Holidays in Bansko February 2012
We were in Bansko from February 9 to February 20.2012. We flew from Domodedovo with S7 airline. They flew for about three hours. At the Plovdiv airport we were met by a tour. Bontour company. We were loaded onto a bus and taken to Bansko. Drive 4 hours along the mountain road, stop for lunch on the way. We rested for 12 days. We took a ski pass for 6 days, then a 1 day excursion and a ski pass for 3 days.
We stayed at the Belvedere Holiday Club. All in all, a good hotel. But of course there are downsides. For example, the fact that they practically do not heat, we had a heater that worked around the clock, which we dragged from room to room. I do not know, maybe in other hotels the same picture. We only had breakfast included. Nothing special breakfast as breakfast. True, by the end of the trip, I was poisoned by milk there. The price includes a sauna, jacuzzi, swimming pool, gym. The only time we steamed in the sauna and sat in the jacuzzi, there was no more desire. There was some sand in the Jacuzzi, in general, not very pleasant.
The hotel is not far from the slope, but the boards are hard to carry around and we went by minibus, which went from the hotel and back for free every half an hour or an hour. But overall I liked the hotel.
Every day there was a queue for the gondola lift. At best, half an hour. At worst - 3(! ) hours. On February 14, we arrived at the lift early and saw a kilometer-long queue. When asked why such a queue, the guide answered that today is Valentine's Day. I don’t know where the connection is, maybe the Bulgarians celebrate this holiday this way. It takes 20 minutes to go by gondola lift, there is a stop in the middle, but I didn’t see anyone get off, usually they just sit down. The cabin fits 8 people, skis and boards remain outside, poles are taken with you. The gondola brings to the clearing, where there are many different lifts that lift to different heights. It is better not to climb to the very top in strong wind and snow. I don’t understand much about the slopes themselves, because.
she just started riding. Near the ski lifts there are usually all sorts of cafes where you can have lunch, warm up, go to the toilet and drink mulled wine. We tried the most delicious - in the Bla-Bla cafe. But it's expensive to eat there. We usually dined upstairs at The Goat Cafe. Approximately 20 lev per person. Having rolled, we went down to the gondola lift and drove down. You can probably go down the slope, but we tried and scored, because the slope is very gentle and you need to go on foot =(
We came to Bulgaria and wanted to feel the national color, taste local dishes, listen to their music. And I absolutely do not understand the people who ate there in Italian restaurants and American bars. In Bulgaria, the national restaurant is called mehana. I would like to tell you about some of the places we visited.
Fun village: Not bad, but not very cozy (large hall and you feel like in a supermarket). Prices are too high, because
mehana is in the center. The music is very loud and intrusive, some shabby girls were singing. But the food is pretty tasty. Mehana is located near the slope at the intersection of the street. Pirin with some other I don’t remember =)
Grandfather Johan's Tavern: The establishment would have made a good impression, if not for one huge minus. The waiter tried to trick us with the bill. He refused to bring a check so that we would pay him in his arms. We refused such an offer and demanded a check, he froze us for a long time, brought other people's crumpled checks. But in the end, when I realized that there was nowhere to go, I brought our bill. The dish that he promised us for 40 lev turned out to be worth 23 lev. And we were not the only ones, there were women at the next table, whom he also sold this dish for 40 lev. Located on st. Pirin, if you go a little further from the center on the left side. Looks like house 84
Vezuva kashta: Very tasty, pleasant unobtrusive service. We liked everything.
The prices are moderate, after dinner they brought us a stack of green drink, as it turned out later it was mastic + menthol liquor. Mekhana is located on the street. Pirin on the left side, as you go from the ski lift, opposite the ice rink.
Stragata: Located right next to the slope. The principle is very good, quite tasty, but in some places it was tastier. Prices are average
Bunare: Our favorite mehana, we went there 4 times. We ended up with a 20% discount. Low prices, amazingly tasty, very cozy atmosphere, nice quiet national music, the girl sings national songs very beautifully (except Sunday). Each time we ordered a jug of mulled wine and it was cooked in front of us right on our table. Mulled wine is very tasty. Most of all we liked Katya's appetizer and roast pork with mushrooms. In fact, everything we had there was delicious. Prices are low, for two dinner without a tip a little more than 50 lev. With a tip - 60. The mechanic is located on the street. Pirin d.
44 on the left side if you go from the lift. You need to move away from the center.
Cosmetics made from rose oil are brought from Bulgaria (I brought hand and face cream, they smell very good and pleasant, there is no, as I was afraid, such a strong smell of roses), wine, rakia (Bulgarian vodka), mastic (aniseed vodka), especially Turkish delight delicious with a rose (I thought it was disgusting, but it turned out delicious), well, all kinds of magnets and trinkets. It is better to take your time and go through more stores so that you have plenty to choose from. I regretted that I did not bring a tablecloth with a national pattern, the quality seems to be quite good. We brought honey, bought it on excursions on the recommendation of the guide and were very sorry. Well, at least the jars are small. Honey frankly smells like burnt sugar, and we didn’t realize that at the end of winter there can’t be liquid honey. So you can not trust anyone, especially the guide. Honey must be tasted before buying.
There, on the excursion after the tasting, we bought wine in glass bottles 0.7 for 7lev and in plastic bottles 1l for 4lev. The wine is very tasty, light and sweet.
We went on one excursion: Melnik-Rila Monastery-Rupite. The tour did not cause much enthusiasm for me, the guide spoke a lot, but in fact very little. I expected that I would like it in Rupite near Vanga, but this place did not make much impression on me, but it was worth going there for general development. We also had a wine tasting, the wine is very tasty.
In general, we liked our holiday in Bansko, it was a pity to leave, although we were tired of skating, all the same, unprepared muscles get very tired. By the way, I was very afraid of falling, that I might break or beat myself off, but this did not happen. But for a minute I sat down to rest on the slope and an aunt on skis crashed into my back, so it’s better to sit on the side, away from the teapots.
Bulgarians are a very noisy nation, sometimes it was annoying, somehow we went to the ski lifts with three Bulgarian girls, our ears almost withered, they chatted incessantly and very loudly. But that's not the point. There are a lot of English people in Bansko. Bulgarians all speak Russian and English. Even if a person comes across who does not speak Russian, he understands what we are saying, and we understand that he speaks Bulgarian, since the languages are very similar. The people are very hospitable and polite. In the evening, when tourists walk along the street. Pirin has a barker at every restaurant and invites everyone to them. It seemed to me that there were too many restaurants for such a large number of tourists. Although, maybe in the New Year holidays there is a full house.
