MTB Day Trip Rila Mountains

From Bansko we drive straight (45 min) to Belitsa Dancing Bears Park – a sanctuary for “retired” Brown Bears used as a street attraction in the past. This is the starting point for our bike trip. The baby bears used to be stolen from their parents and trained to “dance” by the music of some traditional instruments like Gadulka. This was the way of making living for whole Gypsy families, before the official ban. The bear abuse is not allowed anymore and all the suffering animals were taken to the sanctuary to spend their last days in a protected environment, as their introduction back to the wildlife seemed impossible.