Recycle a bottle, feed a dog

In this week’s Buzz:

• Where can I find a list of houses to rent in town?

• New plastic bottle vending machine will dispense food for street dogs

• Fun Park Therme isn’t monkeying around

• Fuel prices increased by nearly 30% in Bulgaria

• Second annual Biathlon 4 All event on Saturday

• In time for hiking season: Vihren Hut bus should be back operating this coming week

Bansko introduces a recycling machine that rewards plastic bottles with food for street dogs

This week, the municipal council in Bansko agreed to purchase a recycling vending machine that feeds street dogs. A person puts their empty plastic bottle into the machine and it dispenses food for dogs. It’s primarily for street dogs, but I’m sure some owned dogs let out for a walk on their own will have a munch too: the machine has been purchased by the municipality and will be refilled by Bansko Street Dogs.

It’s not clear where the machine will be placed, but it’s expected to be located on either Gotse Delchev Street or near the park. This is the first (trial) vending machine, with hopes that more will be introduced around town to help feed streeties, which will be especially helpful in winter, when it can get extremely cold for street dogs (sometimes dropping as low as -20℃ at night in February).

This is one of a handful of initiatives in which the municipality is working in partnership with Bansko Street Dogs to improve the lives of both dogs and humans in the town. In March, the partnership to neuter dogs saw 16 dogs neutered in total (7 by the municipality and 9 by BSD).

Over the next month or so, the municipality and BSD are working together to make it easier (aka possible) for people to register their dogs with the local municipality ahead of a nationwide count in September. Hopefully, this will also reduce the number of dog-related incidents in the area. Things seem to be slowly moving in the right direction.

Bansko Nomad Fest is only a few weeks away!

The Bansko Nomad Fest starts in a few weeks time. Grab your ticket and attend the 7-day conference and all of the social experiences during the week with a silver ticket for €375 (€25 off when you use the code BUZZ at checkout). Prices increase next week.

Enjoy interesting conference sessions, networking events, community-led skill shares, and social events with fellow nomads & entrepreneurs at one of the most popular nomad events of the year!

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(Use the code BUZZ for €25 OFF)

Inside the Bansko Notice Board Group

✍️ 73 New Posts, 💬 255 Comments, 👍️ 878 Reactions

Are There Any Legitimate Local Honey Producers?
If you’ve seen a fair few beehives around Bansko, you’d assume there are lots of local producers. Myster can’t seem to find any actual ones and wanted some suggestions.

Looking To Rent a House or Villa
Confused after looking online for a house or villa to rent in Bansko, Stephane wondered if there were any portals or websites to find available properties.

Looking For Gas for My Camping Stove
We’re having glorious sunny days, which means some people are getting ready for camping season! Jan wants to buy some butane gas for his camping stove and wonders where to buy it.

Where Can I Find Fresh Cilantro (Coriander)?
Alexandra is on the hunt for fresh cilantro and can’t seem to find it in town. A few people had suggestions of places she could look, and other places further afield that definitely have it.

Bansko & Beyond

Municipality replacing railings on bridge near Billa
The local municipality is replacing the railings along the edges of the pavements across the bridge near Billa. This is where the road goes over the river. If you’re walking (or running) on the pavements in the area, take note as the warning tape isn’t all that easy to see at night. Read more.

Kangaroos, Llamas and Peacocks now too!
If the large wooden trolls weren’t enough at Therme Fun Park for children in Banya, they’ve setup a small petting zoo now too. They’ve got kangaroos, llamas, peacocks, and goats, as well as some horses, ducks and other animals. Seems like they’re trying to make it a key place to visit this summer for families. Read more [Translation required].

High schools in Bansko and Razlog get new STEM centers
Specialised education centres for hands-on and collaborative learning have been opened at schools in Bansko and Razlog for natural sciences and culinary arts (Bansko), and for computer science and natural sciences (Razlog). The majority of funding for this came from European Union grants. Read more [Translation required].

Forty-one children take part in local chess tournament
On Saturday, 41 children from the local area (aged 7 to 13) took part in the chess tournament in Dobrinishte (mentioned in last week’s Buzz). The event held for International Children’s Day saw individuals compete, showcasing enviable skills and a strong competitive spirit. Read more.

Other news stories
Here are a handful of other news stories you may find interesting:

• Holiday visits up 3.2% year on year for April

• Sofia Metro introduces new generation of trains for the network

• Price of fuel in Bulgaria is up 27.7% compared to last year

• CPC launches investigation on cartels, price spikes and supply risks

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Events Next Week

International Children’s Day
Monday (1st) is International Children’s Day! The municipality has put on a whole host of activities, including a museum tour, children's films, games for all in the town square, and an evening meeting at the tourist information centre with the author of “Artists for Children”. More info.

E-Health Bansko
On Monday (1st) at 12noon in the main square, pair your phone with the government’s e-health portal to get quick and easy access to your health status, prescriptions, vaccine information, and test results. More info.

Bansko Run Club(ish)
On Tuesday (2nd), meeting at 6pm at Altspace central location on Gotse Delchev Street, have a run with others around town, covering a distance of 5km, and finishing up at Station by Tsakiris.

Bansko Wellness Retreat
Running from Friday (5th) to Sunday (7th), Bansko Retreats is running a wellness weekend. For 200€ you get workshops, candle-making, Pilates classes, breakfasts & dinners, a guided walking tour, a wellness seminar, and access to the chalet's jacuzzi & sauna. More info.

Main event: Biathlon 4 All 
On Saturday (6th), the second annual Biathlon 4 All event in Bansko will take place. Last year, over 200 individuals participated in three categories, including running and firing a laser rifle (see photos here). This year, there will be a similar setup with registration at 9am in the main square. Price 15€ for adults and 5€ for children. The money raised will go to the emergency center in Bansko. More info.

Painting & Wine at The Kempinski Hotel
On Saturday (6th), starting at 6pm, Omaya Studio will have their painting and wine workshop at the Kempinski Hotel. Price is 33€. More info.

Charity Tournament for Pepi (Razlog)
On Sunday (7th) at 10am at the new sports ground in Razlog, there will be a charity football tournament for a local lad called Pepi. Participation fee is 50€. More info.

Inside The Beehive🍯 

A monthly membership where Nick shares stories, information, and insights that aren’t shared publicly. You also see things weeks or months before they’re published (whether in the newsletter or in the group).

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Photo of the Week

As the mountain sheds its winter coat, the rivers gush with happiness.

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