Greetings, you fellow drunkards! How was the hangover, eh? Welcome to the (not so little) ski town you probably didn't know existed. I'm talking about Bansko, which sits at the foot of the Pirin Mountains roughly 90 miles from the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, in the Pirin-Macedonian ethno-cultural region.
Huffington Post recently wrote about it, and in light of a recent comment of mine, where I was laying down details of some local food, music and dance traditions (many originating from that same region), I should probably mention that most of them are being practiced as we speak - the winter holidays are the most fruitful time in terms of experiencing traditional festivities, as people (especially in the countryside) are not so busy like in summer, so they spend most of their day and evening sitting around the table and thinking of fun ways to pass the time. If you know what I mean.
So if there's a perfect time to visit places like Bansko, it's right now. I recently did, and I enjoyed every single minute of it. Doubtless, this is the best time for Bansko. Especially since it's been named the best value destination for family ski trips, which is great since it's home to some major competitive ski races. A bonus: it has the longest ski season of all Bulgarian resorts, from mid-December to mid-May, which is quite a lot, considering its proximity to the Mediterranean.
( Some more about this stunning place )