Snow, Celebrations, and Surprises in Bansko

In this week’s Buzz:

• A tour of the new Casa di Papi restaurant

• Bansko wins best festival town in the Balkans

• Ski season officially opens and the government wants more tourists this year

• The BSD pub quiz is at a place it’s never been before

• Why was it so busy this weekend in restaurants & bars?

Great Snow, ‘Big’ Prizes, and High Hopes
for the 2024/25 Season

The scheduled official opening of the ski season took place yesterday in Bansko.

There were different prizes in the “Treasure Hunters” competition at Banderitsa Polyana, including the top prize of an e-bike. No idea where the new Audi went that’s been the top prize for the last few years. Maybe they had a rethink when the same guy won it a few years on the trot. 🫠 

Whatever the reason, I know that if I won the top prize, I’d rather have an Audi over an e-bike…

Quite a few people attended the opening ceremony, in the morning at Banderitsa Polyana and in the town square in the evening. Once again, the conditions on the mountain were really good this weekend, so if you’re heading to Bansko to ski or board over the next few weeks, you won’t be disappointed like the last couple of seasons.

One interesting thing to note is that the mayor of Bansko, Stoycho Banenski, the Minister of Tourism, Evtim Miloshev, and the CEO of Ulen, Maya Hristoskova, all got together to discuss the upcoming season. During the discussion, Miloshev stressed that tourism growth this year should be 2-3% on last year’s numbers.

Knowing how many apartments are sitting empty right now after being filled the last two years, and hotel reservation occupancy estimates looking lower too, I do wonder if the minister is putting too much focus on Bulgaria being given full Schengen approval and a boost in tourism numbers, rather than wondering about people’s motivations behind coming (or not coming) to Bansko this winter.

Want to see some photos from the day? See daytime photos here and evening photos here.

The Chef’s House

Join us for brunch, 10am to 2pm, every day of the week.^(featured) 
See Brunch Menu

Inside the Bansko Notice Board Group

✍️ 114 New Posts, 💬 619 Comments, 👍️ 2,332 Reactions

Can You Ride The Ski Lifts Up & Back Down Again?
Rob posted asking whether non-skiers can ride the lifts up to the top of the slopes and back down again instead of skiing down the slopes. A few people had some advice.

How Pirin Street Has Been Transformed
Mimi shared a video by the Municipality of Bansko that shows how Pirin Street has changed since they pedestrianised it (finishing a few weeks ago). There’s some good drone footage in the video. If you want to see photos of how the street has changed, see this post.

Another Coffee Shop on Pirin Street. Just What Bansko Needs!
I posted up about another place to get coffee on Pirin Street. It seems like there are loads now. Apparently, it’s also a bar and serves alcohol. Nice.

Are Ski Season Passes Transferable?
El posted that he’ll be in town for a couple of months and wondered if he could sell his season pass to someone else when he leaves. Find out what people suggested.

A Tour of The New Casa di Papi Restaurant
Jay posted that he’s trying out the new Casa di Papi that’s recently opened. He takes us on a video walkthrough and shows us some photos of the food. Well worth having a look.

Local/Municipality News

Bansko Wins Award For Best Festival Town in The Balkans
This award won’t surprise you if you’ve been to Bansko during the summer months. The local municipality works hard to put on many different events in town, including several festivals (some of which are really good). Bansko won this award at the 10th annual Balkan Tourism Industry Awards. More info.

Bansko Team Does Well At National Ski-mountaineering Championship
Last Sunday in Borovets, club AlpirinSki from Bansko competed in the first national ski-mountaineering championships of the season. While there were no top-3 finishers, eight Bansko team members finished in the top twenty, including Christian Kober, who finished in fourth place. Unlucky, Christan, but I hear you’ve been selected to compete with the British Skimo Team this year. Well done!

Full Schengen Approved For Bulgaria & Romania
Earlier this week, the European Commission unanimously approved Bulgaria (and Romania) to be full Schengen countries. This means the land borders between Bulgaria and Greece will disappear come New Year’s Day. More information can be found in my post on the Bansko Notice Board group here.

Irish Harp Not Opening This Season: Selling Up
The Irish Harp has announced that they’re not opening this season. It’s a shame we won’t be able to go there for a great glass of Guinness and the welcoming, always smiley, happy & friendly Brian (if you know, you know 😂). However, this didn’t come as a surprise after I saw the Irish Harp up for sale here and his Plovdiv place for sale here the other week.

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Shared transfers from Sofia Airport to Bansko with Traventuria. Get to Bansko quickly and in style during the winter season. Always on time and as low as €11. Check availability.

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Events Next Week

Bansko Street Dogs Pub Quiz^(featured)
Next Monday (23rd) is the Bansko Street Dogs’ pub quiz. It’s a popular event in town, and it is nearly at capacity. If you want to book a team, head to their Facebook page and register. It’s at The Chef’s House and will start promptly at 7.30pm

The Scent of Christmas Exhibition
Monday (16th) to Friday (20th) at 4.30pm, the Young Bulgarian Creators group will have a Christmas Exhibition filled with festive spirit and creativity. It will take place each day at the community center in Bansko, and 50% of any money raised will go to the Christmas campaign fund. More info.

Kindness At The Door Concert
On Friday (20th) at 6pm, there will be a Christmas concert at the local community center in Bansko. As is often the case, there aren’t many details about what this is and who is performing, but I will post about it in the BNB Facebook group when more details are published.

Coca-Cola Truck Signals It’s Christmas Time
If you’ve watched any TV in a western country over the past twenty years, then you’ve probably seen the Coca-Cola truck advert “Holidays are coming” that features a line of Coca-Cola trucks lighting up the night sky. On Wednesday (18th) from 3pm to 9pm in Sandanski, get ready to see one of those trucks in person, as Coca-Cola “…will transport you on a magical adventure”. More info.

Photo of the Week

Hours before the official opening of the ski season in Bansko.

Tag @banskobuzz to get your photo in the Buzz.