Here you have the best of both worlds: the first class ski resort of Bansko and 18 hole Ian Woodsman golf course within easy reach, but with the option to retreat from the hoards to a more authentic experience of Bulgarian life in the protected village of Dobrinishte. The village is renowned for its pristine nature and seventeen hot mineral springs (with temps of 30-40oC) – a new spa is within walking distance of the chalet. Uninterrupted views stretch from the chalet towards the Pirin Mountains from a large balcony. The chalet is spacious yet cosy, and has everything you need to relax after a day of winter sports, golf or mountain walks, including a log burner, comfy sofas and a private sauna. Local restaurants serve up delicious Bulgarian and international cuisine and drink at very reasonable prices, or you can cook for yourself in the chalet’s kitchen. For larger groups, the neighbouring chalet can also be let.
Beautiful chalet with private sauna and mountain Views
- Chalet
- Bedrooms2
- Sleeps4
- Bathrooms0
- Half Baths1
- Minimum Stay3 - 4 nights
Peaceful spot with uninterrupted views of the Pirin Mountains
Owner
Matt Fortnam
- Response rate:
- 100%
- Response time:
- within one day
- Speaks:
- english, french, italian, polish
- Calendar last updated:
- Jun 13, 2018
About Matt Fortnam
Our cute chalet in Dobrinshte is owned by my parents, Peter and Lynne, and me. I grew up in the seaside town of Lyme Regis in the southwest of UK, where my semi-retired parents still live today. I live in London with my wife Florence and our baby, Thea. I work in the field of international development, and am currently studying for a PhD at University College London. Florence and I are addicted to snowboarding and skiing, after doing a ski season in Chamonix, France, several years ago. We warmly welcome you to stay in our chalet and get a taste of Bulgarian life while having fun in the mountains in winter or summer.
Matt Fortnam purchased this Chalet in 2012
Why Matt Fortnam chose Dobrinishte
We visited Bansko in the summer of 2006. We fell in love with the mountains, food, and blue skies. Bansko offers a much more affordable alternative to the alps, while still offering excellent skiing. We decided to buy in nearby Dobrinshte because we preferred not to be in the blocks of apartments offered in Bansko. Food and drink is better value in Dobrinishte and there are less tourists and more authenticity. This chalet development was a unique design, with lots of comforts like the open fire, sauna and BBQ area. It offered a peaceful, unspoilt alternative to Bansko, with stunning uninterrupted views towards the mountains. Yet it's easy to get to the ski lifts and other amenities in Bansko itself.
Amenities
- Fireplace
- TV
- Kids Welcome
- Parking
- No Smoking
- Heater
Bedrooms
- 2 Bedrooms, Sleeps 4
- Description of sleeping capacity: Sleeps 4 (2 Bedrooms) Notes on bedrooms: Bedroom 1Double bed, private balcony with views to Pirin Mountains Bedroom 2: Double bed, fully furnished with views to Pirin Mountains Both bedrooms have plenty of storage space.
Bathrooms
- 0 Bathrooms, 1 Half Bath
- Shower room 1shower
- Toilet 1toilet
Location Type
- Mountain
- Rural
- Village
Theme
- Adventure
- Away From It All
- Family
- Historic
- Romantic
- Spa
- Sports & Activities
Meals
- Guests provide their own meals
General
- FireplaceWood burner
- Hair Dryer
- HeatingCentral heating
- Iron & Board
- Linens Provided
- Living Room
- Parking
- Towels Provided
Kitchen
- Coffee MakerCafetiere
- Dishes & Utensils
- Kitchen
- Microwave
- Oven
- RefrigeratorFridge with freezer compartment
- Stove
- Toaster
Dining
- Dining Area
- comfy seating for 6 people
Entertainment
- Television
Outside
- Balcony
- Deck / Patio
- Lawn / Garden
Suitability
- Long-term Renters Welcome
- limited accessibility
Pool / Spa
- Sauna
Attractions
- churches
- forests
- restaurants
Leisure Activities
- bird watching
- scenic drives
- sight seeing
- sledding
- walking
Local Services & Businesses
- ATM/bank
- groceries
- hospital
- laundromat
- medical services
Sports & Adventure Activities
- mountain climbing
- cycling
- freshwater fishing
- golf
- hiking
- mountain biking
- fishing
- mountaineering
- paragliding
- ski lift privileges
- skiing
- swimming
Notes
- Notes on accommodation: The chalet also has a private sauna. Outside: Landscaped gardens and private gated car park. Cleaning / Towels / Linen / Maid service: Towels and linen are included, and are changed weekly. Personal laundry service is available at a reasonable price. A maid service is available on request for an extra charge.
House Rules
Check-in: Flexible
Check-out: Flexible
Cancellation Policy
100% refund if canceled at least 30 days before arrival date. 50% refund if canceled at least 14 days before arrival date. You must contact the owner directly to request cancellation.
6 Reviews
What a great and happy place! Highly recommended!
We stayed at Matt`s house in February. It was truly one of the best places we ever stayed at.
The chalet is amazing: stylish, homely, beautifully and tastefully decorated, very clean, modern and comfortable. It is very well equipped with everything you might need.
The chalet has fantastic views of the mountains, a lovely terrace, fire place, sauna, great walk in shower, everything is there for your comfort and enjoyment!
The area itself is very safe and quiet.
We fell in love with the village of Dobrinishte, it is quite rustic and has lots of character. Gives you a real authentic Bulgarian feel and experience. There are 2 fantastic restaurants within walking distance which serve traditional Bulgarian food, unbelievably good and cheap.
There is a unique SPA with healing hot mineral springs, what a treat! The pools are located outside, great in winter, beautiful surroundings, snow is everywhere and you are enjoying yourself in a hot Jacuzzi.
There is a bank, several shops, ski rental place, also a huge Lidl is 10 minutes drive away.
The ski experience was great as well. It is a short drive to the lift from the chalet.
Of course Dobrinishte ski zone is not so modern and big as Bansco, but everything is at least 3 times cheaper there, including ski rental equipment, instructors, ski pass, food and drinks. And whenever you are bored with Dobrinishte, Bansco is only a 10 minute drive away.
It was so great to stay outside of noisy, pumping, touristic and crowded Bansco, but still be close enough to be able to get there whenever you fell like it.
The owner of the chalet, Matt, is super helpful, gives you lots of information and tips on the area, ski, places of interest, answers all your questions, responds promptly. It was a real pleasure to communicate with Matt.
Thank you very much, Matt, for having us in your wonderful home, we were so happy there and left with positive and happy memories for life.
And a special thank you to Bamro, the management company. They are incredible, Natasha and Illya made our stay so comfortable. They are super kind, professional and helpful, we felt like we knew them for ages.
Nothing is too much for them and nothing is a trouble, they are always there for you – day, night, weekends. They were always prepared to go an extra mile, very rarely you can meet people like this, who really care and who are great in their jobs.
We would definitely come back and can`t recommend this place high enough.
Thank you for the kind review. It was such a pleasure having you to stay and I enjoyed our conversations. Hopefully there will be an opportunity to stay at your guest house next time I visit Brighton. Best wishes, Matt.
Gorgeous chalet with great owner
Staying in Matt’s chalet was a pleasure from start to finish. He was so helpful in providing practical advice on hire cars and restaurants etc. The chalet itself is as it appears in the images. Comfortable, clean and cosy and really well located if you want to be a ten minute drive from the gondola and out of touristy Bansko. Natasha and the management company were brilliant and accessible. They met us on arrival so we could follow them in the car to the chalet. We really loved our stay at Matt’s place and we even got some snow for Christmas!
Pleasure having you to stay! Always welcome!
Beautiful chalet in quiet local village
We loved our stay in Matt's chalet in Dobrinishte- the sunset views were a treat and our kids loved playing in the yard. The apartment has a fully equipped kitchen and was very comfortable. It was an excellent base for exploring and hiking in the area. There were a few technical issues that were quickly resolved by the professional management team.
The Beautiful Pirin Mountains
I highly recommend a trip to this beautiful corner of Europe
My girlfriend and I booked a trip to Bulgaria and the Pirin mountains at the last minute for a late summer holiday. We like to try and get off the beaten track and this place came recommended by a friend.
We spent our first day in Sofia and had seen all the sights by lunch time. There was not a lot to see in the city, just a few crumbing communist monuments and historic buildings
We were staying in a chalet in Dobrinishte, a small town 4 hours south of Sofia. We took the bus to Bansko, the biggest town in the area where we were met and transported the short car ride to our chalet.
The chalet was in a beautiful position, in the shadow of the mountains overlooking most of the town. It was clean and well stocked with everything needed for a self-catering holiday. There was even a sauna though as it was August and 30 degrees outside we didn't use it.
The town itself was lovely, rustic and ramshackled with excellent restaurants serving traditional Bulgarian food. There was a modern spa resort and and old bathing house as well as a few bars and shops. Anything we couldn't get in Dobrinishte we could go over to get in Bansko.
Getting around was sometimes a problem and I would recommend hiring a car (which can be done in both Dobrinishte and Bansko). To really explore the mountains, a car is very useful as the local bus service and be a little hit and miss.
There's a good travel and excursion agency in Dobrinishte which can help you with exploring the place. The chalet host was also extremely helpful and friendly as were the Bulgarian people in general.
Overall, we spent a very relaxing and peaceful few days exploring the local scenery and Bulgarian culture. I would highly recommend it to anyone.
Glad you enjoyed your stay. Hope to host you again. Matt
Wanderungen im Pirin
Außerordentlich freundlicher und netter Empfang durch Natascha, zügige Übergabe. Chalet sehr gut ausgestattet, sehr sauber, Bettwäsche, Handtücher etc. alles vorhanden, Objekt umzäunt und verschlossen, Parkplatz vor dem Objekt kein Problem. Aussicht vom Objekt auf Rila- und Pirin-Gebirge traumhaft, nette Sitzgelegenheiten auf Terrasse oder Balkon im 1.OG. Sauna sehr sauber, auch nutzbar, aber wir hatten fast immer über 25 bzw. 30 Grad Außentemperatur. Es gab absolut keine Probleme, als Paar ausreichend Platz.
So pleased you enjoyed your stay Andreas. Thank you for looking after our place. Always welcome!
Pas gâté par le temps !
Logement bien aménagé, propre et près de Bansko et des lacs du Pirin.
Pleased you enjoyed your stay! Hope to see you again. Matt
Location
Travel:
The chalet is approximately 2hr20 from Sofia airport.
Pick-up can be arranged from Sofia airport, and taxis can whisk you to and from Bansko and the surrounding attractions at any time of day. However, we recommend hiring a car to get the most out of our trip (car hire is very cheap, from £7/day). Highways take you all the way from Sofia airport to Dobrinishte.
Distances:
The chalet is situated on the mountain-side edge of the village of Dobrinishte with all restaurants, shops and facilities within walking distance of the chalet.
Sofia airport - 100 miles
Bansko ski lifts - 3 miles
Mineral spa - walking distance
Pirin Golf Course - 6.3 miles