Bansko holiday ski apartment rental with walking, log fire, balcony/terrace, rural retreat, DVD

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The Monastery Apartment (apartment)

Home description

Great base for skiing during the winter, just 400 metres from the main lift. Well appointed for being close to amenities being situated between the old and new town area. Great for summer holidays as close to the national park, bicicle hire, etc. Really good swimming pools and spa centre surround the property as do restaurants and bars.
Whilst there is lots of accommodation in Bansko, The Monastery is the only buidling built as a showpiece by the developer based on the most famous historical monument in Bulgaria - the Rila Monastery. Consequently, although the apartment is very modern and well equipped, and the Monastery is well looked after by the management company, no lifts have been installed - a small price to pay for such a unique building.

View from Monastery to Pirin Mountains	Sitting room and balcony
Bedroom and balcony	Entrance Lobby

To see more photos please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/69613

The Pirin/Rhodope Mountains region

The Pirin mountain range is the second highest mountain range in Bulgaria. It extends over an area of 27,400ha and lying at an altitude of 1,008 - 2,914m in the Pirin mountains themselves. The government have recently declared the area as a National Park in order to preserve its beauty and ecology. These rugged mountains are formed of limestone rock, with some 70 lakes, waterfalls, caves and pine forests and are home to hundreds of endemic and rare species.

Bulgaria is a beautiful country, small in size but rich in ancient culture, scenic splendour, friendly people and old-fashioned warmth and hospitality.
It has had a chequered history that has given it an influence of many neighbouring and historical cultures. Look out for Roman ampitheatres, churches and monasteries, greek, turkish and russian influences in the cuisine.

Bulgaria is especially proud of its rich folklore traditions. Folk dances, music, national costumes and traditional rituals play an important part in the life of Bulgarians.

Bansko area

Bansko lies in the South-Eastern part of Bulgaria, at the tip of the Pirin National park. The town lies amongst green fields and forests shadowed by the ice-capped Mount Vihren, the highest peak in the Pirin range and widely regarded as the best winter skiing area in the country.
Bansko has a population of around 10,000 people. Unlike most Bulgarian towns, the modern architecture coexists easily with the old quarters, a maze of cobbled streets lined with timber-framed stone houses, churches, shops and bars (known locally as Mehanas). The old quarters date back hundreds of years.
Surrounded by the Pirin, Rila and Rhodopi mountains, Bansko is a climatic mountain resort and the town is listed as one of UNESCO's World Heritage sites.
Bansko is being promoted as a year round resort and 40 million Euros have been invested in its facilities. As a winter ski resort it boasts top rate facilities with the best equipment, including a new gondola, snow guns, electronic ski pass system etc. There are 14 pistes totalling 65km, including a 16 km run plus cross country and excellent off piste skiing. New ski runs are being added each season. There is a top class ski school for all levels of ability. The ski season is one of the longest; roughly mid December until the end of April.The Ski area is excellent for beginners and intermediates. For snowboarders and the more advanced skiers there is challenging off piste.
The town now has an outdoor Ice rink and numerous spa/leisure centres.
During the summer the ski shops are replaced with walking and bicicle hire equipment shops. It is also possible to horse ride, play golf or enjoy the local or international cuisine at one of the many restarants or Mehanas.

Nightlife - Bansko has a great selection of bars and restaurants (called Mehanas) as well as a number of night clubs, ten-pin bowling, casinos, and live entertainment

Excursions - For those wishing to explore outside of Bansko the Rila Monastery is a must. Also, you can visit the Bear Park. These are bears that have been saved from the cruel treatment of teaching them to dance!Mineral spas are a feature of Bulgaria as is wine. There are grape varieties native to Bulgaria which were produced for the Eastern European market and rarely seen outside of the area, among them, Mavrud and Melnik. It is possible to visit the Melnik Winery. For those looking for a more restful way to visit the mountains, take a Mountain train journey to Velingrad.

Winter activities - Skiing/Snowboarding with terrain park and half-pipe, night skiing, off-piste, heli-skiing and ski-doo safari (Kids are welcome at the Bansko ski kindergarten where they are taken care of with plenty of fun activities, leaving the grown-ups to take to the slopes - our daughter of 3 was there last season and up on skis on her first day!)
The picturesque town offers its guests a 16 km uninterrupted ski run, starting from Todorka Peak (2600 metres) all the way down to the base station of the cable car on the outskirts of the town.

Jazz Festival - The objectives at Bansko are to give aspiring Bulgarian musicians a stage alongside German, American and other foreign artists, and to lay out a festival that welcomes, as they say, 'the free people'. The first festival was held in 1998 and Bansko has been winning new friends each year ever since. The format includes events on the main stage in the middle of town and informal jazz cafe sessions and jamming at local hotels and venues. (www.banskojazz.com)

How to get there

There are direct flights from London (Gatwick, Heathrow, Lutton), Manchester, Belfast, Dublin and more routes are being added all of the time - direct flights operated by British Airways (www.britishairways.com); EasyJet (www.easyjet.com), Wizz Air, and Air Bulgaria (www.air.bg)

We can arrange transfers from the airport. Car hire is also available. Driving to Bansko is relatively easy, and it is about 2.5 hours drive from Sofia airport.

If you plan to travel to Bansko by bus, there is a regular service travelling from Ovcha Kupel bus station in Sofia.

Activities near Bansko

Facilities

Further details indoors:
The main bedroom has 2 single beds which can be pushed together to make one bed and bedding for either single or double as required. The sitting room has a double sofa bed.
The furnishings are of solid wood to be inkeeping with the property. The kitchen, dining and sitting area is open plan and looks out to the balcony and the mountain views beyond. There is plenty of storage and hanging space throughout the apartment.

Further details outdoors:
The Monastery is situated opposite the Tanne hotel and next to the Narsis resort and our guests are free to use the facilities for a small charge. There is a small supermarket within 100 metres and plenty of bars, cafes and restaurants to cater for all tastes.
The gondola lift is within 400 metres which is only a short walk although during the winter season there is also a shuttle bus running from the Narsis Resort.
We have left a booket in the apartment showing local attractions and ideas for you to fully enjoy your holiday.

Further details

This is our holiday home and we hope you will enjoy it as we do. Please feel free to use the fireplace, to use all the facilities, but we ask that you please look after it so that others may enjoy the same facilities and high standards. Please therefore only smoke on the balcony.

Conditions

Please do not smoke in the apartment. You may however do so on the balcony.

Rental rates

Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
December (exc Xmas)	6 Dec 08	21 Dec 08	195£ 195	0-	0-	1 Week
Xmas and New Year	21 Dec 08	4 Jan 09	265£ 265	0-	0-	1 Week
January	4 Jan 09	1 Feb 09	225£ 225	0-	0-	1 Week
February	1 Feb 09	1 Mar 09	235£ 235	0-	0-	1 Week
March	1 Mar 09	5 Apr 09	245£ 245	0-	0-	1 Week
April - June	5 Apr 09	5 Jul 09	225£ 225	0-	0-	1 Week
July - August	5 Jul 09	6 Sep 09	195£ 195	0-	0-	1 Week
September - October	6 Sep 09	1 Nov 09	245£ 245	0-	0-	1 Week
November - Dec (exc Xmas)	1 Nov 09	20 Dec 09	199£ 199	0-	0-	1 Week
Xmas and New Year	20 Dec 09	3 Jan 10	295£ 295	0-	0-	1 Week

NB: Prices may be subject to change at the owner's discretion.

Payment required 6 weeks prior to commencement of holiday or immediately in the case of last minute bookings.

Guestbook

This was our first ski holiday so we were pleased to come back to a comfortable apartment at the end of a day's skiing! - Andy Szebini and Partner (Feb. 07)
My wife and two children enjoyed our holiday emensely. Dining out was cheap although it was nice to stay in and cook for ourselves after a day on the slopes. - Nigel and Debbie, Lauren and Freya (Feb 08)

Availability

See below for next 6 months' availability - to see the next 24 months click here

Contact owner

To contact this owner please visit: http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/69613

Contact details for home 69613 Please mention Holiday Lettings
Name:	John Burnham, Mark & Jeanette Gibbard
Tel:	+44 (0)1244 341 573 US time 0151 203 6302
Mobile:	+44 (0)7971 243979
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Contact Notes: Telephone or mobile - Anytime up to 11pm
Advertiser joined: 26 Jun 2006 This property added: 29 Sep 2008

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