Once you have explored the Bansko area and you are ready to leave town for a bit, there are a number of sights to put on your “must-visit” list.

If you should decide to use a rental car for that, you might be interested in reading this first:

Attractions

The major attractions in the region are the Rila Monastery and Seven Rila Lakes. Considering you approach the sites from different directions, you would have to do them in two separate trips or spend a night in a mountain hut. The monastery is the largest in Bulgaria and a beautiful world heritage site nested in the Rila mountains. Do not miss the St Ivan Rilski cave and test if you are a sinner. You can make it an overnight trip, stay in a mountain hut and hike the Rila Lakes Loop too. For the hike be there very early in the morning to enjoy the views as it gets crowded around midday.

Dancing Bears Park in Belitsa is a popular place to see rescued animals from a very inhumane performance practice on the Balkans and learn more about their new life in natural habitat. The park is open April to November and there are guided tours every 30min.

If you fancy rafting and canyoning, head to the nearby Kresna Gorge for a day full of adrenaline. The season runs from April to July and many companies offer activities and trips for all levels (check the summer activities section). If you are headed that way, visit the Stob Sand Pyramids in the nearby village of Stob.

Cities

Sofia is easy to reach with the public bus and offers everything you would expect from a major city. Unfortunately, that includes traffic jams and air pollution but it is worth visiting at least once, perhaps on your way out of Bulgaria. Sofia has an youthful, modern, quirky vibe with a delicious food scene. Lately it has become famous for weekend getaways among Europeans thanks to the low cost flights to Sofia Airport. There are also some nomad and startup events, but make sure they are in English. Check How to get to/from Bansko for information on how to get to Sofia without a car.

Blagoevgrad is the largest town in the area, with a couple of universities, theater, opera, and many festivals in summer. Just 40 minutes down the road, it has a cinema, sushi restaurant and a nice pedestrian area for shopping. This is also where you will go for your residence permit or car registration if you plan to stay longer in Bansko.

Melnik, in Southwest Bulgaria is about an hour drive and has some of the best wines of the region. There are many vineyards in the area where you can learn about the winemaking process and taste the different varieties. We personally recommend Villa Melnik as you have probably already tasted their wine in Bansko at Wine Bar 25 or Oscars, so it would be nice to check the actual vineyards and see where it comes from. Also read this blog and check out this wine map. Don’t miss the white Sandanski Misket grape and the reds Melnik Wide Leaf and Melnik 55. If you are heading that direction, check Rozhen Monastery and take a dip at the public mud baths “Mineralni Izvori Rupite” next to Baba Vanga’s house. There are a number of hikes in that region too, such as Rozhen Monastery to Melnik and the Prepodobna Stoina loop, but do your own research if you plan on going off the beaten path as the locals don’t speak much English.

Plovdiv is the 2nd largest city in Bulgaria about 2.5 hours away with an enchanting cobblestoned Old Town perched on 3 hills, the most beautiful Roman Ruins, the longest pedestrian street in Europe and many artsy shops, outdoor cafes and yummy restaurants. There is also an active startup and expat scene with many events. Great for a weekend getaway. In 2019 Plovdiv will be the European Capital of Culture so look out for exhibits and events every month of the year. July and August can be very hot in Plovdiv, so perhaps plan your trip for spring or fall when the mountains get cooler but Plovdiv is still warm and welcoming.

Leshten and Kovachevitsa near Ognyanovo are small villages deep in the Bulgarian mountains that have preserved their 18th century look and feel. We recommend grabbing lunch at “Kruchmata” to try some delicious local specialties.

The old Thracian town Nicolopis ad Nestum near Gotse Delchev is the only preserved one of its kind in the Western Rhodope Mountains and it dates back to 100 A.D. built by the Roman Emperor Trajan.

Velingrad, the Spa Capital of Bulgaria, is about 1.5 hours away and a major balneological center with lots of hot springs. Our favorite place is the Hotel Infinity with a massive spa area, including - you guessed it - an infinity pool on the rooftop! You can take a narrow gauge railway from Bansko to Velingrad (Dobriniste - Septemvri line) which is quite an adventure. The train takes 4 hours and allows you to experience the beautiful nature en route but then most people take the much faster bus back to Bansko. Find out more about the history of the railway, schedule and ticket prices here.

You can also drive for about 4-5 hours to Varna or Burgas on the Black Sea coast. Especially in the summer, there is a bustling tourist scene and nice beaches. The towns of Sozopol, Nessebar, and Balchik still keep history alive and are very picturesque for sightseeing.