Bansko, Bulgaria: The Secret Ski Resort You Need To Visit

Bansko, Bulgaria: The Secret Ski Resort You Need To Visit

Hey my beautiful, you’ve done so well with this apartment here in Banskow. It’s amazing. So we got a lovely kitchen. The hostess has also been amazing sending us all the tips. Coffee machine. Coffee machine. Oven. Well, we don’t often get a oven. So open the ver there so we can see. So we got a little dining room. Uh and this um this apartment we’re here for four nights cost us 293 Bulgarian le. Okay. Is that good? I think it’s very good. But we are at the end of the ski season. So ski season it’s a lot sadly sadly a lot of the snow has gone. There’s still some snow on the tops. But I want to show you our view. Um there is some construction going on. But if you look at our view at the back here, look at our view. So we going to hopefully go up there and uh see the snow cuz other mountains have got a lot more snow than that. This is just a little one behind us. And then down here is We’re so excited. We got a nice big bed. Hey, that’s going to be good. Yeah. Good for sleeping. Nice big bed. Some views out of our window as well. And then we got a nice bathroom as well. So, well done, eh? So, quite a big apartment, actually. Yeah. And the shame the bus driver was so nice. He brought us right to the door. To the door. We didn’t have to find a taxi. Yeah. Everybody in Bulgaria has also been very friendly and helpful since we’ve arrived. Actually, they’ve been great. Amazing. Yeah. So, it’s our first night in Banskow and we’re trying to find and we’re trying to find it’s a Sunday evening. We’re trying to find a supermarket. Can’t find one of those. Well, not one that’s got any food for supper. So, there looks like to be quite a bit of people here. So, let’s let’s try it out. Let’s It’s called the station and we’re going to check it out. There it is. So, my honey, you chose a good place cuz it’s it’s got quite good prices and there’s a lot of people. So, if there’s a lot of people in a restaurant, it’s more reasonably priced. And uh tell me that you got a falafel wrap and I got um a huge meal. A pork chops, chips and everything else and two lovely beers and that cost us 350 le. Yeah, it’s not bad. Not bad at all. Cheaper than Switzerland. Yeah, we were walking through Bansco old town. Uh pretty the weather has turned a little bit grimy, but it really is quite a cute little old town. Look at the houses and and that around here. Sure. And uh Google’s going to tell me what to do as general. Look at this little old place. Yeah. Look at these buildings. This is our first experience of a Bulgarian old town. Hey. Yeah. Sorry. It is raining. So I have my umbrella up. How you doing, Mahoney? A little bit cold. Right. Just slightly. Yeah. So this is this is lovely. I love the stone work. Eh. Yeah, I love this. Oh, look at the little strutters like that and the doors. Very nice. This is really cool. Hey, didn’t expect this, I must say. Yeah, we’re staying um further up in the new town. There’s an old town and there’s a new town. Yeah, we’re up sort of on the hill in the new town. So, this must have been the original village before it became a well-known ski resort. Which way? Left. Uh we’re going right here. Yeah, there loads of guest houses and restaurants. hotels. A lot of these old places, like this place, this old the place right here in the center of town. I don’t even know how to read their lettering, so our pronunciations are going to be even worse than usual. But, uh, look at this. Look at this lovely. We’re coming up to the church here. So, uh, this place is from the 1820s. And look at the lovely doors. And hello. Hello. Hello. It’s lovely. travel to make nice photos. Yeah, this is so this is lovely. So this home is from the the 1820s. Wow. So far away. Yeah, this is beautiful. From from 1820. Yeah, building is absolutely authentic. Wow. Oh, and look at the bells. They’re so different from uh Switzerland. You’re first time here? Yeah, first time. We arrived last night, so it’s lovely. Yeah, this is lovely. End of the season. Yeah, it’s sadly. Yes. didn’t come to ski. We just want to have a look. Yeah. We just come to tour Bulgaria and So far we have people here staying permanently from South Africa. Oh wow. Okay. Yeah. So this place is called DTO Pen and the ladies the lady was really really lovely. Hey, she gave us some advice. So if you want something authentic like like real authentic food this and it was pretty pretty the same prices as last night. Yeah. So, we’re coming to the church, which is right here on the same kind of uh little square. Kitty cats. Oh, hold on. There’s a kitty cat. We’ve got to film the Oh, yeah. The cats everywhere. Look at that. Oh, there’s one from the same family. Oh, look at that. There’s a whole another one here on your left. Yeah. Yeah. Look at all the kitty cats. I wouldn’t I don’t know if I’d stroke them. Oh, there’s one up there in the hole there. Did you see that one in the hole? Yes. And one up here, too. On your left up there. dog. Oh, there’s another one. Hold on. Getting across there. This is cat heaven. Yeah, this is definitely cat heaven. There’s another cute little guy there. There’s another little place here. Hello. This looking and this is lovely as well. Hey. Yeah. Yeah. So, fire going. Yeah. And here’s the And here’s the the church and everything up here. Let’s go to the church, my honey. Yeah. So, we’re coming to do the church. Oh, there’s even a Look at the little fountain outside here. There the lady’s getting water. That’s where you get water from in town. There we go. 1825. 1825. Okay. Wow, this is lovely. There we go. Just wandering through the Wow, this is like so peaceful. You come off the street here in the old town. There’s a statue over here. Beautiful building. What date did you say? 1825. 1825. Okay. So, we’re inside. It’s an Orthodox church. It looks absolutely amazing. Look at this. It’s my first ever being inside an Orthodox church. So, look at that. Wow. Look at this. Looks to be under kind of some kind of renovation. So, here we are outside the church and then just above Cindy covered in clouds is the ski the mountains. But sadly, my honey, tell us we we’ve missed the ski season by one day. Yeah, we’ve missed the ski season, but the the snow is still there. Yeah. So, they even the ski guys said they can’t understand why they’ve closed the ski because there’s still tons of snow. But uh yeah, so if you look up there, we’re going to hopefully head up there and go and do a hike or something, go and get to some snow. So there is a tourist information here in town. It was quite helpful. The guy could speak quite good English. Yeah, I just I just didn’t understand him too well, but it uh they got maps and all of that. Um and then let’s go and have a look at this. This is a whole It seems like that uh the church is one of the better ones in the whole of Bulgaria. Yeah, that’s very cool. Pity we weren’t allowed to film as much as we wanted to. some areas you weren’t allowed to film. Does it say anything about the statue on your map? Uh, let’s try and find out. So, the gentleman to who this is written, I’m not even going to try and uh pronounce his name, was an author of Bulgarian history. Yeah. And one of the greater guys. Yeah, one of the greater guys. So, he’s really honored. He was born here in Banskow. And it is it’s a lovely monument. So, we’re going to try this restaurant today for lunch. Maybe have a soup or something. Cindy’s trying to interpret it, but it’s all in um I don’t a clue. Yeah, let’s just go and stick our heads in and see if it’s cool. So, here we are. We’re going to sit at this big table and this is the restaurant. So, this restaurant we’re in is the oldest restaurant in Bangkok. And we didn’t even know was formed in 1962. We were told by a local lady that this was a nice and well priced as well. Very well priced. And it’s called Eagle’s Nest. Eagle’s Nest. You got to type in Eagle’s Nest, but the actual name outside is in Bulgarian, so it’s a little bit confusing. Yeah. I remember in Malaga you had that trip. Oh, have they got it? Yeah. They’ve got tripe soup. Oh, I’m going to do that. I’m going to definitely do that. You can have that cuz I’m not. I’ll have the bean soup. Yeah. So, where’s the tribe soup? Oh, I’m going to do that. How much is that? It’s only three 3.8 Lev. Okay. Which is really good. Yeah, that’s really good. Especially coming from Switzerland. Yeah. So, the joys of a new country. Cindy ordered coffee cuz she thought she’s been better than her. And she got this tiny espresso. That’s what a small coffee is. The lady asked, “Do you want small or large?” So, I presume small is just a normal small cup of coffee, but it means an espresso. And I’m having a Bulgarian beer. It’s very nice. Tastes so nice. I can’t pronounce the name, but it’s a tastes quite quite nice. And they come in big bottles. Am I That’s bigger than normal. Yeah. Yeah, just uh a shout out for this coffee and this beer uh to Christian White. Christian, thanks for buying us a coffee on Buy Me a Coffee and um yes guys, again, Christian, we really really appreciate it. And just anybody else who wants to support us, the link is in the description below and you can buy us some coffee wherever we are in the world, which is pretty cool. Thank you so much. And we’ll give you a shout out. We really appreciate it. We really appreciate it. Thanks, Christian. Cheers. So, our food has arrived. I’ve ordered the chicken and Cindy’s ordered the pork and a piece of garlic bread. It smells absolutely delicious. So, what’s it called? Pork. Karma. And chicken karma. It smells delicious. So, we’re heading to the shopping center now. But, uh, look at the water coming down. Must be coming from up on the mountain. Yeah. Well, it’s snowing. It looks like it could be snowing up there today. Sad that it’s closed. would be great for skiing. Hey, well, we don’t have the clothes, so I don’t think so. So, this is the BA. It’s the B I L L A. It’s the biggest supermarket in town. So, Cindy’s excited again. They even got avocados. Anybody? Jeez. So, Cindia and I are ringing our hands, scratching our heads. We finally come up with a bit of a plan for supper tonight, but the prices aren’t bad. No, prices are very good. Yeah. So, prices are a lot better than Switzerland. So, we want to try some of this. The local cheese. They said you’re not allowed to call it feta. Yeah. But it’s a it’s a Bulgarian kind of version of Yeah. We want to try some of that. Check out this lovely, beautiful building with the decorations. I don’t know what that is. Beautiful, though. Very nice. And then the bars got the music going. Music going. Lovely little streets, eh? Very quiet. Very quiet at the moment. So, uh, we’re having supper tonight and we’re having a traditional Bulgarian stew or soup. We’re not true. Sure. Yeah. We bought it from the local supermarket cuz we had a big lunch out. So, we decided we’re going to eat at home. Yeah. But, uh, let me soup. Let me show you our wine. And what else we eating? So, what wine? Some Bulgarian wine from the uh the Thresher the Thrace Valley. Thrace Valley. Thrace Valley. It’s actually really nice. So, it’s very, very nice. So, that uh Yeah, we gave it a 3.7 on the Vavino app. And what is this cheese called? It’s They say we’re not allowed to call it feta. It looks like feta, but it is a Bulgarian like the national cheese kind of thing. And it doesn’t taste like feta. No, it tastes quite nice. Like a bit like yogurt. Yeah. Which is not Cindy’s favorite thing. No, it tastes like yogurt. Yeah. So, we we’re having some Bulgarian wine. We got some traditional cheese and some kind of soup. So everywhere you go here, it’s all about skiing and uh you can easy rent your ski stuff. Uh also the ATMs. What’s the best ATM to draw from? Uh there’s a couple, but the one you shouldn’t draw from is the Euronet. So that one charges you quite a lot. Quite a hefty fee. Yeah, there’s a couple. But just do your Which one did we just draw from? The I don’t know if it’s the 066 or the It’s written in It’s something looks like an 066. Yeah. And that doesn’t charge you as much. Yeah. Yeah. And uh yeah, so all around town, but everything’s uh still opening. It’s quite early in the morning, sadly. It’s raining today. Uh we’re just going to go and have a look at the the ski lift. Oh, there it is. The gondilas. So, this is where the gondola for Banskow leaves from. Takes you up to up the mountain. We’re going to show you some snow now. I’m sure it’s snowing up there. Oh, definitely. Definitely. Yeah, it’s it’s cold and rainy down here at the moment, but you could still ski up there, but they’ve just they’ve closed now for some reason. and they just decided to close. But I mean, we weren’t planning on coming to ski. That wasn’t the main reason to just see Banskow. So, yeah, we’re just showing you what it’s what it’s like and what what you could experience if you come and ski. Yeah. Let’s go and have a look at a little bit of snow. Oh, is it has Oh, 6°. Yeah. Okay. That was a lovely statue. All seasons resort. Yeah, they do do mountain biking and hiking and all of that. That’s where we are. You have to go from here. So, where is it? This is where the where we are. The gondola. Oh, okay. So, that takes you up and then sure. But how many kilometers this 75 km of mark ski runs? That’s a lot. That is a lot. I think I went in Verbia a long time ago and it was 80 km. Yeah, it’s a lot. There’s a The main runs are at the top of the mountain where the snow is up there, but uh we’re down here. So, this is exactly where we are right now. Let’s go and have a look at the snow. Yeah. Okay. This way, my honey. So that’s where the gondlers, you catch it inside there. And then uh let me show you. Here’s the snow right here. So there’s tons of snow around. If you look at the mountain, it’s it’s it’s so cloudy at the moment. So you can’t see, but it’s a beautiful, beautiful area. And look, if you can get This is where I would stay if I came to ski. Right on close to the as close to the gondola as you can get cuz that’s the only way to get up and down. Yeah. This is the main gondola. Then you get up the mountain and then there’s a whole bridging. We know what it’s like carrying skis. Yeah. And walking in boots and not not fun especially at our age. Yeah. But uh yeah to ski here is way cheaper than anywhere else. Yeah, definitely. So it is a great place to ski and there’s snow around. Definitely late in the year as well. Yeah. So here we are on the ski run. It’s lovely. Yeah. Go. [Laughter] Yeah. And then up the mountain that way up that I I’m so there’s so much snow still up top there. Can you imagine a week ago or Yeah, about a week ago this would have been full of people. People. Yeah. Jeez. But guys, what a great place to come and ski. Beautiful area as well. Hey, my honey. How’s the crunch crunch on the snow? It brings back It brings back a lot of memories. Yeah, it’s nice, eh? Back when I was a lot younger. Yeah. So they they um servicing the gondlas for a few days. Yeah. So we’re not going to be able to do it. They in fact the day we leave here is when the gondlas come back into service. This town we we haven’t hit too well. Yeah. But it’s still beautiful to see the Yeah. No, it’s it’s um it’s great to actually I’ve watched heard and watched so much of it that I wanted to see what it’s like. Yeah. But we knew we were going to miss this. We knew Yeah. But we were planning on skiing. We don’t have any skiing. Yeah. No, we got here too late from Switzerland, so we couldn’t do anything about it. Get to see it. Yeah. Pick it up. So, we’re going to have a snowball fight. There. One more. One more. Come on. Yeah. Yay. Boss, the ice is actually hard. You can’t pick it up. It’s not ice. It’s snow. Well, ice snow. You can’t pick it up. And I got no gloves. Now, check this out. Don’t know what this is. It’s It’s the the mountain. It’s the It’s the water coming down from the mountain. That’s pretty cool, eh? Whatever it is, it’s like a Yeah, it does look like a bathtub. So, maybe you can have a like a bath there. I I doubt it. And then look at the wooden thing coming down. So, yeah, that’s that’s very cool. So, there all the skis waiting for the next season. with skis, helmets, poles, everything you can want. There’s probably going to be a lot of sales on now. Yeah. End of season. And here’s one of the places you can buy your ski pass. We don’t know how much it is. We’ll find out. Eh. Yeah. So, there is some amazing hiking here. And this is the Purin National Park tourist uh information. So, you can This is kind of We’re going to try and do a little bit of a hike today. It’s kind of what you got around here. You got lakes and looks like wild goat almost probably some. Is this all the hikes? There’s a lot of hikes, eh? Yeah, I was looking them up. There’s quite a lot of hard hikes. There’s not too many easy ones. Yeah. And there a lot of lakes. A lot of lakes. Yeah. A lot of lakes. Beautiful lakes to hike to, I’ve heard are really nice. So, uh, here’s some of what the lakes and that would look like during the summer. Oh, it’s UNESCO. Yeah. And that is what the mountains around here look like without snow. So, while we’re walking, we’ve come across a whole line of what we think is caterpillars. Yeah, it is. No, it’s 100% caterpillars. I’ve never seen anything like that. Yeah. Check that all in a row. Hey, that’s crazy. That’s incredible, eh? Yeah. So, we’ve decided to hike up uh next to the the ski run and we’re going to look for something. And there’s so many birds. I was just looking at the birds. Yeah, just so many birds around. Beautiful forest. Hopefully we haven’t taken a wrong turn. There’s a lovely walk. Oh, there’s birds on the on the on the on the ski run there. Wonder what kind of birds those are. But lovely walking up here. Yeah, it is lovely with all the forest and the river and everything. Eh, it’s amazing. Hey, how cool is this? Look how tall these trees are. Check this, guys. We’re in this beautiful forest. Birds all around us. Hopefully Cindy doesn’t get us lost. What you mean? You’re the one that’s got to You’re the one with the with the phone and the map, not me. So, we’ll hopefully find our way back onto the other trail. But look at this. This is beautiful, eh? Imagine here during summer. During summer in that weather, even now I I like the cold. Yeah. And walking in the cold. Cindy’s going to go and feel how cold the the water is. How’s it? Is it cold? It’s like ice. So, we found a little wooden bridge. Look at this. Oh, there’s even a like a barbecue place here. A bri place. Look how clear the water is. Hey, this is amazing. You could come and have a bra here and with the beautiful surroundings. Jeez, look at that picnic. Look at that. Just beautiful. Hey, this is gorgeous, eh? Oh, is it a memorial? Eh. Oh, okay. But you can get water from there. Have a sip. They’re nice. I’ll come now. Wow, look at this drop off there and then it just goes up. Oh, this area is How beautiful is this area? Hey, didn’t realize it was so beautiful. Yeah, once you get out of the town, it’s amazing. Yeah, Cindy trapesing through the snow. Don’t get your feet wet in the sludge. Oh, all I need to do is fall on the camera. Yeah, that’ll be good viewing. Can see a road comes through here. We uh we hiking to a a ruin supposedly. Let’s hope it’s there, not under snow. So, we we found like a cave. Yeah. Oh, well, a camp spot. Yeah, it’s a little cave. Got benches and have a picnic. Yeah, they say this is a climbing area. Is a plaque up there, but it’s all in Bulgarian. Quite a nice spot to come and have a little barbecue under the cliffs. I wonder if people sleep here at night. I doubt it’s during winter. No, in summer. In summer. Yeah, maybe. Hey, my gorgeous. Hey, my gorgeous. So, we haven’t been able to find uh the ruins. No, we we’re in the right area, but the mist is starting to come down. We’ve and we’ve hiked and we’ve hiked a lot and there’s snow all around us and the as you can see the mist in the background there. Yeah. And I think the path is starting to uh get covered. They got covered during winter as well. So there’s no there’s no signpost. So you Yeah. So we’re not very clear, but it’s been an amazing hike anyway. So now we’re going to hike down. Yeah. Cindy, when exploring in there, we thought that might be a path um to the fortress, but look at this guys. Look where we are. There’s no one around cuz And look at the mist coming in. Yeah, this is insanely beautiful. I’m just turning around waiting for my wife. She’s feeling brave. Look at that. We better get down the mountain before the mist comes in too much. It could be, but yeah. Is it quite It’s probably overgrown in that. Yeah, I can’t see. Yeah, it’s quite steep. Oh, yeah. It said it’s very steep, but there should be wooden ballastrads, they said. I was looking for that. Nothing. Nothing. Okay. So, have you ever seen two clowns on a ski slope with umbrellas? Well, only us. Don’t say I don’t bring you on adventure. Yeah, only us. It’s the mist is coming in, the rain is coming down. I think it’s I think it’s mist that’s raining on us. And no, no, that’s rain now. And we’re uh we’re up the mountain. We’re the only people in about 50 miles, I think. So, there’s no one there is absolutely no one around. And I feel like we’re the only people on earth. If we had skis, we could just ski home. But now we’ve got to walk. So there’s one guy coming up the mountain. I think he’s got skis on. We’ve bumped into him. There’s Cindy. So maybe we can do that. Yeah, maybe we can do that. Maybe we can do that. Maybe we can do that. Hey, so there he’s got no no um proper clothing. Yeah, he’s a tough guy. Looks free. Yeah, he’s doing crosscountry skiing. That is exercise. He’s in a t-shirt and everything, but that is like hard work. Wow. That is incredibly hard work. Jeez. So, we’re exhausted after our walk. We’ve walked I think nearly I think I think it’s 20 20,000 now, which is I I don’t know how far steps. I can feel it. Yeah. Our hips and our knees and uh but we’re trying Cindy’s trying a beer today, Stella. And I’ve got a different um Bulgarian beer. Not as good as yesterday. So, we’re back in the same restaurant. Yeah. Because they make good food and it’s not too expensive. And it’s not too expensive. And we’ve ordered some uh traditional meals. So, we’ll see what it looks like when it comes. So, I Cindy ordered the pork knuckle. Oh, I’m having that tomorrow or the next day. That looks amazing. Do you want to swap? No. You’ve got some. And we got a garlic bread. And there’s kapama. Yeah. It’s sour cabbage and tree meat. Yeah. So that’s pretty cool. So we are totally splurging here cuz we’re not used to good prices in Europe. So now we’re having a cup of coffee and uh this is a large cup. And we’ve even ordered soup for tonight. So for some Yeah. Yeah. The soup is so cheap. It’s like under four left. Yeah. So it’s really it’s really a great price. So Bulgaria, just to tell people, Bulgaria is a lot cheaper than Western Europe, especially coming from Switzerland. Yeah. So the world is such a small place. We have just bumped into South Africans living here in Banskow. What’s the chances of Yeah. So they gave us some tips for the Balkans and everything like that. No, it was great. Yeah. So Cindy’s thinking, is it a sign to move to Banskow? So in Bulgaria in these countries, Easter is quite a big thing. Not that it’s not big back home, but it is bigger here. There’s decorations around the town. That’s so cool. Hey, my daughter would love this. I love this. I love this. It’s very cool. My sister would love this. She decorates the house for Easter. So, turn right. And there’s Google telling us where to turn. So, we’re heading home after lunch. And we just wanted to show you how beautiful this is. Just a residential area. And we’re just walking along cobbled like cobbled streets almost. Yeah. It’s got a very old feel. Yeah. And they use a lot of riverstone in their buildings of their houses. And one thing I’ve noticed, I think when members of the family pass away, they put them on the the walls to remember them. If anybody knows exactly why. No, we’re just assuming that. We don’t know. We’re assuming that. Yeah. So Yeah. Look at this old place in front of us. Yeah. That’s really old. Eh, this used to be a restaurant. Oh, did it used to be a restaurant? But look at these places. Hey, cool little road, eh? Yeah. 1909. 1909. Yeah. Yeah. 1909 up there. 1909. Wow. So, there’s our view this morning. Finally, the mountains have come out. Hey, my honey. I mean, the sun has come out. The sun has come out, but the mountains are out as well. Look at that. Hey, that is beautiful. Lovely view. Lovely view. So, in Bulgaria, there is a problem of uh dogs. Shame um not uh and these are beautiful Labradors. Labrador. And um but people are trying to look after them. You see, they’ve set up a little home here. They’re feeding them. And they got the mattresses. So shame. Look at that. It’s amazing that they got the mattresses and the houses here. Hey. So we’re at Krenet Dam which has And I’m sure it’s even better when it’s not so cloudy, but look at some of the great views here. Hey. Yeah. And a short little walk from where we stay. Yeah. We met a great guy, a British guy called Dave. He’s lived here for 23 years. Yeah. And he showed us the path. Yeah. Otherwise, Google would have uh taken us double double the double the time. So, the dam is a little bit low today cuz it’s been winter. But guys, look at those restaurant. Yeah, I’ll show the restaurant now. But look at the views. Jeez, look at that. E money. Oh, it’s lovely. Those mountains. Wow. And then there’s a restaurant. And I believe it’s really well priced as well, Dave was saying. So, maybe we can have a coffee there. Yeah, let’s hope they they do a coffee. Let’s hope they open. And then across there behind the dam is some more mountains. And you can see the snow on top of them. Then the down in the valley here. Look at that. Eh, beautiful here. Eh. Yes. Yeah. So this is where I was going to bring you, man. So Dave Dave brought us a way quicker way. So, here we are hiking in the forest again after yesterday we did like 15 km I think it was. And we said we wouldn’t go hiking again. And here we are. And here we are. But it really is a special place for hiking. Just look at all these these trees. What are they like fur trees? Conifers or whatever they pine pine trees. Yeah. Really is lovely. Eh. Yeah. So, as we’re walking around the dam, it’s uh just beautiful. Look at the reflection in the in the lake. The the ducks are swimming, so that’s why there a few ripples. And uh Cindy’s You enjoying walking again? My back was so sore this morning after yesterday. It’s just beautiful around here. So, we’re going to sit at one of these benches on the damn wall so we get a view of the mountains when the clouds move off. Pretty the dam’s a bit low, but uh beautiful spot. Cindy has convinced me to sit inside. Said it has a real uh local feel. Yeah. So, here we go. Oh, this is lovely. Look at the fireplace. And yeah, look at this. This is great. Hey. Wow. This is fantastic. Hang on. So, Cindy is hanging on just seeing what the price is. But we It’s a nice cup of coffee. Hey. Yeah. Very nice. Lovely view inside. It’s only 2 L 50 which is it’s not a lot way cheaper than even home in South Africa. Yeah. So it’s great. We probably going to do lunch here as well. Eh yeah. Okay. Yeah. It’s nearly 12:00. So quart to 12 we eat lunch early. We had a small breakfast. Yeah. So one part of our meal today is the shopska salad. It’s a It’s a typical Bulgarian salad. Yeah. It’s the most famous one. It looks like a Greek salad, but the cheese is delicious. Cindy thinks it’s a little bit yogurty. The cheese is very yogurty. But it’s got a lovely flavor. I love it. Yeah. I’m I’m not a milk person, so it’s quite like a milky Yeah, but I I It’s nice. I like it. So Cindy and I ordered a kibbacha and a ve meatball. So that was a ve meatball and the shop salad and that was pretty good price. Split it. Yeah. So chbacha is um quite a traditional No, no, the the the kabacha kabacha was is quite a traditional thing as well. Yeah. So this was great. We’ve been eating a lot of traditional food. Yeah. Just tasting and and just tasting it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, as we were eating, the whole place filled up. If you look down here, look at all the cars and the people eating behind us. It’s a lovely summer’s Well, no, it was spring day. It seems like a popular local kind of restaurant. Yeah. We had such a lovely meal and that reasonably priced. Yeah. Reasonably priced. So, um the food so far in Bulgaria from the restaurants we found, you got to search for the restaurants. Yeah. Yeah. the the we found some good local ones which have been great for us. There are some very expensive ones. So if you come to Banskow or Bulgaria, definitely you got to shop around. Chat to some locals and they help you out. So my honey, where are you dragging me off to now? So this is what I want to do. Yes, it’s the we’re going to the Grand Apartment Hotel and spa. Yeah. Where we’re going to do the thermal bars because that is one of the things you have to do in Bulgaria. There’s lots of thermal bars. So, are we gonna have to do this in every town we go to? Maybe. Let’s see how much we enjoy it. Let’s I’m quite excited. I’ve been wanting to do this since we arrived here. Okay. So, this particular spa and that was recommended to us by the people where we’re staying. And it’s only about 100 m walk from us there. Were other ones further away, but this is the closest to us. Yeah. So, we’re just uh wandering around. Not sure what we It looks like a sauna here. Is there a There’s the relax zone. Hey, a sauna aroma sauna. Yeah, a steam bath. Check the steam bath. Okay, I don’t know if I can do this. Yeah, I can’t do the steam. Steam bath. That’s Oh, wow. Look at the steam. That’s fancy. Wow, that could be quite cool. Last 5 seconds. There’s no one here. We got the whole place to ourselves. Yeah. And there’s a sauna. Yeah. So, let’s have a look in the sauna. Just feel that heat coming out, but your phone doesn’t go. Yeah. It doesn’t burst into flames. There’s even a thing called the salt room. So, that’s full of salt. That’s quite interesting. So, there’s a jacuzzi that we can use and the hot pool with all the things. Where where shall we go first? Yeah. What do you want to do? So, let’s have a swim first. And there’s a gym. Oh, and there’s a gym. Yeah. Yeah, you can use that. Oh, look at the gym. We can even use the gym. We haven’t seen a gym in in about a month and a half on the road. That’s always cool. This is Cindy’s heaven. I don’t know where she’s disappeared to. Oh, there you are. I’m already feeling very hot. Hope I can laugh. How much did we pay? 20 le each. 20 le each. Okay. So, my honey, did you have fun? That was fantastic. Yeah. You we did the steam room, we did the sauners, we did the bar, the pool, the pool, the whole bit. The relaxing room. Yeah. So, did you have fun? Feeling very relaxed now. I might just go to sleep when I get home. Yeah. So, this is one of the things you can do in Banskow. Yeah. Um it’s got quite a lot. There’s even casinos here. Not that we’ve been to casinos and there even girly clubs. Not that we do those either, but they are here. Yeah. So, so tell me this. How have you enjoyed Banskow? I’ve actually enjoyed Banskow. Even though there hasn’t been a lot open because it’s the end of the ski season and there haven’t been a lot of people around. Um it’s been quite relaxing. Yeah, it’s been great. Uh there’s lots to do. You’re hiking, skiing, everything to do here. Um we hope you enjoyed the video and please remember to like, subscribe, to share, to comment. It always helps us. And um yeah, have a great day and God bless.

Are you looking for an affordable skiing destination that’s off the beaten path? Look no further than Bansko, Bulgaria! This hidden gem offers world-class skiing, snowboarding, and hiking at a fraction of the cost of popular resorts in Western Europe. In this video, we’ll take you on a journey through the picturesque town of Bansko, showcasing its snow-capped mountains, charming streets, and lively atmosphere. From the Bansko ski road to the gondola, we’ll explore the best ways to experience this Bulgarian winter wonderland. Whether you’re a seasoned skier or just looking for a budget-friendly travel destination, Bansko is the perfect spot for you. So pack your bags, grab your skis, and get ready to discover the ultimate affordable skiing experience in Eastern Europe!

Europe’s Secret Ski Resort You Need To Visit: Bansko, Bulgaria

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