How to rent an apartment in Bansko?
by Nadejda Barbarov
Bansko was for me a surprise from the first minute I came here. I registered as a volunteer at Coworking Bansko, expecting to find a tiny coworking space in a small village in the mountains. And no, I didn’t check for it on the internet, just followed the calling of my heart. What I found instead was a modern town with an attractive historical center surrounded by gorgeous mountains, with the clean water Glazne river passing in the middle. I quite immediately realized that one can find here a modern dream. Or build it.
Bansko is mainly a ski resort, the best in Bulgaria, situated at south from the capital Sofia, in the south-western part of Bulgaria. It can be reached in a couple of hours by bus from Sofia. With the 60 thousand beds that Bansko makes available, between studios, apartments, guest houses and hotels, only around 7 to 10 thousand people are living here permanently.
But Bansko is attractive in all seasons, in summer there are many opportunities for hiking, cycling or just chilling on a balcony with a beautiful view of mountains. The town has a large number of SPA centers; many hotels have their own pool. Bansko is also a historical spot; there are many ancient remains, ruins and house museums. However, the possibilities and opportunities that this town offers are not fully considered. The beauty of the nature is sometimes overlooked and the town is struggling to attract tourists, visitors and people that would want to live here permanently. Nevertheless, the coworking space established here by Matthias and Uwe does its job. Some digital nomads already bought properties in Bansko and they are living here for most of the year.
For someone that decides to move to Bansko, for short or long term, there is the possibility of renting an apartment or a studio at a very good price. Of course, the best deals are made for long term rentals, with prices that vary between 150 euros for a studio and 250 for a two bedroom apartment. For short term rental, the price can be a little bit higher though.
The property management and apartment rentals are businesses that are currently well set up in Bansko. One can rent the apartment directly from the owners or can take an agent that would assist with any question, accommodation related, while in Bansko.
Here is just an example of an apartment currently rented in Bansko:
Long term (12 months) rental contract for a ~70m2 apartment at 400 lev (~200 Euros or 230 $). The apartment is also located at 15 min walk from the coworking space.
It’s worth mentioning that quite all the apartments have the necessary for living, a fridge, a washing machine and even a balcony with the beauty of the mountains disclosing from it.
Sometimes the owner of the apartment requires a deposit for a rental month and the monthly payment of the bills, but still these are small amounts comparing with the cost of renting an apartment in other parts of Europe.
If all of this didn’t convince you that Bansko is the best destination to spend time in all seasons, please note that beside being the best ski resort in Bulgaria and the fastest developing ski resort in Europe, in Bansko is also located the longest water slide in Europe and one of the biggest and best golf courses, the oldest tree in Bulgaria that is about 1300 years old and numerous mineral water springs. Just enjoy.
For more information about long term accommodation in Bansko, please see the doc made by Matthias https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QYMIEpTz6u4Y7U9GAwqXdhL8TdUjONBV3N4gnpsah-Y/edit#heading=h.hu1fizrqx8zd
And here the personal experience of Pete Mac, who rented an apartment in Bansko https://medium.com/@petecodes/my-digital-nomad-apartment-in-europe-costs-175-a-month-43bc9fa53015
About the Author:
Nadejda is from Moldova and follows the European dream. She is extremely curious, sometimes to the point of taking risks in order to satisfy her curiosity, and likes changing perspectives. She is a mediator, frequently with no fixed ideas, always in the middle of something, trying to keep the balance.
