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When packing, do not forget / Weather / Costs / Reimbursement / Health insurance / Covid-19 in BG / Cyrillic Alphabet / Time Zone / Currency and Exchange / Water / Bulgarian Cuisine / Other

WhatsApp Group of the TC

In case of emergency event, you can approach Diliana at +359 894 62 11 23 (also Viber) and +359 889 655 178 (also WhatsApp)!

The emmergency number in BG is 112!

When packing, do not forget:

to grab your laptop/ tablet or the device you use + your chargers
some food and drinks from your country for the intercultural time. It should be something representative that would give others a taste of your culture.
appropriate clothes for the weather in Bansko, Bulgaria; you are advised to check updated weather information ;)
comfortable clothes & shoes (As our training will include plenty of participative activities and games) you should bring something that is comfortable for you. We will have the opportunities to hike in the mountains, so make sure you have the right clothes and shoes;
your swimming suite and flip-flops (we have 2 pools in the hotel); towels are provided in the hotel;
any games, materials (books, videos, photos, other products) that could be used during the training or in the free time;
highly effective alarm clock & GOOD mood!

If you enjoy it:

take your camera to shoot photos or videos
anything else related to the topics we will discuss

Let us know what is your passion :) If you pay any instrument or sing, act, dance, please, prepare something for Guess My Passion Night!

Weather Forecast in Bansko

Costs:

Costs will be covered accordingly to the Erasmus+ programme:

• Meals /three times a day/

• Coffee breaks

• Accommodation /in double rooms/

• 100% costs during the activities

• Local travel costs (transfer from Sofia to Bansko and return)

• The international travel costs are covered according to the ERASMUS+ distance bands and they include the transport from the point of origin to the point of destination, round trip, as follows:

Participants form YMCA Europe, CCVS, YMCA Romania - maximum of 275 EUR / pax

Participants from Young Initiative Association and Nadejda-CRD - 180 EUR/ pax

All other EU Countries – maximum of 275 EUR/ pax

Reimbursement:

Participants will be reimbursed according the travel distance upon presentation of travel documents. Reimbursement of the travel costs will be done separately by each project partner to participants who is sending. For any questions, please, contact the coordinators.

We kindly ask you to keep all the travel documents (invoices, boarding passes, plane tickets, bus/train tickets and proofs of payment). Car transport is also accepted. Please, ask your coordinator for more details about the travel documents before making costs.

Please note, only the cheapest means of transport / fares are subject, covered by the project. Costs for using a taxi is not allowed to be reimbursed. Please, note the maximum of your travel costs.

Please, mind that, participants should take part for the full duration of the training event (mandatory condition for the reimbursement of travel costs and subsistence costs!) and the dissemination of the results.

Health insurance:

Participants should be in charge of arranging your own insurance for the time of travel and stay in Bulgaria. The insurance costs are on the participants’ costs.

Participants who will arrive and depart out of the project dates (because of better flight options) should negotiate in advance the accommodation and meals in Sofia. The hosting organisation will help logistically to find the best accommodation for you and give you tips for the meals. Accommodation and meals before/after the project dates are on the participants' costs.

We suggest you to use European Health Insurance Card, if you hold one.

COVID-19 Situation in Bulgaria

We will follow, during the project the Health Protocol regarding the security and protection of all the participants and staff. The protection and security measures will be in accordance with the legislation in force at the time of the face-to-face activity, always considering the regulations of the Bulgarian Ministry of Health, regulations of the accommodation and transport (international and national).

Before the project: Each participant should avoid contacts with potential groups/ people in order to Covid-19 infection and distribution. Each partner has the responsibility to check before the departure the rules and restrictions imposed for their country by the Bulgarian Ministry of Health.

Travel: During the international & national travel, it is important to respect the security measures imposed by airlines, airports and various transportation companies, with regard to safety distance and the use of a protective mask.

During the project: Please proceed according to the accommodation and host organization safety standards, which are imposed by WHO, European Commission, and Ministry of Health.

Self-testing with quick antigen tests during the project might be applied in case of higher Covid-19 spead-out and in case of any of participants showing symptoms.

Hello = Zdravey = Здравей

Yes = Da = Да

No = Ne = Не

Please = Molya = Моля

Thanks = Blago-da-RYAH = Благодая

How are you? = Kak si? = Как си?

Good-bye! = Do-VIZH-dane! =
До виждане!

Bye-bye! = Chao! = Чао

Cyrillic alphabet

In Bulgaria we use the Cyrillic alphabet. Bulgarian was the first Slavic language to be written. It first appeared in writing during the 9th century using the Glagolitic alphabet, which was gradually replaced by an early version of the Cyrillic alphabet over the following centuries. At the end of the 18th century the Russian version of Cyrillic or the "civil script" of Peter the Great was adapted. A modern literary language based on vernacular spoken Bulgarian was standardized after Bulgaria became independent in 1878. Many Turkish words were adopted into Bulgarian during the long period of Ottoman rule. Words have also been borrowed from Latin, Greek, Russian, French, Italian, and German and increasingly from English.

А Б В Г Д Е Ж З И Й К Л М Н О П Р С Т У Ф Х Ц Ч Ш Щ Ю Я

Time zone

We use Easter European Time (EET), meaning:
Greenwich time + 2 hours
Central European Time + 1 hour
Example:
If it is 5 pm CET in Paris, in Sofia or Bansko will be 6 p.m.

Currency and Exchange

The Bulgarian unit of currency is the Bulgarian lev (BGN). 1 euro (EUR) equals approximately 2 BGN (1 EUR= 1.95583 BGN). 10 Romanian leu (RON) is approximately 4 BGN (10 RON = 3.92 BGN)

The best option is usually one of the major banks or exchange bureaus that generally charge no commission. Banks are opened Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You will need your passport for cashing, cheques or exchanging currency. There are also ATMs at the Banks in the centre of Bansko. You can also withdraw cash at any ATM in Sofia. At the airport there is an exchange office, but we would advise you to be careful about the rate.

The main international credit cards are accepted at the big hotels, shopping centres and most of the restaurants. The stickers on the shop windows or at the hotel entrances will provide you with information as to which credit cards are accepted.

More info here: https://costofliving.site/?s=Bansko

There are a lot of food shops, clothes shops and souvenir shops near the hotel.

Prices in the shops:

1 kilogram of apples =
1,85 BGN = 0.92 EUR

A 1.5l bottle of water =
0.90 BGN = 0.45 EUR

1 liter of milk = 2.30 BGN = 1,15 EUR

A Coffee with milk in a cafeteria =
2.30 BGN = 1.14 EUR

A local beer (0,5 liter bottle) =
1,60 BGN = 0.8 EUR

An imported beer (0,5 liter bottle) =
2 BGN = 1 EUR

Water

Tap water is suitable to drink – it is mineral water. So better bring your personal bottle or cup to drink water.

Bulgarian Cuisine

Bulgarian food is Balkan food. The dishes are prepared using natural products which to a great extend brings the unique taste of the Bulgarian meals. There are also many distinctive features of the Bulgarian cooking that contribute to the exceptional taste. When preparing meals with meat for example, Bulgarians start with cooking of the meat and gradually add the rest of the ingredients. In this way they save time and effort as the entire meal is prepared using only one pot or saucepan. The combination of milk or yoghurt with other products is also very typical for the Bulgarian national cuisine. It enriches the technology of food preparation and makes the dishes healthier. Another distinctive feature is the thermal processing of the products - they are simmered slowly on low heat, which enables their nutritive qualities to be retained and, again, make the food taste much better.

The traditional Bulgarian cuisine is a mixture of classic Bulgarian meals, intertwined with heritage from Slavonic, Greek, Turkish, and lately, other central and western European cuisines.

White cheese and yogurt - The most products for which Bulgaria is internationally known are yogurt and white brine (feta) cheese. These are almost always present on Bulgarian tables in one form or another.

Banitsa - One of the most famous and most popular breakfast items in the country is banitsa. It is a made of dough with various fillings, such as cheese, spinach, rice, and sometimes meat. Other popular breakfasts dishes include pancakes, buhtas (fritters), mekitsas (fried dough pieces), and fried bread slices. All of these are particularly delicious when served with jam, marmalade, honey or Bulgarian yogurt.

Rakia - The Bulgarian national drink. Rakia (ракия, rakija, raki, ракија) is the traditional drink of Bulgaria. It is a clear alcoholic beverage made by the distillation of fermented fruit. It has a high alcohol content varying anywhere between 40% and 95% alc. (80 to 190 proof), making it a potent drink.

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