Bansko’s Spring Clean Initiative

In this week’s Buzz:

• Beware of taxi driver scams in Bansko

• Ski pass prices to be reduced starting 1st of April

• Retro Bansko Festival this coming weekend

• Four arrested for using snowmobiles in Pirin National Park

• Part two of the Balkan Folklore Festival

• Lots of winter-season businesses enter hibernation

• Learn to belly dance in Razlog

Local municipality encourages a “spring clean” of houses, apartments, and garden areas.

This week, the local municipality in Bansko announced its Spring Clean initiative to encourage households to join municipal efforts to move the town out of winter and embrace spring by cleaning out their homes, gardens, and yards.

This initiative will run from tomorrow (Monday 23rd of March) until Thursday 9th of April, and will include:

• Free transport of garden waste, including branches and earth, etc

• Bulky item collection (sofas, mattresses, old furniture, etc) on the day before your usual bin collection day

• Asking people to separate items before disposing of them (plants, paper, plastic, and other household items into individual bags/containers)

• Requests made to the municipality for other items being disposed of

The local municipality will also conduct its own “spring clean” in public areas.

Read more about the programme here [translation required].

Community & Coworking at Altspace

Our community bridges the gap between the Bansko community and working online at a coworking space, bringing people together by challenging each other on Side Hustle Day, enjoying dinner together in a local restaurant, painting & wine, or chilling and talking about everything and nothing at Friday Beers.

If you want to join a community and coworking space that offers the right work-life balance, then book a trial day with Altspace Coworking. It’ll be one of the best decisions you’ll make.

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Inside the Bansko Notice Board Group

✍️ 119 New Posts, 💬 403 Comments, 👍️ 1,454 Reactions

I’m Looking for Raw Cow’s Milk. Where Can I Get it?
Richard wants to get some raw cow’s milk (not pasteurised) to make some kefir. See where people suggested he get it in town.

Beware of Taxi Driver Scams in Bansko
Gary shared his experience of nearly being scammed out of 50€ by a taxi in Bansko (hailed from the rank near Ginger traffic lights).

Any Pest Control Companies in Town?
Elena is looking to hire a local pest control company to help with some unwanted visitors to her home. See who people suggested.

Earthquake in Blagoevgrad. I Felt it!
Daniel shared information that an earthquake had been detected in Blagoevgrad (about an hour away from Bansko) and that he’d felt the tremor in Bansko.

Warning About a Cash Scam in Bansko
A local business owner went to a few businesses in town and paid cash. Later, he found that some of the change he was given was in Leva (not Euros). Was this on purpose or by mistake?

Bansko & Beyond

Ski pass prices reduced for the month of April
Bansko Ski Resort operator, Yulen AD, has reduced the day (and multi-day) pass prices for people interested in skiing/boarding on the mountain (by around 23%). This is no surprise, considering Catholic/Protestant Easter on 3rd to 6th of April and Orthodox Easter on 10th to 12th of April, as well as a reduction in the number of tourists from Israel visiting the resort due to flight restrictions in the Middle East. These prices aren’t reduced every year. Read more.

Glazne River cleaned, ready for end-of-season weather changes
The local municipality has finished cleaning the Glazne River (the main one running through town) to ensure smooth runoff from the mountain when the snow melts. The river was cleared of vegetation and other debris that could pose a problem. Read more.

National ski racer with Down syndrome trains in Bansko
Radena Angelova, a national alpine ski competitor, is taking part in an intensive training camp in Bansko to prepare for future competitions. The programme will help with her physical fitness and improve her technique, and it’s currently one of the best times to train in Bansko, with quieter conditions and great weather. Read more [translation required].

Four arrests for unlicensed use of snowmobiles on the mountain
This week, the Pirin National Park authority announced that four people had been arrested for driving unlicensed snowmobiles on the mountains near Begovitsa Hut (far above the Dobrinishte area). Snowmobiles are not allowed in the national park at any time except by the mountain rescue service evacuating casualties. Read more.

Join over 60 million people using Revolut. Hold Euros in your account and pay local businesses in Bansko easily. Sign up for an account now.

New to Bansko? Skip the tourist traps and join Nick for Bansko Like a Local tour. An insider’s guided tour to the best bars, restaurants/mehanas and hidden gems. Learn more.

Shop on Amazon & get packages delivered to Bansko with GGBG. Regular transport from the UK, Germany and the USA to Bulgaria. See website for info.

Travelling outside of your home country this year? Get travel insurance designed by travellers. True Traveller: one policy to cover all of your activities. Learn more.

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Events Next Week

Women’s Circle with Henna Art
On Monday (23rd), starting at 6pm at Harmoniya in Razlog, there will be an “…evening of feminine connection, symbols, and gentle magic.” Price is 20€. More info.

AI Bootcamp for Business Owners
Starting on Monday (23rd) and continuing until Friday (27th), BloomSpark is running an AI bootcamp for business owners and entrepreneurs who want to use AI in their business. Runs every evening (M-F) from 7pm to 9pm. Price 120€. More info.

Bansko Street Dogs Pub Quiz
On Monday 23rd, BSD’s pub quiz will take place at George and Mary on Glazne Street. It will start at 7.30pm and entry fee is 5€ per person. More info.

Bansko Book Club (Postponed)
On Tuesday (17th), the book club was rescheduled to Wednesday 25th of March at 6.30pm. They will meet to talk about their chosen book for the month, “The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules”. There will be a lively discussion about the book and a vote to choose the book for next month. More info.

Balkan Folklore Festival
From the 26th to 29th of March, the Balkan Folklore Festival returns to Bansko for its third year. This will include music, singers, and traditional dancing from both Serbian and Bulgarian groups. More info.

Asian Flavours Meet Elegant Wines
On Thursday 26th of March, Bistro 7 on Pirin Street is hosting an Asian food and Bulgarian wine evening starting at 7pm. This is a four-course meal, with a different wine accompanying each course. Price is 40€. More info.

Splitboard Festival
On Thursday 26th to Sunday 29th of March. More info [translation required].

Retro Bansko Festival
Starting on Friday (27th) at Storm Bar on Pirin Street (from 5pm) and running for three days with live music and DJs at locations in town and on the mountain. The best retro outfit run will be around 12 noon on Saturday (28th) on Plato. More info [full timing and location details].

Belly Dance with Marcel
On Saturday (28th) at 6pm in Razlog, you can learn how to belly dance. (The class is for “ladies only”.) More info [scroll down for English].

Regular Weekly Events

Here is a list of the twelve regular events that will be happening every week until the end of March:

- Pub Quiz: Monday from 7pm at different venues (Bansko Street Dogs).
- Bansko Run Club(ish): Tuesday at 6.30pm meet at Altspace Coworking (Central).
- Spanish Speakers Meeting: from 6pm at DiVino Wine Bar
- Latin Dance Night: Tuesday from 7pm at Four Leaf Clover.
- Pool Tournament: Thursday from 6.30pm at Smokey Mountain.
- Friday Beers: Friday 6pm to 8pm at Altspace Coworking (Central) [BYOB].
- Latin Dance Night: Friday from 7pm at DiVino.
- Bonkers Bingo: Friday from 7.30pm at The Hub
- Karaoke: Friday from 8pm at Tipsy 360.
- BSD Saturday Sale: Saturday 10am to 2pm at Bansko Street Dogs shelter.
- Sip & Paint: Saturday 2pm to 4pm at Lucky Bansko Aparthotel.
- Free Walking Tour: Saturday at 2pm at the big tree near the church (duration: 1.5hours)
- Sunday Walk: These will resume in April.

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Photo of the Week

Journey up the mountain

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