Other Places Worth A Visit

Bansko

My first visits to Bulgaria centered around Bansko as I was looking for a ski property. 

The old town in Bansko is absolutely lovely with cobbled streets, little Mehana's (restaurants) nestled into what looks like someone's backroom and of course there is also a fairly well developed ski resort. However, there is much development going on with new hotels and apartment blocks going up everywhere. I first visited Bansko in October 2004 and was quite shocked then by the level of development but that is nothing compared to what is there now. The town must have tripled in size with new apartment blocks. I have been back to Bansko a further 3 or 4 times since and each time there are hundreds more buildings. Many more are still in the pipe line, despite the fact that a limit has been placed further new builds. 

If you are considering investing in Bansko PLEASE go out there first and take a look for yourself. This video shows just a small amount of the construction and also focuses on the development I was looking to buy into (that is why there is a sudden close up of a balcony!). There must be literally thousands of developments all being crammed into the area. There will undoubtedly be problems with water supplies, sewerage, electricity supplies and so on in the future. There are disputes over land ownership and planning permissions with some developments, and please take the information about new lifts and airports etc with a pinch of salt. These have been talked about for years and nothing has ever happened. 

And it is horrendously expensive - at the bottom of the mountain we paid 26 levs, about 14 Euros for 3 beers, there are very places to eat around the base of the mountain and up the mountain the cheapest and best food we could find was a kebab at around 7 levs (4 Euros). [January 2008]. And still the development continues, from the top of the mountain all you can see is a massive sprawl of apartment blocks spreading out from Bansko centre. And the queues for the gondola were awful, even at 9am in the morning on a very quiet week.

Borovets

I was pleasantly surprised when I visited Borovets in the autumn of 2006. I had expected much more development and for it to be a very run down and tacky resort from things I had read. However, it had a certain amount of charm, nestled in amongst the trees and while there were mainly bars catering for tourists and no quaint streets or restaurants as in Bansko, the place had a nice feel to it. Click here for video click.

But on returning to ski there in January 2008, it was clear the whole are caters only for English tourists - karaoke bars, exotic bars, pizza places, restaurants that specialise in English breakfasts with Tetley tea no less and baked beans and steak and chips. It is again just as expensive as Bansko and the skiing is fairly limited for advanced skiing, although a better laid out resort than Bansko, with 3 chair lifts and a Gondola going from the centre, although queues for the ancient gondola were still massive in the mornings.

But if the Super Borovets project does go ahead then it will certainly expand the resort, although whether the ski area, it is not clear.

Rila Monastery

The Rila Monastery can be visited on a day trip from Sofia or is an easy drive from the Bovorets area. We visited in Autumn and the colours of the trees were amazing. 

Melnik

Melnik is nestled in the sandstone crags and is a short drive from Sandanski, near the border with Greece. It is known for its wine production and you can sit in a cool cave in the crag and taste the local wine. Many of the houses have now been restored and it is a lovely place to walk around and relax. There is a walk over the mountains to the Rozhen Monastery but I have not personally done this. 

Narrow Guage Railway

The old narrow guage railway runs from Bansko up to Septemvri. It is a slow long journey that takes a number of hours (and you will not want to go to the toilet on the train) but the views and scenery are fantastic as the train winds it way to Velingrad and then north through valleys and hills to Septemvri. 

Perperikon

The ancient ruins of the Fortress of Perperikon is located around 20 km north-east of the town of Kardjali in Southern Bulgaria in the Rhodopes Mountains. The fortress was begun in the iron age and was then reconstructed and building continued through the middle ages. It is perched on top of a small hill with spectacular views across the surrounding country side. To approach the ruins you need to go up some ancient and huge carved stone steps through a corridor of stone. This brings you out on top of the hill where you are free to wander around the fortress, church and ruins. 

Here is a video clip of the ruins and area.

There is a great official site for Perperikon with loads of information about the history of the area and a virtual tour. Visit http://www.perperikon.bg/ for full details. 

Koprivshtitsa

This uniquely preserved town situated just off the main road through from Sofia to Burgas is well worth a stop over. There are hundreds of half timbered houses, painted various colours and many are open as museum houses to show what life used to be like. Click here to watch a video clip of the town. 

Velingrad

The spa town of Velingrad is well worth a stop off if you have time. It has a lovely centre with a fountain and pedestrianised area. There are also mineral spa baths and it is a popular destination with Bulgarians for a summer break. 

Lake Batak

I had heard a lot about this area and supposed new developments here and a small ski area so on a trip back from Bansko to Stara Zagora I decided to take a detour to have a look. It is currently a very peaceful place with a large lake and mountains. I did see a sign indicating a ski run but did not investigate any further. There was some small scale developments going on. Here is a short video clip of the lake. 

Devin

In the summer of 2007, I went to stay in a spa hotel in Devin for a few nights. Devin is famous for the bottled mineral water that comes from the town.

It was a fair drive from here (Stara Zagora) but the scenery crossing the mountain pass over the Rhodopes was fantastic. Around an hour from Devin, just before you descend into the valley, there is a small lake with a few privately owned, floating houses. Devin itself is not the most attractive town but is nestled in the heart of the mountains and so for walking, horse riding and relaxing, it is a great place. Our hotel was excellent, with a huge outdoor, mineral pool, an indoor pool and a smaller, very hot pool with different mineral water. There were many massages and treatments you could have and a fabulous Turkish restaurant.

Close by, are several famous caves including the 'Devil's Throat', a massive cavern where a huge waterfall disappears into the earth and the Yagodina cave. The Trigrad gorge is accessed by a winding road through the valley. Sheer cliffs wall you in on either side as you follow the river Trigradska up.

Please visit the forum for links to loads more photographs and websites about Bulgaria. I update the forum regularly so well worth stopping by every now and then.