dancing bears park

The setting of this sanctuary is lovely, it's quite large and the bears are undisturbed by guests it seems which is good.The road to it when I went there (several years ago) was a potholed mess so the journey took longer than expected, although worth it in the end.

Very beautiful landscape. Very interesting bear park. Dont miss it!!! We went there by inter excursions.

We went to the dancing bears park after spending the night in Bansko. The road from Belitsa is painful, 11km might become quite long, more if you have a normal renting car. Especially the last 2-3 km seem to be endless and after rainfall it might become critical. But the trip is so worth it. In the visitors center you receive some information about the park and the bears. The rest is walking around the huge area and discover. We have seen about 15 bears and you are almost guaranteed to see some.There is no entrance fee, but the park is living from donations.It is an emotional experience and I recommend the visit to everybody !

We made our way up the mountain road from Bansko and located the park without difficulty. There are plenty of signs and provided you go slow and carefully over the bumps and ruts most cars can make it (in September anyway). We were amazed by the investment made and the very clear messages that the park sends out - civilised countries in Europe take care of their animals - wild or tame. The bears were remarkably calm and clearly entirely at home in their new refuge, and provided one is prepared to walk around the extensive and steep pens, you get to see most of them. Films and discussion with the local staff was very interesting and people here are dedicated and keen to share their experience. Our zoologist daughter found the whole place inspirational and a great example of what can be done. No fee is charged, it should be - but anyone who gets to the park is likely to want to contribute to the wonderful work of Fourpaws.

Great half day trip from Bansko.I intended to take our own hire car but were advised by our hotel that the last 11km of the road from Belitsa was not great and we should consider an organised tour which we did with Intersport for a very reasonable 90 lev Picked up promptly from the hotel and shared a mini bus with half a dozen other visitors, very friendly and informative driver/guide took us through the stunning Bulgarian mountain country side to the bear park The bear park comprises of a number of huge enclosures on the side of a mountain in the middle of nowhere . The bears are free to roam but do approach the fences as they have been used to human contact in their sad previous existence. It is great to see that the bears are so well looked after and given another chance as they have no feeding or survival instincts.By going not only will you have a great day out you will be helping a great cause.

You completely doubt yourself when you are on the track leading up to the park,11km seems like an eternity but trust the signs and yes its fully operational when you get there. We were met by a bulgarian with perfect english who gave a detailed and very interesting overview. The bear enclosures are beautiful, up to date and the bears are clearly understood and cared for. The walk around the sanctuary is great for adults and kids, and the observation platform is fab not only for seeing bears but also surrounding views. We cant believe it is free, so made a good donation. There are good toilets and vending machines, but worth taking a picnic to make the most of the trip plus i dont think there was much in the town.

I'd read about how awful the road was. But we didn't see any signs in Belitsa so followed the only road marked on our map and it took us up a road which was absolutely fine - and we were really confused by everyone else's reports of a terrible road.We had gone the wrong way. It was also the same distance as the bear sanctuary but because the signing isn't great, we hadn't driven past the sign in the village which sends you to the sanctuary. Don't make the mistake we did! Don't follow the road marked on the map!The road IS bad. But if you drive REALLY slowly it's fine. We managed it in a hire ford focus. There was only one point where we scraped the bottom of the car.We parked at the inn about 2.5km (on the road) from the sanctuary. At that point it got quite steep. There's signage at that point which shows you can walk it. I was really dubious since it was still 2.5km on the road. But it's worth stopping there because it really is only a short walk from there.We had a lovely meal there - the people were great and spoke English well and the kids played on their play equipment. It was idyllic. We then walked 200m from their inn to see the first bears at the bottom of the sanctuary. It's a steep climb up through the sanctuary to get to the top, but to be honest, I wouldn't have wanted to drive any further and certainly not another 2.5km. It's only a short but steep walk up through the sanctuary but probably another 20 odd minute drive along the road if you want to drive it.There's no charge to enter the sanctuary. Donations only. They are seriously missing a trick here... There's a lot they could do to raise revenue. However, it's such an amazing place and we spoke to a fantastic guide who was great with the kids.There isn't a café in the place either - so stop at the inn on the way up if you want food or drink. It's fab there - can't recommend it highly enough.

We are staying in Bansko and fancied a trip out. Short drive to Belitsa and then a hell of a drive across the pot holes, mud and road that looks like a river...with 5 adults in an Astra Estate it had little clearance but we made it all the way up and we are so glad we did.The place is a sanctuary for the bears and a great place to visit. We visited the visitor centre and then wandered around - lost count of the number of bears we saw. There are 24 bears in much better condition than I expected to see rescued bears - and I can only praise the people who look after them. It's free to get in but I do recommend leaving a donation for all their hard work.We would go again - places to picnic - but I'd live to have my Range Rover when going up the hills!

This is a great place to visit while in the Bansko or the surrounding area. It is a sanctuary for the Dancing bears who have been rescued since the abolition of this practice as entertainment in the area. The bears live in their natural habitat, with lots of space in their enclosures with pools and plenty to eat. You can literally walk at the side of them separated by wire fences. Some are very sad looking but are mostly happy in their new environment.The entrance is free but they do expect a donation to this great cause. Beware the centre is a 12km drive from the village of Belitsa and along a rough road. The last part of the road climbs steeply and is very rough. I think you can leave your car near the bottom at a mexhana and walk to the entrance.

De weg naar dit berenpark is echt een drama. Veel kuilen en gaten in de weg, 11 km lang. Je moet even doorzetten, maar dan ver van de bewoonde wereld is het berenpark. Het park is een mooi gebied waar de beren nu leven. De verhalen over deze prachtige beesten zijn indrukwekkend en maken de barre tocht erheen de moeite waard! Fijn om daar zelf rond te mogen lopen.

De weg is echt onbegaanbaar voor een normale personenauto.Vanuit het dorp een rit van ca. 11km over een weg vol met gaten en kuilen en op het einde een moder-pad met diepe geulen...We zijn voor het behoud van de huurauto na ca. 10 km omgedraaid.

è vero...per arrivare la ci vuole un po di pazienza e un'oretta di strada da Bansko...la strada è sterrata e piena di buche...ma quando siamo arrivati la abbiamo pensato che ne è davvero valsa la pena!! con tanto spazio a disposizione, finalmente 24 orsi stupendi e con gli occhioni pieni di bene, si rilassano un po'..e trovano un po'di pace..dopo una vita piena di sofferenza e dolore! La più bella gita a bansko.Chi è appassionato di animali non se la perda!

Ces pauvres ours, fort heureusement, ne danseront plus. "Ex Dancing Bears Park" serait un nom bien plus approprié. Le personnel y est très accueillant et parle anglais. Les ours y coulent une retraite assez paisible, libre à eux de s'approcher ou non des visiteurs. Chaque animal évolue dans un territoire qui lui est propre. Tous portent les stigmates de leur précédente vie: à certains ne subsiste qu'un reliquat de truffe; d'autres, édentés par l'homme, possèdent une mâchoire difforme... Révoltant. L'entrée est gratuite, le parc ne vit que de fonds associatifs et d'aides diverses. Le personnel perçoit néanmoins un salaire. Votre don est libre, et aidera au fonctionnement général de la structure. La découverte très émouvante: on ressent du dégoût et de l'espoir, même si ces ours traumatisés ne retrouveront jamais la liberté: ils seraient probablement les premières victimes des ours sauvages vivant dans la région.Nous avons été agréablement surpris du modernisme du bâtiment principal, et de l'entretien de celui ci.... surtout après 11 km de route défoncée. Les agences proposent des excursions d'une 1/2 journée à 70 Leva par personne, (très cher pour la Bulgarie) et ne reversent rien au parc. Un membre de la famille où nous logions nous a proposé de nous y emmener pour 60 Leva. Le reste du budget est ainsi passé dans la boîte de dons et l'achat de bricoles pour la bonne cause. Nb: les 3 derniers km du chemin sont assez sportifs; si vous louez une voiture, les suspensions d'un 4*4 seront vraiment plus adaptées. Prévoyez aussi de gravir environ 300 marches sur la totalité de la montée. Des baskets suffisent (notre accompagnateur, lui, portait des tongs ^^) La vue de là haut est imprenable, la visite vaut le détour si vous souhaitez soutenir la cause animale.

Le parc recueille les anciens ours danseurs de Bulgarie et leur permet de couler enfin des jours heureux. Certes, je préfère les ours en liberté, mais ceux-là ne pourront plus retourner à la vie sauvage. C'est donc l'occasion d'approcher ces animaux. Après avoir visionné une courte vidéo revenant sur la tradition, désormais interdite, des ours danseurs et la création du parc, vous vous promènerez à pied dans des chemins grillagés, autour desquels se répartissent les différents enclos des ours. Habitués aux hommes, il ne sont nullement effrayés par la présence des visiteurs et passent beaucoup de temps à proximité des grilles. Vous pourrez sans problème voir plus d'une vingtaine d'ours, et pourquoi pas la totalité d'entre eux, si vous traînez un peu dans le parc.L'équipe qui s'occupe du parc est très sympathique, l'un des membres vous accompagne sur les premiers mètres de la visite, pour vous parler des premiers ours rencontrés et répondre à vos questions. Les dons des visiteurs, en fin de visite, permettent de concourir au financement du parc.Attention, information d'ordre pratique : il faut parcourir 11 km de piste pour accéder au parc. Voiture adaptée à conseiller. Certaines agences d'excursions de Bansko proposent spécifiquement la location de jeep pour se rendre jusqu'au parc.