Bansko’s Summer Season Kicks Off

TOGETHER WITH

In this week’s Buzz:

• Will I meet a bear in the Pirin Mountains?

• New restaurant opens in town near the Guinness Hotel

• A few festivals/events this week/weekend

• Tipsy360 opening party date is pencilled in for July

• Bansko Fringe Festival on Weds & Thurs at Altspace

A packed calendar of events kicks off with Nomad Fest and more

Summer is officially here in Bansko, with the Nomad Fest (BNF) being the first main event of the summer 2025 calendar. There are more events next weekend, including a parade by youth bands & orchestras, the opening & closing ceremonies for the European Rafting Competition, and the 14th annual Festival of Traditional People.

Later this week, the local Tourist Information Center is expected to publish the finalised summer events calendar for Bansko. This will include the usual cultural evenings, craft fairs, museum tours, and art exhibitions, which start in July, as well as the popular larger events, such as the Rock Festival in July and the Jazz Fest in August.

Razlog Municipality has also announced some summer events. Combining those with Bansko’s will make July & August jamm-packed with variety.

It looks like this summer is going to be full of great weather and amazing events!

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Inside the Bansko Notice Board Group

✍️ 95 New Posts, 💬 218 Comments, 👍️ 1,082 Reactions

I’m Going Hiking in The Mountains. Will I Meet a Bear?
Maks asked whether it’s safe to hike in the Pirin National Park around Bansko and if he needed to take any precautions for bears he might encounter while hiking. See what people said.

Can I Get Fresh Gluten-Free Bread Anywhere in Town?
Michelle wondered if anyone knew of a bakery that makes fresh gluten-free bread and if she could get some GF filo pastry anywhere in the area. See where people suggested.

Does Anyone Know Where I Can Get a TBE Shot?
Adriana wants to get a Tick-borne Encephalitis vaccine before heading back to Sweden and wondered if anyone knew of a local place that could administer it. See the suggestions.

I’ve Now Got An Airfle. Anywhere in Bansko With a Shooting Range?
James acquired an air rifle recently and wondered if there’s anywhere locally where he can go shooting. See what people had to say.

(The above posts are publicly accessible. You don’t need a Facebook account to view them.)

Local/Municipality News

Student Represents Bansko at Youth Forum in European Parliament 
Alexander Kulin, an 11th-grade student (16-17 years old) at the local PGEE school in Bansko, represented the town at the Youth Forum in the European Parliament. Over 10,000 young people from across Europe came together to discuss young people's mental health, media literacy, and digital democracy. Read more.

British Passport Holders Can Now Use e-gates on Entry to Bulgaria
Individuals who hold a British passport can now use the e-gates when entering Bulgaria and don’t need to use the regular queues to enter the country, thanks to a special agreement between Bulgaria and the UK. Strangely, authorities say that passports will still be stamped (if applicable). Read more.

Chairlift Re-opens in Dobrinishte
The chairlift in Dobrinishte, up to Bezbog Hut, has now reopened for the summer. It will run every day from 8.30am to 4.45pm and will cost 36 BGN for a round-trip ticket. Read more.

Restaurant Stefanos Has Opened
Near Contrabar and the Guinness Hotel, Restaurant Stefanos has recently opened. It’s open Wednesday to Saturday, offering a “meat & fish experience” to diners. It’ll be interesting to see what the food and service are like since it was initially scheduled to open in December. Read more.

Summer School Continues in Bansko 
Local primary school children from St. Paisii Hilendarski School in Bansko took part in folk dance classes and a cooking course “little chefs” to learn more about how local culture and international cuisine can help shape their future by developing new skills. Read more.

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Events Next Week

Bansko Nomad Fest
The Bansko Nomad Fest started today. Most activities are taking place in the lecture halls in town or in the town park (far right section: you’ll see all the white tents and the main stage). There’ll be an estimated 750 people attending, so keep that in mind if you’re in town at the moment. It runs until next Sunday (29th).

Bansko Run Club(ish)
Want to run 5km around town and have a chat & a beer afterwards? Bansko Run Club(ish) is meeting on Tuesday (23rd) at 6.30pm at Altspace’s central location. More info. They have a special BNF edition meeting at 8am on Friday (27th) in the park at the Altspace tent. I’m not sure if this special edition is followed by drinking beer though 😆. More info.

Opening/Closing Ceremonies of the European Rafting Championship
On Tuesday (24th) at 7pm in the town square, there will be the opening ceremony for the European Rafting Championship, which will include a folklore concert. The competition will take place on part of the Struma River, approximately 45 minutes from Bansko, but Bansko has been chosen as the host city. The closing ceremony is set to be on Sunday (29th) at 7pm in the main square. More info.

Bansko Fringe Festival
On Wednesday (25th) and Thursday (26th), the Bansko Nomad Fringe Festival returns to Altspace Coworking’s Summit location from 6pm to 9pm. Different talks include Tantra, Death, Overcoming Anxiety, The Dangers of Spirituality, and The Power of Less. The event is free, and anyone is welcome to attend. More info.

Bulgarian Evening of Wine & Banitsa
On Wednesday (25th) at 7pm, D & Vino will run a Bulgarian evening of artisanal banitsa from Lyubanitsa (on Pirin Street) and Bulgarian wine from D & Vino. The event will take place at D & Vino on Glazne Street. More info.

The Festival of Student and Youth Orchestras
On Friday (27th) and Saturday (28th) there will be a festive parade and concert by youth bands and orchestras. On both days, the event starts at 7pm in the town square and the parade is set to head down different streets and areas of Bansko. (No details are available about the route.) More info.

14th Festival of Traditional People (Razlog)
On Friday (27th) and Saturday (28th), the Traditional People's Festival "Na Armane with Tupane" will take place in Razlog. This is a “peculiar folklore adventure that combines music, dance and unadulterated Bulgarian tradition.” On Friday, the event begins at 7pm in the main square. On Saturday, the event starts at 10am and includes participants from 33 dance clubs from Bulgaria, Denmark, the Netherlands and the United States. More info.

Photo of the Week

As summertime arrives, water flows off the mountain.

Tag @banskobuzz to get your photo in the Buzz.