mount Vihren is the second-highest peak in Bulgaria and the highest in the Pirin Mountain range. Conditions saw difficult terrain, steep, icy slopes, and strong winds. More info.

FC Bansko Prepares For a New Season
The local football team, FC Bansko, has been preparing for their new season. The club has seen a few transfers in recent weeks and celebrated the upcoming new football season with a blessing from the local clergy. More info.

Bansko Shines at Ancient Land of the Kukers Festival in Simitli
A festival with thousands of participants represented in fifty groups of kukers took place in Simitli this week (over 300 participants representing Bansko). Bansko Kukeri group were awarded the prize for best overall participation and contribution. In a few weeks, the team will head to Pernik for the larger annual festival, bringing together teams from across the country. More info.

Pulse Therme Opens in Bansko
Remember the old bus station in Bansko? That’s the extension to the Grand Hotel in Bansko where the new Pulse Therme is located. It’s a lot smaller than its sister location in Banya, so keep that in mind if you intend to visit next month (February is the busiest month in the winter season). Look through some of the photos here.

Businesses in Bansko

Explore the mountain with confidence and peace of mind all year round by getting mountain insurance from Uniqa. Get a quote & buy online.

Shared transfers from Sofia Airport to Bansko with Traventuria. Get to Bansko quickly and in style during the winter season. Always on time. Check availability.

Happy Hour at The Hub, every day from 4pm to 6pm: only 8 BGN for 2 x wine or beer.

Travelling out of your home country in 2025? Get travel insurance designed by travellers. True Traveller: one policy to cover all of your activities. Learn More.

Enjoy reading the Bansko Buzz every Sunday? Why not buy me (Nick) a coffee? Caffeine fuels my Sundays when I put the newsletter together (I’ve drank four today already!)

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Events Next Week

FIS Snowboard World Cup
This coming Saturday (18th) and Sunday (19th), the FIS Visa Snowboard World Cup takes place in Bansko. This means the mountain and the town will be a little busier than usual. Everything starts on Friday (17th) at around 5.30pm with a team parade and Apres ski outside the Four Points hotel (near Pirin 75). There is different information on social media about the timings, so it’s best to see this post on Facebook.

Pool Tournament Every Thursday at Smokey Mountain
Smokey Mountain has announced that it will continue its knockout pool tournament every Thursday in the lobby bar. The meeting time is 6.30pm with an entry fee of 20BGN and prizes for first, second, and third place. Smokey’s will also be putting on some food every week for participants (priced at 10BGN) and their lobby bar will be open for drinks. More info.

Annual Avalanche Training
On Tuesday, the 14th of January, from 6pm to 9pm, at the Avalon, there will be theory training. On Wednesday, the 15th of January, there will be a full practical day of training in the backcountry to practice what you learned the previous evening. Price: 140BGN. Message the Avalon to book.

Bongo Bingo Every Thursday, Karaoke Every Friday
Every Thursday from 8pm at The Hub you can battle it out with your dabber by playing bingo with your friends/family. Think you sing like Adele in the shower? Why not head up to The Hub on a Friday evening (from 8pm) and sing your favourite songs on the karaoke?

Kukeri Festival in Razlog
From Thursday (16th) evening, the ninth annual international Starchevata Kukeri festival takes place in Razlog. This brings competitors from Bulgaria and neighbouring countries. The event will continue on Friday (17th) and Saturday (18th), and it’s said that this event is not to be missed. More info here and here.

Pub Quizzes
It looks like the pub quizzes from Bansko Street Dogs and D & Vino will be settling into a two weekly occurrence in the coming months. If you’re interested, it looks like BSD’s next one will occur on Monday the 20th and D & Vino’s on Thursday the 23rd of January. Next week, I’ll update you with more information, but they will usually match the same times as previous ones with BSD’s at a venue that’s TBC.

Photo of the Week

A snowy morning in Bansko (Sunday 12th).
We’re “snowed in”, so let’s just drink prosecco.

Tag @banskobuzz to get your photo in the Buzz.

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