Jazz Beats and Vintage Train Seats 🎷🚂

🎷On Saturday, the Jazz Festival in Bansko kicked off with a lineup of different musicians from around the world (135 artists from 35 countries).

If you didn’t head for the first night, no problem. You’ve got another week to enjoy the smooth jazz sounds in Bansko. Events run from 11am until after midnight, so there’s something for everyone whether you’re a night owl or an early bird. Information on timings & events can be found here.

🚂There is also the special vintage train running this week (during Jazz Fest) that departs from Bansko around 9.15am every day and heads to Yakoruda. It then stays there for a few hours and departs back to Bansko at 2.30pm. The train carriages are over 90 years old with a return ticket costing 40BGN. More details can be found here.

Friday Spotlight: Damyanitza

A lunch spot in the summer that is in the perfect location and the food tastes great? That’s Damyanitza.

It’s one of those places where you go to have lunch with some friends in a pleasant setting. They have soups, salads, traditional Bulgarian main dishes, and a selection of desserts on their daily changing lunch menu, and their prices are reasonable. See the full write-up here.

Events This Week

Pirinsko’s “Clear up the Mountain” Project
Pirinsko has a project to help clean up areas in the mountain. The first date for Bansko will be on Saturday from 9.30am to 3.30pm: meeting at the car park next to the eco path (just before the turning to Peshterite). Participants will receive a beer (over 18s) and a branded merchandise item. More info.

Dobrinishte Summer Folk Dancing
On Saturday, in the main square in Dobrinishte at 7.30pm there will be traditional folk songs and captivating folk dances.

Craft Fair in Bansko
Every day this week, between 10am and 11am, there will be a craft fair at the tourist information center in Bansko. Unique crafts from masters of their work will be on display with unique homemade products available to purchase. More info.

Local Trade & Craft Cultural Evenings
This week, there are a selection of cultural evenings from 5pm to 7pm outside the tourist information center in Bansko; Mon & Thurs is wood carving, Tues is knitting, Weds & Fri is spinning, and Sat is a pottery demonstration (accompanied by folk music 6pm to 6.30pm on Saturday only).

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There will also be other events put on by businesses or individuals in Bansko who will share them in the group here.

Inside the Notice Board Group

✍️ 129 New Posts, 💬 664 Comments, 👍️ 2,639 Reactions

Where is the Best Banitza?
Avihay asked where the best banitza is in Bansko (a savoury pastry in Bulgaria). There were lots of suggestions, with Elitsa pointing out that many places use inferior ingredients to keep the prices low.

Why People Shouldn’t Swim in Mountain Lakes
Vlad wanted to make a point about people swimming in lakes and dams around the mountain: that doing so can damage the fragile ecosystems around these areas. Many other people agreed.

High Temperatures & Fire Risk
With a number of recent fires in the region, Bansko Municipality issued guidance for residents and tourists to the area and what they should consider to keep everyone safe.

Where to Buy Quality Bulgarian Rose Oil?
James wanted to know where the best quality (for a good price) he could buy Rose oil in Bansko or surrounding towns. Or, would it be better to buy online to ensure high quality?

Satielite Imaging of Bansko Over Time
Max posted a time-lapse video of images of Bansko taken from space every few weeks. Sometimes it’s interesting to see the town from a different perspective.

Local News

Student Dormitory Renovation

A repair, reconstruction and renovation at the local Forestry High School is underway. Bansko municipality has been awarded funds from the National Recovery and Sustainability Plan totalling just over two million leva. The repairs to be carried out will include insulating the school dormitory (walls, roof & flooring), with new modern equipment and furniture, a fitness centre, and a photovoltaic system (I needed to Google it too 🤣). Read more about the project here.

World Student Orienteering Championships

The World Student Orienteering Championship has been taking place in Bansko over the past week, with 235 students from 50 countries taking part. Read more here.

Dobrinishte Hosted “Return To The Past” Photo Exhibition

On Saturday, Dobrinishte hosted a photo exhibition that included photos from hidden treasures of Pirin and showcased different traditional Bulgarian costumes.

This Week’s Weather

In Bansko, the weather can be unpredictable and changeable. We recommend the MeteoBlue weather app.

Before You Go…

Feel free to share this newsletter with someone you feel should know what’s going on in Bansko.

Know of an event or news item that should be included in next week’s Buzz? Click/Tap here to send us the info.

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Nick
Publisher, Bansko Buzz