Being in Bansko in the winter where your days are full with walks and skiing on the white ski runs, and the evenings – with a glass of wine in the light of the fireplace with your loved one or with noisy fun with friends in a bar in Bansko is an unforgettable experience. Winter Bansko is magic, charm and promise for something else …
But being in Bansko in the summer is even more unforgettable and wonderful! Summer in the town is a time of adventure, fun and a bunch of interesting activities where you can take part and have fun to the fullest.
Countless musical events, film festivals, folklore competitions, festivals of traditions, customs, crafts, and others, are organized in the town during the summer.
The summer holiday in Bansko is for exploring the numerous architectural, natural and historical sights, as well as for riding a bicycle on narrow forest paths, fishing, first horseback riding or golfing experiences, mountain rock climbing, climbing a peak, kayaking or rafting, paintball, ATV riding, and so on.
And the best thing is that this is the time when you can visit the folklore picnic in Pirin – one of the biggest summer activities in Bansko.
We suppose you like picnics and often organize them yourself in different places. In Bansko and the surrounding area there are also many places where you can make a picnic on your own and have a good time. But the folklore picnic in Pirin is slightly different from any picnic you have organized or that you will ever organize. Because the picnic is something you will never forget!
What is a „Bansko picnic”?
Imagine that you are in a century-old forest. And there, in the forest, surrounded by tall, century-old trees, hidden by the curious eyes, there is a vast green meadow. A small river passes through the meadow, the quiet babble of which takes you to another world …
You are on this meadow and you feel with your whole being every aroma and sound of the forest. You hear the fall of the leaf from the top of the nearby tree, you hear the cracking noise of the branches, and if you listen for a little longer you can hear the “heavy steps” of the hedgehog that hides in the nearby shrubs.
Birds are singing, the meadow is covered with beautiful forest flowers, and the quiet babble of the river is enchanting with its sounds. Slowly you distant yourself from the city noise, forget about the accumulated tension and you become energized and ready for fun and delicious picnic in the nature.
While eating and drinking, comfortably seated on wooden tables in the middle of the meadow, the picnic organizers introduce you to the traditions and customs of the region, folk groups fill your soul with songs from the Pirin region, and local people are walking on the meadow.
Once you have a good meal and feel energized, you can play an attractive game, ride a wagon, shoot a target, join the chain dance or simply lie down on the grass and enjoy the wonderful day.
If the idyllic picture we just presented to you appeals to you, you probably are already looking for information about where the picnic is located, how to get there and how to get involved.
Do not look any further, as we will now answer all of your questions!
Where the Picnic is?
To get to the folklore picnic you do not have to make a serious organization or travel for hours because the tourist summer attraction is only about 5 km away from the town of Bansko in the Chalin Valog area.
To get to the attraction you just have to leave Bansko and follow the signs that will take you straight to the place that has the nice and full of promises name “the Picnic”.
There is a well-maintained parking area in front of the attraction, where you can leave your car and start the fun and surprises. And, surprises will start even before you step on the meadow, as you will be welcomed with bread and salt, according to an old Bulgarian custom.
What awaits you at the folklore picnic in Pirin?
First, you have to forget everything you know about the usual picnics in nature. You must forget the food baskets you are accustomed to preparing for a picnic, not to think how and where you will cool the brandy and beer, not to look for a place where you will place the picnic blanket and whether the food will be enough for everyone.
You have to forget all your worries and set yourself up for a day that will be filled with extremely pleasant emotions and unforgettable experiences.
Dress up something comfortable, remember to smile and have a good mood and relax in the flow! Be ready to enjoy with our soul and heart and find out firsthand what a folklore picnic in Pirin is!
Because the picnic in Bansko is not just a picnic, but a lot more!
Around the entire meadow, where the picnic is organized, there are wooden tables around which can be accomodated nearly 200 people to have fun together. But before the fun begins, typically in the spirit of the traditions and hospitality of Bansko people, the hosts will take care of your mood by offering you a great variety of great traditional local appetizers, dishes and drinks.
The menu is really varied, typical for Bansko, the dishes are prepared with homemade products and directly in front of you, and the wine and the brandy are abundant, as they are prepared according to old Bansko recipes and are “being poured” from the barrels straight to the meadow.
While you eat and enjoy the wonderful day, the folklore groups in the region will raise even more the moods and the dance groups will charm you with their dancing, so we are sure you will also join the chain dance with the people dancing on the meadow.
Do you want to get to know the traditions and customs of Bansko and its surrounding area?
There is nothing easier to get acquainted with the folk customs of the folklore picnic, as there are amateur folk and dance groups that recreate customs, tell anecdotes or recreate historical scenes that have left a mark in the history of Bansko.
Want to participate in something even more dynamic, fun and unusual? Then you can get involved in target shooting with paintball guns, get on a wagon and walk around it on the revolutionary paths or join the games and singing competition.
Who can enjoy the folklore picnic in Pirin?
The place where the picnic is held is easily accessible so that anyone who wants to feel the magic of Pirin and spend an incredible day among friends and in a very entertaining and pleasant setting in the nature can easily find it. Or in other words: At the Pirin folklore picnic everyone is welcome.
Picnics are organized all summer and you can visit them both individually and with a group. All you have to do is make a reservation or contact the organizers to express your desire to attend the Picnic.
More information about the Picnic in Calin valog
In addition to regularly organizing picnics with lots of songs, dances and entertainment, the Picnic is one of the most popular places in the surrounding area of Bansko for teambuilding, folklore fairs and in recent years it is one of the popular places for birthday parties and wedding celebrations in nature.
Why more and more guests of Bansko choose to spend one day at the folklore picnic in Pirin? We do not really need to tell you why the Picnic is such a popular summer activity, but if you want to hear our opinion, here’s it.
Being on holiday in Bansko during the summer is a truly unique experience. The town enchants with beautiful views, grabs you with a variety of fun and makes you want more and more, and more. And somehow, almost imperceptibly, the guests of the town want to be in a place that combines the beauty of Pirin, the traditions and customs of Bansko and the delicious Bansko cuisine. They want to be with their loved ones and friends, to have a meal in the nature and have fun together.
The folk picnic in Pirin gives them all this – beautiful sights, togetherness, new friendships, rich folklore program, attractive entertainment and several hours in which to forget about the rest of the world and have fun with heart and soul.
That is why throughout the summer the Picnic is full of Bansko people, native and foreign tourists who are looking for an incredible experience in the forests of Pirin. Tourists adore the folklore picnic in Pirin, because only there they can be immersed in an authentic atmosphere, enjoy the traditional open-air Bansko cuisine and have real and genuine fun in the nature.
Something interesting about the area…
The area of Chalin valog is located at 1100 – 1600 m above sea level and is part of the Vihren park. The meadow itself, where the folklore picnic is held, is one of the few places that are under the protection of the Pirin National Park.
The area is popular for visiting not only during the summer season but also during the winter season, as there are four active ski runs of different difficulty levels.
On the territory of Chalin valog, in addition to the intermediate station of the lift to Banderishka Polyana, the four ski runs and the tourist attraction the Picnic, there are also several hotels, villas and bungalows, which you can rent if you decide that you want to get away from the urban noise.