The end of cheap Temu shopping?

In this week’s Buzz:

• Has the spring water in Predel ever been tested?

• Bulgaria remains cheapest country in the EU

• Rescuers find missing woman dead on mountain

• Local municipality starts on improvements to the town’s park

• School Orchestra Festival this weekend

• Bansko Nomad Fest officially started today; Fringe Fest on Weds & Thurs

• Creative Bansko’s Art in The Yard event this coming weekend

A new €3-per-category customs duty could make low-value orders much more expensive from July 1st.

In around 10 days (July 1st), the European Union will remove the customs duty fee exemption on low-value shipments (those below €150).

This exemption meant that if you ordered items from a country outside of the European Union, for example from Temu in China, you wouldn’t be charged a customs fee on your items (as long as the total was below €150). However, this exemption will discontinue, and it looks like they’re going to make things complicated too.

For any shipments entering the EU, there will be a €3 charge per item category for shipments up to €150.

How does it work?

Let’s say your name is Susan and you ordered some clothes from outside the EU. The package contains one silk blouse, five cotton t-shirts, three pairs of socks, and a key ring. In customs charges, you would pay €12 in total. This is broken down as €3 for the silk blouse, €3 for the cotton t-shirts, €3 for the socks, and €3 for the keyring. They’re all seen as different item categories.

Let’s say you’re ordering some kitchen items from Temu: would they all be in the “kitchen” category? Not necessarily. Those cheap items from Temu? It could be about to get a whole lot more expensive.

And this isn’t just going to affect Temu orders. I suspect that if you’re like me and use GGBG to ship items from the UK or the USA (third countries), your delivery fees and delivery times are about to increase.

Read more about it all here [Translation required].

CLOSING SOON: Readers’ Survey

This is a quick “let’s make sure we’re on the same page” kinda thing. A short, 1-minute (anonymous) survey for you to fill in.

If you ever wanted me to know what you think of the weekly emails, then this is your chance.

👉️ TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK

Inside the Bansko Notice Board Group

✍️ 100 New Posts, 💬 279 Comments, 👍️ 1,461 Reactions

Here Are Some Photos of This Wonderful Bakery
Celine shared her opinion and some photos of Bakepoint, a bakery on Pirin Street near to the MPM Sports Hotel.

Has The Spring Water in Predel Been Tested?
Myster wanted to know whether the spring water spot in Predel had ever been tested to ensure its quality. See what people had to say.

Can Anyone Recommend a Mountain Hike for Tomorrow?
Alan asked the community if anyone had a suggestion for a 4- to 5-hour hike up the mountain that he could start and finish at the gondola in town.

Recommendations for a Good Deep Tissue Massage?
Honza wants recommendations for the best deep-tissue massage in town. See where/who people said was the best.

Bansko & Beyond

Municipality announces improvements to town’s park
The local municipality has announced the improvements to the town’s park area for children. It will include a new playground for children of all ages, a ropeway with parallel wooden platforms, and a ropes course aimed at younger children. Read more.

Summer School of Friendship
While lots of schools have finished for the summer in different parts of the world, Bansko’s summer school is once again helping young people become better individuals in society. As well as learning some skills focused on tolerance, respect and understanding, they have scheduled day trips to a number of places. Read more.

Woman missing in the mountain found dead by rescuers
Yesterday, a 40-year-old woman went for a hike past Vihren Hut. She was hiking with her dog. After not hearing from her since around 3pm yesterday afternoon, her family called on the mountain rescue service to help find her with hope she was still alive. Sadly, they found her dead at the bottom of a ravine, having fallen some 400 metres and needed a military helicopter with a winch. The Bansko mayor was part of the rescue team (he’s part of the mountain rescue). Read more [Translation required].

Youngsters have outdoor ballet lesson
Moveo put on an outdoor ballet lesson for young people interested in learning how to dance ballet. So many different things are happening in Bansko this year. Read more.

Bulgaria remains cheapest country in EU
Recent data on prices from 2025 shows that Bulgaria is the cheapest country for consumer items. The researchers reviewed overall prices and those in different categories. It’ll be interesting to see what the 2026 prices show next year. Read more.

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

• “Homes are for living, not speculation”: Bulgaria considers higher tax on multiple properties

• Slavia Sofia football team coming to training camp in Bansko for two weeks [Translation required]

• New storage business opening on Pirin Street in the next few weeks

• Ekont (ski zone) at top end of town has moved to near Groshe supermarket

Show your pride in Bansko

Show your Bansko pride every time you send an email.

Forget Yahoo and Gmail, with a Bansko email address, you finally get an address that feels like home. Perfect for locals, expats, and digital nomads who want to stay connected to Bansko, wherever you are.

Clean, ad-free, and private. A premium address that says you belong here.

👉️ GET YOURS NOW

👉️ Want to see your ad in the newsletter?
View Advertising Opportunities

Events Next Week

Bansko Run Club
On Tuesday (23rd), meeting at 6.30pm at Altspace central location on Gotse Delchev Street, have a run with others around town, covering a distance of 5km, and finishing up at a local bar.

Nomad Fringe Festival
On Wednesday (24th) and Thursday (25th), at Altspace Coworking (Summit location). On both days, the event starts at 6.30pm. The event is free, and you don’t need to be a nomad to attend. More info. 

Power Vinyasa Yoga Classes
A weekly class that will start on Thursday (25th), at 6.30pm at Lotus Life Studio for a Power Vinyasa yoga class to make you feel your body differently: you breathe, you move, and you find strength where you least expected it. More info.

Lindy Hop Dance Class
On Thursday (25th) at Hanuman Yoga Studio in Cedar Lodge 3 (building behind the one with Alpen in), starting at 7pm, join people interested in dancing and want to learn Lindy Hop. Price 6€. More info.

Festival of Traditional Folk Music (Razlog)
On Friday (26th) and Saturday (27th), from 7pm in the main square in Razlog over 800 participants from all over the world will perform folklore dances and music. More info.

School Orchestra Festival
On Friday (26th) and Saturday (27th), the School Orchestra will bring a festive parade and concert by youth bands and orchestras. There are no details published for this event, but last year it started at 7pm in the town square, and the parade went down various streets and areas of Bansko. Keep an eye on the Facebook group.

Art in The Yard
On Saturday (27th) and Sunday (28th) at the children’s centre in the old town, join Creative Bansko for creative workshops, sound journeys, and a relaxed atmosphere. There will be food & beverages available to purchase as well as items from local artists and makers. The event runs from 11am to 10pm. More info.

Bansko Street Dogs’ Saturday Sale
Support the local Bansko Street Dogs charity by attending their Saturday Sale. What’s on offer? Clothes, homewares, books, furniture, plants, outdoor gear (bikes, tents, etc.) – all pre-loved and in great condition. On Saturday from 10am to 2pm at their location near Moderator (location).

Painting & Wine at The Kempinski Hotel
On Saturday (27th), starting at 6pm, Omaya Studio will have their painting and wine workshop at the Kempinski Hotel. Price is 33€. More info.

Paella Night at DiVino Wine Bar
On Saturday (27th), starting at 7pm at DiVino on Glazne Street, they will be having a paella night. No further information about it, but last year it included a selection of wines alongside the paella for a fixed price (around 25€). More info.

An Evening Full of Flavours
On Saturday (27th), starting at 7.30pm at Hotel Sofia in Bansko, join Anita’s Art Studio for a multi-course meal paired with wines and rakia. Price is 50€. More info.

A Cameroonian Botanical Feast
On Monday 29th starting at 7pm at Sky High Kitchen, join the team for a feast of tasty dishes from Cameroon. Price 25€ per person. More info.

Future Event: Summer Film Mania Under The Stars
On Thursday (2nd), Friday (3rd) and Saturday (4th) of July, the summer film fest is back in town. It starts with a movie called “Under The Skins” at 9pm on the Thursday in the main square which looks at the rituals and traditions of the Kukeri. I’ve requested a full list of movies in English (or with English subtitles). More info.

The town will be busy this week and next, with lots of different nomad events. Some events will be small and spontaneous.

Photo of the Week

Bansko mayor joins search efforts to locate missing tourist in the mountains.

Follow @banskobuzz on Instagram.

Before You Go…