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Bansko mountainous resort- photo report and travel notes

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Travel notes for the mountain, people, culture, history and something else

Anita Valentinova, 23.11.2010

Bansko mountainous resort in Bulgaria and my journey

Bansko is a popular ski resort which boasts the reputation of a cheap ski destination and at the same time a good value for money. I always want to take a look beyond the visible aspect of everyday issues and the vanity, so Bansko is an attractive holiday destination for me outside the winter season. Perhaps you will say that it is not surprising that I wish to visit the winter capital of the Balkans, a famous European ski resort, the paradise of all skiers in Europe. However, I wish to specify that Bansko has attracted my attention due to the tranquility, authenticity and remarkably organized everyday life. Yet, many of the beauties in Bansko cannot be seen during the ski season, so a weekend getaway or a short escape for one day is absolutely essential if you would like to touch the incomparable charm of this mountainous town. My travel notes are naturally written as a result of my sunny weekend getaway in October which inspired me to seek the beauty beyond the ordinary landscapes. Bulgarian mountains have the unique power to recharge your batteries and bring you loads of joy and positive energy. Undoubtedly, if you are in harmony with nature and you appreciate the authentic local traditions, you will definitely change your way of thinking and attitude. Provided that you need some self-motivation and positivism as I do, you should not rack your brains for days, but just dare to dream, enjoy, live every minute in full and believe in what you do, because everything else might be a result of the supreme fantasy.

My autumn adventure in Bansko resort started with an arrival late in the afternoon and I could hardly admire the beauty of Pirin Mountain. Instead of an exciting stroll along the charming cobbled streets of Bansko, I was forced to put up with a quiet overnight in a comfy hotel in Bansko which is located only 10 minutes from the town centre. As the morning came, I was so excited about the wonderful day which promises to reveal the beauty of Bansko in a truly spectacular way. The caressing sun touched the peaks of Pirin Mountain which unsurpassable beauty captured my attention and I was left speechless. Whilst I was drinking my morning coffee and admired the majesty of Pirin Mountain, which was being prepared for the eager skiers, I began to think that it is not an overused saying that life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. We, human beings, are rather odd, because we always find something that brings pretend-to-be-organized life into complete chaos. However, the more I think about this, the better I realize that this kind of issue lies into your souls and minds, not somewhere else.

Here we go, I started my walk in the town of Bansko where I met only hospitable locals and happy holidaymakers who made some photos in front of the giant statue of Paisii Hilendarski, Bulgarian man of letters. You should have a really bright personality in order to devote your life and deeds to the nation and remind of what it was and it struggled against throughout the centuries. Fountains at the square of Bansko are also really beautiful and this is why there are a spot for photo break.

Bansko has preserved the authentic charm and the municipality takes care of the infrastructure and all major places of interest, so the picture is still vivid in my mind. The first landmark that I visited was the church ‘Holy Trinity’, one of the most remarkable landmarks in Bansko. High stone walls somehow bring respect to the worshipper as soon as he enters into the courtyard. The grand temple captures the attention of the visitor from the first sight. Not surprisingly, the church ’Holy Trinity’ is regarded as the biggest and most exquisitely decorated temple in the Pirin region due to its measures and unique frescoes. Most of the murals in the church were made by the talented Usta Velyan Ognev. I was impressed by icons which had been made by Dimitar Molerov, a prominent representative of the popular Bansko icon-painting school. I am sure that if you visit the church, you will be captivated by 30m high stone tower with a belfry and a unique clock, a piece of art, made by the inventor Todor Hadzhiradonov. Honestly speaking, I didn’t know many details about the construction itself and this is why I searched on the Internet. The construction of the bell tower and the implementation of the timing mechanism were a significant mechanical contribution. It is considered that the construction of the impressive church would not have been possible without the contribution of the enlightener Neophite Rilski, whose house was situated just next to the church. The temple ‘Holy Trinity’ and the timing mechanism are an architectural monument of national importance. If you don’t have time to visit this landmark or you wish to recall your pleasant memories, I wholeheartedly invite you to delight the lovely photos in the gallery. I hope that at least I will manage to show you a small piece of the imposing Orthodox church in Bansko.

My next stop is the house-museum ‘’Neophite Rilski’, a historic monument of national importance. Neophite Rilski is one of the titans of Bulgarian Enlightenment. Neophite Rilski was the first encyclopaedist in Bulgaria and the founder of Bulgarian education and enlightenment. Neophite Rilski is a person whose character and life would bring homage and true admiration. Neofit Rilski was a 19th-century Bulgarian monk, teacher and artist, and an important figure of the Bulgarian National Revival. Born in the southwestern town of Bansko of Pirin Macedonia, Benin was educated to become a teacher, initially by his father Petar, and later at the Rila Monastery, where he studied iconography and had access to Greek and Church Slavonic books. Neofit Rilski made the first popular translation of the Bible entirely in the modern Bulgarian language. In 1835, Rilski issued his Bolgarska gramatika, the first grammar book of the modern Bulgarian language. The house-museum is a typical example of the Bansko architecture for the period 17th-the beginning of 18th century. Some rooms are entirely preserved in their authentic appearance. I visited the fireplace where the family of Neofit Rilski spent valuable moments together every night. The balcony, which connects the residential part of the house with the barn, is beautifully decorated and well-accomplished in an aesthetic point of view. Nowadays in the residential part of the house we can visit the dining room, all secret places and other premises. The barn currently houses a rich ethnographic and documentary exposition of items which reveal the multifarious activities of Neofit Rilski.

All positive visitors in Bansko this weekend really made my day. They slowly walked in the centre of the town and relaxed completely in the hug of the mountain and latest autumn sunrays. I passed by the monument of Nikola Vaptsarov, a world-famous Bulgarian writer, and I impatiently walked to the house-museum of Nikola Vaptsarov.

The house-museum of Nikola Vaptsarov is not simply the number three must-visit landmark on my list. Perhaps you may assume that the house boasts special architectural value, but I would partially agree with this. I felt that a peculiar spirit that haunted the house. The literature works of Nikola Vaptsarov are impressive, but his biography also inspires the mind. Nikola Yonkov Vaptsarov was a Bulgarian poet, communist and revolutionary. He was born in Bansko to a Bulgarian militant father and a Protestant mother. Trained as a machine engineer at the Naval Machinery School in Varna, later Naval Academy, he worked machinist jobs most of his life and wrote in his spare time. His only released book of poetry is Motoring Verses (1940). Because of his underground communist activity against the government of Boris III and the German troops in Bulgaria, he was arrested and executed by a firing squad. In 1952, he received posthumously the International Peace Award. His Selected Poems were published in London in 1954, by Lawrence & Wishart, translated into English with a foreword by British poet Peter Tempest. His poetry has been translated in 98 languages throughout the world.

Whilst being in the house of the great Bulgarian writer, I really began to love and respect the Man, who has never stopped taking care of people and who made the affection towards people the mission of his life. The biography of Nikola Vaptsarov is the grand story of humanity and the true beauty which lies within one's soul.

A part of one of the most popular verses of the renowned Nikola Vaptsarov:

Sometimes I will come to you in your dreams As unexpected and uninvited guest. Do not leave me outside in the street - Do not close the doors!

I will enter silently, sit down quietly, Gaze into the darkness to see you. When I have feasted my eyes upon you, I will kiss you and leave.

Bansko resort really inspires not only in winter, but all year round due to the quaint cobbled streets, hospitality of local people, the unique ambience of the mountainous town, the crystal clear mountainous air that washes all your worries away and, last but not least, the long list of must-see landmarks. I am satisfied that with my break in Bansko, because I managed to give a new meaning to my beliefs and the world which tends to be really beautiful. Moreover, I am pleased that I easily looked beyond the popular side of Bansko mountain resort which has been proclaimed as the cheapest ski resort in top 10 winter sports venues worldwide. It is purely wonderful to be at the place where the enthusiastic traveller can fulfill the desire of their heart. In order to browse the lovely gallery of photos, please, click on a particular picture and all photos will be enlisted accordingly in a separate window.