Etar 2013: International Fair of Traditional Crafts

The 11th Fair of crafts takes place from the 06th till 08th September 2013 at the only open air architectural and ethnographic musem in Bulgaria: Etar.

Open from 08:00 till 18:00, visitors could enjoy fair of traditional crafts with an open-air crafts bazaar.

More than 80 craftsmen from Bulgaria, Ukraine, Romania, Scotland, Italy and Syria will participate in the event presenting pottery, coppersmith, cutlery, weaving, iconography and more.

This year's craftsmen competition is in woodturning.

About Etar

Etar open-air ethnografic museum hosts one of the richest collection of real-time operating water-powered machinery. The main street of crafts shows 16 different types of old Balkan architecture. Crafts and arts presented include: icon-painting, coppersmithery, pottery making, cow-bew workskop, sandals workshop, silverware, woodcarving, cart production, folklore instruments workshop, cutlery, bakery and confectionery.

There is also a local herbs-shop.

You can buy original craft products directly from the craftsmen observing how they are made in a traditional way.

How to reach Etar

Etar open-air museum is located just 8km south of the city of Grabrovo.

If coming from the south on E85 (National road 5) heading to Garbrovo, after descending from the Balkan mountains (Stara planina) and Shipka mountain pass look for a detour on the right for Etar.

If coming from the north on E85 (National road 5) from Veliko Tarnovo or from Sevlievo on National road 44 heading to Garbrovo, you will have to cross all the city of Gabrovo following E85 (5) direction to Stara Zagora, Kazanluk and Shipka pass, and after exiting Gabrovo look for a junction to the left (take left fork) while the main road continues to the right.

Closed roads in the district of Sliven

Picture: www.rallysliven.com

Rally Sliven, round 11 of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, starts today 28th September 2012.


Due to the race there will be closed roads in the mountainous sections of Sliven and Kotel municipalities. If you plan driving through the area excpect difficulties in the areas where the competition takes place.


Forty-four crews are set to contest the Mabanol Sliven Rally in Bulgaria this week, round 11 of the all-action Intercontinental Rally Challenge season. Drivers representing nine different countries will battle for glory on the undulating asphalt stages in mountains overlooking Bulgaria’s eighth largest city.

The Mabanol Sliven Rally features 13 stages over a competitive distance of 197.32 kilometres. The action begins with the 1.91-kilometre SSS Sliven at 20:00hrs local time on Friday 28 September. Info from  IRC site
Find more info and results at the official site: http://www.rallysliven.com or IRC news http://www.ircseries.com

Headlights ON: it's the law in Bulgaria

Important update on driving in Bulgaria: starting 07th August 2012 motorists should drive with headlights on low beam (or if the vehicle is equipped with day-lights) during day and night, all year round. Forgetting to do so - will cost you a 50 LV (about 25 EUR) police ticket. The change comes in power today 07th August 2012, following an up-date of the Bulgarian Traffic Law.

Speed limit increased to 140 km/h on motorways in Bulgaria

From 26th June 2012 the speed limit on Bulgaria's motorways is increased to 140 km/h.
Still this will be valid only for the newest or recently repaired sections. On the other sections it is usually 130 km/h, 90 km/h or other signposted speed limit.

The amendments of the Traffic Law also introduce the term "fast road": these are roads where the speed limit is 120 km/h and do not have a hazard (emergency) lane. Such roads are to be build in Bulgaria in the following years.

Jazz Fest Bansko

The International Jazz Festival in Bansko -
in 2011 from 6th to 13th August, is one of the biggest summer music events in Bulgaria and on the Balkans.

http://banskojazzfest.com

Throughout the festival jazz musicians from all over the world will perform on open-air stage on the Nikola Vaptsarov square in the centre of Bansko.

Additionally, during the festival, smaller stages are built so jazz is also played in some of the resort complexes and restaurants.

The musicians, coming from four different continents and more than 20 countries, represent each and every type of jazz – from standard, blues and swing to Dixieland and bebop.

Legendary names in the jazz music, such as Jackie Ryan & Larry Vuckovich Trio (USA), Mungo Jerry blues band (Great Britain),
The Jive Aces (Great Britan) , Jazzex (Ukraine), Yoni Vidal
(Spain, Belgium) and Oleg Kiriev (Russia) will perform for the public in Bansko.

An interesting accent in the festival will be the Egyptian Percussion Show on the last day.

During the event some of the most famous Bulgarian jazz musicians - Camellia Todorova,
Bulgarian National Radio Big Band, Dixieband Teteven,
Lilly of the West and
Akaga band will perform for the fans of jazz music.

Full programme for the stage in Nikola Vaptsarov square:

6th - 19:30h: Dixieband Teteven (Bulgaria)
Lili Ivanova & band (Bulgaria)

7th - 19:00h: Ensemble Trakia (Bulgaria)
Balkan Horses (Bulgaria)
Albena Veskova (Bulgaria)

8th - 19:00h: Bulgarian National Radio Big Band (Bulgaria)
Jazzex (Ukraine)
Jackie Ryan & Larry Vuckovich Trio (USA)

9th - 19:00h: Kaffe Ball (Serbia)
Camellia Todorova & JP3 (Bulgaria)
The Jive Aces (Great Britan)

10th - 19:00h: Ondrej Stveracek quartet (Czech Republic)
Elina Duni quartet (Albania, Switzerland)
Yoni Vidal (Spain, Belgium)

11th - 19:00h: Boriana Dimitrova Quartet
(Bulgaria, Germany)
Maya Nova Quartet (Bulgaria)
& Rick Margitza – sax (USA)
Mungo Jerry blues band
(Great Britain)

12th - 19:00h: Big Band Saransk - Conductor Alexander Kurin
& Special guest Oleg Kireyev
Lily of the West (Bulgaria)
Milo Suchomel quartet (Slovakia)
Akaga (Bulgaria)

13th - 19:00h: Ankara Combo band & Elif Tacer (Turkey)
Baron - sax & Jarek Bothur Quartet (Poland)
Márta Téli trio (Hungary)
Percussion Show (Egypt)


All the concerts are free for the standing audience. However, if you want a seated place during the festival, you need to ask for and buy a subscription card from your hotel. It is advisable to do that upon your arrival as the number of such cards is limited.

How to get to Bansko:
- by car: from Sofia take the E79 road south to the town of Simitli (direction "Kulata") and turn east at Simitli onto national Road 19 to Bansko. Distance from Sofia: approx. 160 km.
Check for Sofia car rental deals and airport transfers at URCA rent a car & transfers www.urca.bg
- by bus: daily buses from Sofia: Central Bus Station http://www.centralnaavtogara.bg/index.php or Ovcha Kupel Bus Station. Journey takes about 3hours.

Where to stay in Bansko
- Hadjipopov family guest-house: http://www.hadjipopov.eu Green-lodge quality certificate
- Hotel Martin: http://www.hotelmartin.domino.bg Family owned 4-star hotel close to the Old Quarter of the town.

Where to eat in Bansko
- Baryakova mehana: a long established traditional resaurant. 3 Velyan Ognev Str, Tel +359 749 8 44 82
- Todeva mehana: a traditional Bulgarian restaurant located close to the old church. Excellent food and service by Mitko and Nadia. 7 Neofit Rilski Str. Tel. + 359 898 634 514

Driving in Bulgaria

DRIVING IN BULGARIA

The Essential guide

General info

Driving in Bulgaria is on the right side of the roads and overtaking is on the left side.

Minimum driving age is 18 years. Children under 12 are not allowed to sit in the front seat. You should have a valid driving license and carry it always with you when you drive. Obligatory vehicle documentation consists of registration card, annual technical inspection card and “third party liability” insurance.

Motorcyclists must always wear a helmet.

It is not allowed to drive & talk on a mobile phone unless you are using a hands free system

Headlights should be always ON in the period between 01 November and 01 March.

Signs in Bulgaria are in Cyrillic and Latin on major roads. Still in the countryside some of them could be in Cyrillic only, so it is helpful to have a basic understanding of the Cyrillic alphabet.

Winter driving in Bulgaria should be done with caution as some areas of the country experience severe winter conditions. It is highly advisable to have your car equipped with winter-tires (although this is not legally required) and it is the law to carry snow-chains with you during the winter period (01 November – 31 March). 

It is advisable to drive defensively as sometimes locals may be reckless, travelling at high speed and switching lanes without indicating.

Always try to avoid road rage!

 
Never leave any valuables (including the front panel of the CD-player) in the visible areas of the car, especially in bigger towns and tourist areas.

Roads

Since Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007 roads are improving with every year.

Still many of the roads can be often bumpy, with poor asphalt surface and without markings of the road lanes (especially B-roads in the countryside). Motorists should drive with greater attention on countryside roads, especially when driving at night time as pot-holes or unlit farm carts and animals are a hazard.

 

Motorways:

There are 3 motorways in Bulgaria:                      

-         Trakia – A1

-         Hemus – A2    

-         Maritsa – A3

They have usually 2 lanes + 1 hazard lane.

Speed limit is 140 km/h. (but on most sections it is reduced to 130 km/h)

Trakia Motorway (A2) - Exit to Kostenets and Muhovo

Toll roads:

There are no toll roads in Bulgaria. However if you are to drive outside the build-up areas you should obtain a   Vignette. This is a road-tax valid for all roads in Bulgaria. It is a sticker that you should put on the right-bottom corner of your windscreen. Note that before that you should write the registration-plate number of your vehicle in the space provided. Also do not throw away the receipt and the plastic-sheet left after putting the sticker. Keep them both in the car.

The prices in 2012 for a vignette for a regular car are as follows:

1-week vignette: 10 leva

1-month vignette: 25 leva

1-year: 67 leva

Speed

Speed limits in Bulgaria are as follows (unless other stated by road sign):

-         build-up areas: 50 km/h.

-         open roads: 90 km/h.

-         motorways: 140 km/h. (but on most sections it is reduced to 130 km/h)

From 26th June 2012 the speed limit on Bulgarian motorways was increased to 140 km/h. But in fact this is efective only for limited parts - the most newly build or repaired section. On the other sections it usually 130 km/h, 90 km/h or other signposted speed limit.

Beware of speed cameras or traffic patrol cars with mobile radars. “Speed traps” are quite common in Bulgaria, especially on the main roads and during the summer holiday season. Be careful when a main road goes through build-up areas (towns or villages) as right after the sign with the name of the settlement the speed-limit is 50 km/h. “Speed traps” are very common at such places. There is a certain allowance for over speeding with about 10 km/h above the limit to which you will not be fined.

Parking

Parking your car in bigger cities in Bulgaria (and especially in Sofia) is in most cases not for free.

Watch carefully the road signs when parking on the side of the streets.

Beware that your car will be either towed away or blocked with a

wheel-clamp if you park without paying in a blue-zone or at other no-parking areas.  

 

Expect very soon a detailed guide on parking in Sofia at www.drivebulgaria.com 

Traffic police

If a representative of the traffic police stops you, pull over the vehicle, turn off the engine, do not leave the vehicle and wait for the police-officer to approach. You could be asked to present the vehicle’s documentation (which consists in registration card, technical support card and “third party liability” insurance), your driving license and international passport (or national ID-card for EU citizens).

There are often routine-checks carried out by the Bulgarian Police, so you could be pulled-over even if you have not committed any violation of the Bulgarian Traffic Law. DO NOT try bribing the police officer on any occasion! This might have been a common illegal practice in Bulgaria during the 1990’s, but today you might get into serious trouble trying to do this!

Fines

The most common violation of the traffic law in Bulgaria is over-speeding. If you are caught in doing so, you will be fined as follows:

Build-up areas:

Speeding Offence	Fine
Up to 10 km/h over the posted limit	20 leva
11 km/h to 20 km/h over the posted limit	50 leva
21 km/h to 30 km/h over the posted limit	100 leva
31 km/h to 40 km/h over the posted limit	200 leva
41 km/h to 50 km/h over the posted limit	300 leva
Over 50 km/h over the posted limit	350 leva and Licence Disqualification for 3 months

            Open roads:

Speeding Offence	Fine
Up to 10 km/h over the posted limit	20 leva
11 km/h to 20 km/h over the posted limit	50 leva
21 km/h to 30 km/h over the posted limit	100 leva
31 km/h to 40 km/h over the posted limit	150 leva
41 km/h to 50 km/h over the posted limit	200 leva
Over 50 km/h over the posted limit	300 leva and Licence Disqualification for 3 months

  ▪ Drivers (with less than 2 years of experience) with blood alcohol content (ascertained by a medical test) from 0.5 to 1.2 per mill, have their driving license suspended for a period from 2 to 12 months and pay a fine between 300 and 600 leva.

 ▪  For a repeated violation, the fine is from 1000 to 2000 leva and driving rights are suspended for 1 to 3 years.

  ▪  Drivers (with more than 2 years of experience) driving with blood alcohol content from 0.5 to 1.2 per mill have their driving license is suspended for a period from 1 month up to 1 year pay a fine from 200 to 500 leva.

 ▪  For a repeated violation, the fine is from 1000 to 2000 leva.

 For driving with alcohol blood content exceeding 1.2 per mill, the law provides for up to 1 year of imprisonment.

In case of refusal to be tested for alcohol or narcotics test, the fine is from 500 to 1000 leva and the driving license is suspended for 12 to 18 months.

Remember to always fasten your seat belts on the front as well as on the back seats – it saves lives and it is the law. The fine for not putting your seat belt on is 50 leva.

Petrol stations

On major roads, in and around bigger towns there are quite a few petrol stations. Bigger petrol stations in Bulgaria include:

Most of them have as well small shops and cafes for a snack or refreshment. In some remote country areas petrol stations could be few and far between. 

Generally customers pay at the cashier desk (international credit and debit cards such as VISA and MasterCard are at most of the places accepted). Self service at the petrol station is not very popular. Normally you should leave some tip directly to the personnel.

Equipment
The equipment listed below is required by the law and you should always carry it in your car:

• first aid kit              
• fire extinguisher
• spare tire
• car-jack
• safety jacket
• hazard triangle
• snow-chains (* only for winter periods)

 

Emergency telephone numbers

112 – European emergency line (all kind of emergencies)

150 – Ambulance

160 – Fire Brigade

166 – Police

165 - Traffic Police

These are 24-hour toll-free numbers that may be reached directly from any telephone.