Today is December 8^th – the official holiday of the Bulgarian students. It is always related to unforgettable memories which remain for good. The places to ‘burst out in celebrations’ vary through the years, but today we pay attention to three recently more popular destinations among students – Bansko, Pamporovo and Velingrad. Are those ready for the noisy crowds of merry young people?

Chair of tourist business in Bansko Malin Bistrin says that the town and its hotels are fully prepared for the fiestas, maintenance works are now over and everything is booked. What should all those young people expect?

“Students are looking for fun, corresponding to their young spirit. They want to be accommodated at nice hotels and guesthouses, but over the past years we’ve seen more romantic wishes, such as mountainous huts and guesthouses at neighboring villages. Some of them stay at the hotel all night long and the party is there, others opt for nightclubs. We expect them – we have already lighted the Christmas tree downtown. The streets have been repaired and illuminated. There are guests from all over the country, but we also enjoy the visit of foreign students from the neighboring Balkan countries. I wish them a great fiesta which will be always remembered.”

Chair of the Association of Hotel and Restaurant Owners in Velingrad Zlatko Zlatanov says that this year the town is full of not only students, but also of weekend holiday-makers. This causes certain problems:

“We are fully prepared for December 8^th, but I would like to clarify this small detail – this year the student fest is close to the weekend. Traditionally Velingard is 100% full over the weekend. This year we couldn’t offer profitable booking options to the students, as the hotels had already been booked by standard price payers. There are no students at first class hotels, most of them have selected cheaper places and celebrate outside. I wish an unforgettable night out to all of them.”

If you are one of those last-moment-destination-pickers, this year you might have fun at the Pamporovo ski resort as well. An open-door party for several thousand people has been organized, but if you are more introvert, the intimate and cozy huts in the area are also popular. That’s what Georgi Pamporov, chair of the Rhodope Regional Tourist Association says and adds:

“Some 80% of the places have already been booked. We have erected a huge tent in the central part of the resort on an area of some 2,000 m2. Around 2,500 – 3,000 people will celebrate together there, alongside Bulgarian music stars. Those, who would prefer a smaller circle of people have already booked the huts in the Rhodope region, the guesthouses in the towns of Chepelare, Devin, Laki and also in the villages along the Gorna Arda River’s banks. I see that young people look for both large gatherings and closer circle fun. I wish them good mood, free spirit and a bit of common sense, staying within the borders of normal communication…”

Traditionally the resort towns will be flooded by crowds of merry young people on December 8^th. However, why is this date the exact holiday? The fest was first celebrated in 1903. The celebrations were cancelled after 1944 and the date was replaced with November 17^th – the International Students’ Day. However, the December 8^th celebration was restored in 1962 and has been marked by thousands of young people ever since. We wish lots of smiles to all of them, also good health and of course – Cheers!

English version: Zhivko Stanchev