Bulgaria

Traveling to Bulgaria in winter was a risk – it could have been miserable and cold or a winter wonderland. And it turned out to be somewhere in between. But with the bargain skiing, heartening food and surprisingly delicious wine, the weather was the last thing on our mind. We explored Bulgaria for about a week in February and found a mix of cold rain, light snow, and blue skies – but also low-season prices (in a country that’s already a bargain), low tourism crowds (outside of Bansko), and an unexpected number of castles, ruins and sights to explore.