The Balkans.....Skiing for an amazing price and a NYE Gala for the whole family

There are some locations that we have traveled to that we would return to in a heartbeat. We stumbled upon a resort in Bansko, Bulgaria called Pirin River Ski, Fun, and Family when we were looking for a ski resort to spend New years vacation.  This particular resort was much more affordable in comparison to the resorts in the Alps.   Reserving in advance gave an added discount and the possibility of free meals included.   One of the owners of the resort, Katarina, has such an amazing personality that I couldn't wait to meet her for our trip. She emailed me to nail down every detail of our trip to make sure we didn't have to worry about anything after we arrived. We had such a great experience at Pirin River that we returned the following year and brought even more friends! 

To get to Bansko, the first year, we flew into and out of Thessaloniki, Greece. The second year, we flew into and out of Sofia, Bulgaria.  The hotel shuttle picked us up and brought us to and from the resort for a very reasonable price.  It was a 2-3 hour drive from either location, but the ride from Thessaloniki involved a border crossing into Bulgaria that took up some extra time.

Bansko, Bulgaria
Bansko is an adorable ski town with a ski lodge charm. There are numerous restaurants, shops, bars, and clubs all geared towards ski life.  Bulgarian fare includes a lot of delicious meat platters and that seems to be the restaurant focus in town.  The ski resort itself is a decent size.  I truly think it's perfect for families that like to ski for fun or are looking to learn to ski, due to the great prices for the lessons and rentals.  The rentals were not of the highest quality, but served the purposes for our family.  Some details of the perks of the resort are below.  

***Insider tip: Please keep in mind that late December/Early January is early in the ski season for most resorts. We had a good amount of fresh powder the first year at the resort and a lot of fake snow the second year.

Pirin River Ski, Fun, and Family

• Ski and Snowboard rentals on site
• Front of the line VIP privileges at the main ski lift - saving hours of time
• Lessons for skiing and snowboarding
• Apartment accommodations
• Kids club
• Free Bulgarian Wine tasting
• A full service bar with a signature Apres ski cocktail
• On site restaurant buffet
• NYE Gala with dinner, unlimited drinking, live music, Santa, and traditional, local New Years celebration
  
  
  

Bansko, Bulgaria

Mountain Top Hotties

Ready for lessons in Bansko

Cool Dude

Thessaloniki, Greece
​The history of Thessaloniki is vast and interesting.  It was once part of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine empire, and the Ottoman Empire.  Ancient ruins, marble tile, beautiful sculptures, and delicious food. It was very grand in parts, but also had a lot of graffiti, there was some garbage in the streets, but if you're able to look past that you'll enjoy it, truly. We felt that it was very reminiscent of Naples and Rome.  The food was SO flavorful, but different than the greek food I’ve eaten in America.! We ordered a Gyro and it came open faced and our greek salad was chunky with no lettuce and was delicious.   The food is obviously very different from American Greek.

We stayed at Colors and Rooms Apartments with our Chase Sapphire points. It was a great location, walkable to everything, and had a balcony. We felt safe. We ate breakfast at nearby cafes, since breakfast was an extra charge. I looked up the link for this property to share, but it is permanently closed. I can recommend that area, even if the property is no longer available! 

We walked the city and saw the white tower, Aristotelous Square, the Hagia Sophia, the Rotunda, the Roman Agora, and toured inside of the Archeological Museum of Thessaloniki.  We only spent 2 days, but it was perfect. It happened to be snowing a lot, which made the marble in the city very slippery, but our boys had a blast with having snowball fights with each other and local kids. 

I highly recommend Palati as a dinner location. The food was freshly made and delicious. Everyone was clapping and singing along to the live Greek music.  It was heart warming. We try to always make reservations in advance when we travel and I recommend doing so for this restaurant. It's a true greek experience and not a large restaurant.

The Hagia Sophia

The Roman Agora

Greek Salad

The Streets of Thessaloniki

A Greek Gyro

Snowball Fight!

Sofia, Bulgaria
When we went to Sofia, our family took turns with a stomach bug. We only spent a few hours walking the city, but it was a charming city. We walked through the central market and ate lunch at one of the food stalls. We didn't have the best lodging experience in Sofia, but sharing this may prepare other tourists for what to expect out of lodging in Sofia. We stayed at Hotel Anel.  It's a self-proclaimed 5 star resort, but our experience was 3 star. People smoke inside the hotel, the birthday order of Prosecco and appetizers I ordered for my husband was not what I ordered, and the hotel itself was just average.  I ordered a platter of local cheeses and nuts, drizzled with honey and a bottle of Cuvee Italian Prosecco....we received a bowl with a few fruits, not even chopped, and a bottle of cheap champagne.  They amended their mistake quickly though, after I called.  The prices in the Balkans though can't be beat, so keep this in mind when traveling to the area.  It was only €120 total, for 2 nights, and included breakfast, and this was at their '5 star resort.' We didn't get to partake in the spa. 

We met up with our friends on the last day and ate at a delicious local restaurant called Moma Bulgarian Food and Wine. We ordered a 3 course lunch for 4 full of Bulgarian specialties and it fed both of of our families!  So, for 4 adults and 4 children, we ordered only a meal for 4 people (the value was converted to about $80 total for the food). We even had leftovers! It was delicious and really fun to experience the specialties with our friends and some local wine.

Local Pastries

Dinner Out with the Fam

The Central Market, inside

The Central Market, outside

Serdica, Roman Ruins & St. George Rotunda Church

Keep in mind if you plan a trip like this, that every experience is different. When traveling, it's  best to go with the flow of whatever culture and place you're visiting. Even though we ended up with a stomach bug making rounds during our time in Sofia and the places we visited weren't perfect, we still found a charm and enjoyed our experiences. 

Next Blog Post: Slovenia - Ljubjana, skiing in Kranjska Gora, Lake Bled, Predjama Castle, and the Postojna Cave. An adventure full of Wonder.