I’m really excited to interview Maria Stoyanova of Travelling Buzz about Bansko, Bulgaria. Maria’s tips for the best things to do in Bansko are awesome because she’s a digital nomad who came to Bansko for the coworking space and community but fell in love with the local mountains and natural beauty.
Please take a moment to subscribe to our podcast. It is available on all of the major podcast channels, such as Apple Podcasts, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, and iHeartRadio.
The cobblestone streets of Bansko
Bansko, Bulgaria
Bansko is quite the dichotomy as an old-world city with cobblestone streets that is also the home to a community of 80+ digital nomads. It is a popular ski resort destination and a beautiful place to hike with the three mountains that surround the city.
The city experiences all four seasons with cold, snowy winters, hot summers, and chilly spring and autumn. There are a variety of festivals throughout the year, such as the Bansko International Jazz Festival, the International Mountain Film Festival, and Bansko Opera Festival. Mummer’s Day Festival is locally known as “Starchevata” and is an annual event held in January where locals share folklore and dress up in Mummer costumes.
During your visit, stop by the Rila Monastery, which was built in the 10th century and is a UNESCO Heritage Site. The Holy Trinity Church is another beautiful site that was built in the 19th century. Pirin National Park is a popular hiking destination.
We share a lot of resources and local suggestions in today’s podcast, but you should also check out Visit Bansko, the local visitor’s bureau. They are a wealth of information and can help you plan an itinerary based on your time, budget, and interests.
If you’d like to learn how to travel for free using airline miles and hotel points, check out my free 7-day email course.
Sunrise from Vihren peak
Getting around Bansko
The local airport is Sofia International Airport (SOF), which is about a two-hour drive to Bansko. Use our Expedia tool below to find flight, hotel, and rental car options.
Maria says that if you’re just staying in the city, there is no need to rent a car. Everything you need within the town is within walking distance. But, to do day trips and travel outside the city, you will want to rent one. For the best offers, visit Avis, Budget, or Hertz. Maria says that you can rent a car for approximately 60 to 80 Euros for the week.
Pirin Mountains in winter
Places we talked about on the podcast
Here is a map of all of the places we talked about on the podcast episode with Maria Stoyanova about Bansko, Bulgaria. You can zoom into the map and click on each dot to explore the city.
- Red dots = best places to eat in Bansko, Bulgaria
- Green dots = best things to do in Bansko, Bulgaria
- Yellow dots = best places to stay in Bansko, Bulgaria
Who is Maria Stoyanova?
Maria Stoyanova is a Bulgarian travel blogger and tourism professional. She holds a Ph.D. in Tourism Economy and is currently a Content Manager at Travel Massive & Community Manager at WHTT (Women in Hospitality and Travel Tech). Maria is a remote work advocate, snowboard, and hiking enthusiast.
She chronicles her travels and shares tips for traveling to cities within Europe and working remotely on her website Travelling Buzz. Her goal is to inspire people to travel more and follow their dreams by exploring new places and taking new adventures.
Maria enjoying a sunset in Pirin.
Here is an article that was written by Maria and some other articles that feature her:
- Winter Hiking in Bulgaria: Snowshoeing Experience in the Pirin Mountains
- Bulgaria – Scary hikes, Balkans culture, and protests against corruption
- Experts: The Real Truth About Productivity In The Home Office
You can connect with Maria on her website and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Click here to download our one-page guide of Maria’s tips for Bansko.
Big thanks to today’s affiliate partner – Acorns
With Acorns, you can invest spare change automatically on every purchase that you make. With your registered debit and credit cards, your purchases are rounded up to the next dollar and added to your investment account. When you shop at participating retailers, you can also earn bonus dollars, which are called “Found Money.” Acorns is a great way to build up your travel fund automatically.
I’ve been using Acorns for years, and I love how easy it is to use. For a limited time, when you sign up at wetravelthere.com/acorns, we’ll both earn $5.
Hiking Djangal Peak
Stay tuned for our next episode
Timothy and Scarlett at the Park at OWA freeway exit sign. Almost there!
Listen to the next episode when we celebrate 150 episodes with an interview with my kids, Timothy and Scarlett, about road tripping as a family. We talk about some of our favorite road trip experiences and they share their tips for parents to keep kids happy and entertained while on the road. We hope you’ll join us when We Travel There.
What’s your favorite part of Bansko? Send us a Tweet, let us know in the comment section below, or continue the discussion in our Facebook group!
Please take a moment to subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcasts or Stitcher so you don’t miss the next episode! While you’re at it, give us a rating and Tweet the podcast to your friends.
To see which cities we’ve interviewed and scheduled, please visit WeTravelThere.com/map. If you’d like to be a guest on the show, please submit an application at WeTravelThere.com/guest.
Related episodes
We’ve had the pleasure of interviewing multiple members of the Travel Massive community, such as:
Norman
The Macedonians (a minority in Bulgaria, mostly in the PIrin region) living in this area are the most hospitable people I have ever met.
Lee
That is so awesome! Thank you for sharing. I’d love to visit Bansko and the Pirin Mountains at some point.
Around Bulgaria
I can say the Bulgarian nature is absolutely unique and it include 4 seasons, mountains, see, history and many traditions in a special mix. Everyone must visit Bulgaria 🙂