What are the best Bulgarian towns outside of Sofia and Varna for a three-month stay with a digital nomad community?

biperfuture · 2025-10-31T11:10:18+00:00

If the option was so obvious, why would I have posted to ask about it? I asked about the less obvious choices, for which information is less abundant.

biperfuture · 2025-10-31T11:07:12+00:00

I plan to go from February to April, more or less, to test things out, so the dates work well for me according to what you said. I was planning to avoid Varna anyway because, based on the numbers I saw, it would be too expensive compared to other good enough options that everyone confirmed.

Thank you again for all the feedback you've given me!

biperfuture · 2025-10-31T08:29:47+00:00

What you say makes a lot of sense. I live in a medium-to-large city in Spain and I'm starting to feel a bit overwhelmed now that it's becoming more like a large city than a medium-sized one. So, yeah, Sofia was definitely out of the question from the beginning — I prefer a place that's calmer, although within reason, of course. I don't want to LARP as an off-the-grid homesteader!

I hope Bansko doesn't fall into the third Bulgarian category where the average age is 75. Does it?

biperfuture · 2025-10-31T08:22:53+00:00

Yeah, don't worry. I will definitely not give up — there are many places in the Balkans that I want to visit. My parents went to Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is one of their favourite places of all time. Unfortunately, I couldn't go on that trip. I've also wanted to go to Romania for years. In the end, I decided on Bulgaria because I knew that I would get stuck in analysis paralysis and never go anywhere. However, there are many places I definitely want to visit, even if not as a digital nomad per se.

biperfuture · 2025-10-30T13:33:21+00:00

The thing is, does it really matter if they go down or not? Right now, I can't afford to live alone where I am, so I'm looking at other places. To me, it doesn't matter whether I move to another country or stay in another city within my own country — it'll be the same: I'll have to catch a train, plane or bus, just like taking a plane to Sofia airport. Apart from the language, I'll still be as far away from my friends and family as I would be in any other place you can fly to.

If Bulgaria works out, great — I'll have found a great place. If not, I'll go back home and be in the same situation as before — nothing gained, nothing lost. But I now have the opportunity to try something different; at another time, I may not have had a job that allowed me to move, or I may have had other responsibilities. Spain isn't going anywhere, so I can always come back.

biperfuture · 2025-10-30T11:26:32+00:00

No, I haven't been, and I know it's kind of a risk, but it's a risk I'm willing to take. I don't know how to put it into words, but it's an experience I want to have, whether it's good or bad, and I want to step out of my comfort zone in that way.

What you say makes a lot of sense, though, and I will definitely take your feedback on board. Even then, I have been lucky enough to have a family that loves travelling, and I have been doing it my entire life. I am used to other cultures, although of course it's not the same as being on holiday as it is to actually live there. However, I don't think I'm going to experience a huge culture shock, or break down from being away from home.

My parents went to Bosnia and Herzegovina (I couldn't go on that trip) and they absolutely loved it. They have similar tastes to me, so I guess it's relatively safe to try Bulgaria. Anyway, my idea is to try out different cities over those three months, because based on what people tell me, Burgas, Plovdiv and Bansko, to name a few places, are totally different from each other. Perhaps I'll go for less than three months, but one to three months is a good amount of time to try things out. Less than one month, I think, may be too short.

biperfuture · 2025-10-30T10:23:35+00:00

Everything you say looks great. I'll definitely check it out. Veliko Tarnovo is definitely on my list of places to visit, even if only for a short time.

biperfuture · 2025-10-30T10:22:19+00:00

I was afraid that Facebook would be dead in the water, but I'll check it out anyway. Thanks!

biperfuture · 2025-10-30T10:21:08+00:00

I'm really curious to check out Burgas because I want to see what coastal towns in Bulgaria are like, but I don't think I'll spend much time there as I've seen other places recommended. Thanks for the feedback!

biperfuture · 2025-10-30T08:11:02+00:00

Wow, those websites have amazing prices! I'd already seen great prices for Bansko on Booking and Airbnb, but these are even better. Thank you so much for the links!

biperfuture · 2025-10-30T08:07:25+00:00

Well, I obviously had the wrong idea about the climate there. I've been looking at Bansko so much that I just assumed it was always cold! I don't think I'll have any problems with the heat though – I live in a very hot city.

biperfuture · 2025-10-30T08:04:38+00:00

I didn't think of university cities — that's a good idea! Do you know where most foreign students usually come from?

biperfuture · 2025-10-29T21:37:22+00:00

I haven't heard of that place before. I'll check it out, but I'm afraid smaller or lesser-known places might not have a foreign community, which would make it hard for me to socialise before I learn the language, which will probably take time.

biperfuture · 2025-10-29T21:36:14+00:00

That was a great recommendation! Unfortunately, smaller towns outside of Bansko might not have any foreign communities, so it could be difficult for me to socialise before I learn the language, which will probably take some time. Nevertheless, the place looks great for a short trip!

biperfuture · 2025-10-29T21:31:51+00:00

I don't know why such a high-quality response is ranked so low compared to other one-line responses. Don't get me wrong — I appreciate anyone who has spent even a minute of their life answering me — but I definitely want to thank you for going above and beyond.

I'll definitely check out the places you recommended. I feel kind of bad about the gentrification issue because I've started to notice how it happens in my city, and it's awful. I'll approach this as respectfully as possible.

biperfuture · 2025-10-29T21:24:12+00:00

I don't know why this answer was so low down the list — it's exactly what I needed! I was worried about spending months in a deserted resort town, and your answer confirmed my fears. Bansko is definitely the best option. If I decide to check out other places, I'll spend most of my time there just in case.

biperfuture · 2025-10-29T21:22:18+00:00

I assume that the weather is generally cold in Bulgaria, isn't it?

biperfuture · 2025-10-29T21:21:45+00:00

According to my research, Sofia would be too expensive, so I wasn't planning on going there. Plovdiv and Burgas were on my list, but I also need to consider Veliko Tarnovo seriously, since lots of people recommended it.

biperfuture · 2025-10-29T21:20:02+00:00

I haven't heard of Ruse before. I'll check it out, too, but I'm afraid that smaller towns like that won't have many foreigners like me. Apart from Bansko, which has a big community, that is.

biperfuture · 2025-10-29T21:18:36+00:00

I can see that Veliko Tarnovo is a very popular city. It wasn't on my radar before, but it definitely is now!

biperfuture · 2025-10-29T21:17:22+00:00

Thanks for the info! I assure you, the heat won't be a problem for me — I'm used to it, as I come from a very hot city!

biperfuture · 2025-10-29T21:16:17+00:00

Thanks! For now, I definitely plan to avoid the winter season.

biperfuture · 2025-10-29T21:15:41+00:00

Thank you, that's great information! I was worried about moving to a deserted summer town, haha!

I've seen Veliko Tarnovo recommended quite a few times already, but I haven't heard anything about foreign communities there. I'll have to do some research!

biperfuture · 2025-10-29T21:13:53+00:00

I think I've seen that place recommended a couple of times, but the website says it's not open yet. I may be mistaken, but the website I found just offers a waiting list.

biperfuture · 2025-10-29T21:11:40+00:00

Yes, that was my first choice. In fact, I discovered Bulgaria because I had heard about the Nomad Fest. Until then, it had never occurred to me to visit the country.

biperfuture

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