ATMs & Card Payments Will Pause on NYE

In this week’s Buzz:

• Numbers to call in Bulgaria if you witness animal cruelty

• Many bookings confirmed for student weekend in Bansko

• d’Elliecious to celebrate its first birthday

• Free ski passes for children in Bansko

• Christmas Village set to open on Dec 1st

• Why a local marketing workshop in Bansko?

• Sampling The Chef’s House’s new lunch menu

What to expect on NYE as Bulgaria transitions to the Euro, with an extra public holiday to “…ensure a smooth transition.”

Only a day or so after Michael asked his “nerdy” question in the Bansko Notice Board group about whether ATMs would have Euro notes on the Leva/Euro switch over, this article was published saying something entirely different: that Bulgaria will pause all electronic payments on NYE/NYD for currency transition.

When the clock strikes twelve and the fireworks are lighting up the night’s sky, electronic card payments and ATM withdrawals will be paused for “2 to 3 hours”.

What does this mean in real life?
If you’re heading out on New Year’s Eve, it’s probably best to take some cash in Leva, and if you’re attending a party at a local restaurant, mehana or bar, it might be best to pay the bulk of your bill before midnight if you want to pay by card. (P2P options like Revolut might be an option, but if most people don’t know about the shutdown, services like this could become slow or unusable.)

It also looks like the government has chosen to extend the holiday period, with Weds 31st, Thurs 1st, and Fri 2nd all being public holidays, and the extra holiday added to “…ensure a smooth transition.” Read more. Let’s hope it is smooth…

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Inside the Bansko Notice Board Group

✍️ 108 New Posts, 💬 216 Comments, 👍️ 1,538 Reactions

Telephone Numbers to Report Animal Cruelty
Dee shared a post that included the numbers you should call to notify authorities if you observe someone being cruel to animals in Bulgaria.

Where Can You Buy Broccoli & Berries in Town?
Paul knows that he can buy broccoli and berries at the Sunday market, but wonders where else in Bansko he can get them. See where people suggested.

Has Anyone Seen Any Flooding in Bansko?
There has been a lot of rain recently in Bansko, so Anastasia is asking if anyone has experienced flooding in their building or basement.

Sweet House Honey Re-Opens With New Tenants
Teodora shared that she is now running Sweet House Honey on Pirin Street (no. 32): a cafe offering hot drinks, home-made cakes, fresh smoothies, and a place to work or relax.

Bansko & Beyond

Student Weekend Has Plenty of Confirmed Bookings
In Bansko, there is a tradition that the weekend before the ski season opens, students come to Bansko to eat, drink and party. The gondola and one or two lifts should open (the latter depends on conditions), and the top part of town will have an abundance of people. This year, around 3,000 have already booked to come to Bansko from the 6th to 9th of December. Read more. [Translation required.]

Free Ski Passes for Children in Bansko
All eligible children in grades 1 to 12, who are not part of a ski club, can apply for a free ski pass from Yulen. However, this must be submitted at the local municipality offices by EOD on Friday 28th of December, and the individual child must have valid mountain insurance. Read more.

Two Kickboxers from Bansko Asked to Compete on National Team
Katrin Gemkova and Martin Dimitrov have been asked to compete in the World Kickboxing Championships this coming week in Abu Dhabi for the Bulgarian national team. Aged just 17 years old, Martin will compete in the men’s category, and both train at the Hawk Taekwondo Club in Bansko. Read more.

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Events Next Week

Exhibition of Bulgarian Shepherd Dogs in Razlog
On Saturday (29th) at 1pm, there will be an exhibition of Bulgarian shepherd dogs at DVAL Association on Stara Planina Street in Razlog. More info.

d’Elliecious First Birthday Party
On Saturday (29th) from 2pm, d’Elliecious is having their first birthday party at their location near the town square (bottom of Pirin Street). There will be cocktails, prosecco, cakes, and music. 10% of turnover will go to charity. More info.

Local Marketing Workshop for Bansko Businesses
Myself and Becky (from Altspace Coworking) are running a marketing workshop for local Bansko-based businesses. This will be at Altspace’s central location on Gotse Delchev Street at 11am this coming Sunday (30th). The workshop will cover promoting a local business in Bansko on Facebook, Instagram and Google Maps. More info.

Christmas Village at The White Stage
At 6pm on Monday 1st of December, the Christmas village opens at the White Stage on the road to Banya (near Piri pool, location here). There will be Christmas party music, games, raffles, prizes, and culinary delights and drinks available to purchase. Apparently, the “…light show and Christmas decorations will leave you speechless”. More info.

Bansko Street Dogs Pub Quiz
The next pub quiz for Bansko Street Dogs is on Monday 1st of December at The Avalon. Usual timings at The Avalon: the quiz starts at 7.30pm with Asian snacks/bites served. It looks like there is now a waitlist to join the quiz as all tables have been booked. More info.

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Photo of the Week

Gotse Delchev Street basks in the golden colours of autumn.

Follow @banskobuzz on Instagram.