Practicalities
Sandanski's train station is 4km west of town, and although trains are met by a bus into the centre, it's not the most convenient of places for speedy arrival and departure. Far better to travel to Sandanski by bus : the main terminal (and the departure point for Melnik-bound services) is a few blocks downhill from pl. Balgariya, although Sofia-Sandanski buses arrive and depart from a side street immediately above the square. There's an underfunded but well-intentioned Visitors Centre in the municipal Palace of Culture (Kulturen Dom) on pl. Balgariya (in theory Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 10am-5pm, but in practice too short-staffed to conform to these hours; tel 0746/22403, bicc@omega.bg ), which can book private rooms (US$9 and under), supply maps and information, and arrange mountain guides. With nine hotels in town you can afford to be choosy. Your best bet is to go for the smaller, family-run places which have sprung up in the town centre in recent years, all of which offer simple ensuites with a small TV: the Aneli , just uphill from pl. Balgariya at ul. Gotse Delchev 1 (tel 0746/28952; US$9-18), and the Andoni , just downhill from the main ul. Makedoniya at ul. Voden 18 (tel 0746/23149; US$9-18), are both comfortable and convenient; while the Balevurov , overlooking the ruined basilica at ul. Mara Buneva 14 (tel 0746/23200, mario.balevourov@gmx.de ; US$18-36), is a step up in terms of smartness and comfort. If money's no object, go for the Balkans' largest spa-hotel, the Hotel Sandanski , also known as the Hydro, at the end of ul. Makedoniya (tel 0746/25165, ; US$60-90), with all mod cons, plush rooms with 1970s colour schemes, and sports facilities. If you don't mind being 4km from town, the former Politburo resort Sveti Vrach (tel 0746/28626, spartakturs@infotel.bg ; US$36-60.) has equally good facilities and a wonderfully secluded hilltop setting, with a Henry Moore sculpture and a duck-filled lake in the grounds; for real opulence take the Presidential suite (US$220) once enjoyed by Todor Zhivkov. Both the Sandanski and the Sveti Vrach have large, heated indoor pools. The Melnik and Sveti Vrach mehanas , on ul. Makedoniya, serve good, cheap Bulgarian meals. Of the innumerable grill restaurants springing up all over town, Barbeque , just off ul. Makedoniya on ul. Voden, is probably the best. For fish, try the Evropa , beside the ruins of the Episcopal Basilica, which has a nice terrace, a violinist and a singer. Stylish cafes cluster around the eastern end of ul. Makedoniya, near the Sandanski hotel, offering plenty of opportunities for al-fresco evening drinking.
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