Summer or Winter…Bansko is a great place for the Digital Nomad / Nomadic Professional to spend time working on business growth.
What’s great about Bansko?
Bansko is chalk full of outdoor activities both winter and summer.
Winter In Bansko
Bansko is a great winter destination for skiing and snowboarding. Winter is the main tourist season. I wasn’t there during the winter and honestly; I hate winter weather so I can’t give you recommendations. Bansko is situated at the foot of the Pirin Mountains and the town goes uphill.
Summer In Bansko
Being well known for it’s winter skiing, Bansko is less known for the ton of activities to do during the summer season. Festivals, Farmers Markets, Hot Springs, Clean mountain air… There are also some great summer hiking for all activity levels. Check out the guide here for more details.
Downtown is vibrant in the summer with several pedestrian only streets. The hilltop side of Bansko was mostly shut down in the summer – this is the hot spot in the winter ski season.
To get the most out of your stay, I would recommend either a car or an electric bike (can be rented near the ski lift). Having some wheels will give you a bit more flexibility to see the surrounding area.
Working as a Digital Nomad in Bansko
Bansko is a great place to CO-Work.
There is currently one ‘official’ co-work and another somewhat unofficial place that you can live/work Sun Pearl. I worked from Bansko Co-Work for most of my time there and the atmosphere and wifi were spot on. The only downside is that I feel that it won’t be long and co-work Bansko will outgrow their facilities. (edited to add that Co-Work Bansko has expanded and now has 2 properties). At Sun Pearl, there is a small co-work space as well as some really nice modernized apartments of all sizes. I didn’t stay or work from here but if I go back, this is where I’ll be. The apartments are so nice!! Both of the co-work spaces hold a ton of events year round.
Join the Bansko FB groups to find out what’s happening:
- Bansko Social – for Digital Nomads, Coworkers and everyone else
- Coworking Bansko – Base for Digital Nomads in Bulgaria
- The Bansko Notice Board
Eating in Bansko
Personally, I loved the food in Bansko. Bulgarian food is a bit heavy, but all of it is locally sourced and delicious. Here are a few of my recommendations:
ZK (because I can’t begin to pronounce the actual name) – Order the Sache! It’s a hot cast iron plate full of meat and vegetables (also a vegetarian option). Grilled to perfection, you can’t go wrong for a great local dish. If you are a bread lover like I am, this place has the best Parlenka in town.
Parlenka is the name, which in some folk regions in Bulgaria called type thin bread , thickness and size as small or medium pizza.
Baked on sach as well as pancakes, but the dough is for normal bread and their thickness is slightly greater.
Smoky Mountain Bar and Grill – This is the only place in town that I was able to find craft beer (for about $4usd)! I’m not a fan of the local draft beer and this was a welcome sight. The food here is well prepared and they have a ‘Mexican’ night once a week if you’re craving some Mexican fare. Their daily specials are also worth a try. If you enjoy playing pool, they have a nice table.
La Petit Nicolas – Tiny little cafe serving up great coffee, pastries and sandwiches. Stop here before your hike and charge up on some java and grab a sandwich to take with you for a wilderness picnic along your hike.
Low Cost of Living in Bansko
It’s super cheap to live/visit Bansko. I had a 2 bedroom/2 bath apartment located between the slopes and downtown for only Euro 270/month! This covered water, gas, internet. I had to pay electricity separate but it was only about Euro 30 for the month.
If you shop at the local market, you can buy a weeks worth of fruits and vegetables for under $15 u.s.d.
Bansko is easily a place that you could thrive on under $500 USD per month.
Have you been to Bansko?
Post your favorites in the comments. Interested in visiting and have more questions, feel free to post your questions in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer them.