I highly recommend a trip to this beautiful corner of Europe

My girlfriend and I booked a trip to Bulgaria and the Pirin mountains at the last minute for a late summer holiday. We like to try and get off the beaten track and this place came recommended by a friend.

We spent our first day in Sofia and had seen all the sights by lunch time. There was not a lot to see in the city, just a few crumbing communist monuments and historic buildings

We were staying in a chalet in Dobrinishte, a small town 4 hours south of Sofia. We took the bus to Bansko, the biggest town in the area where we were met and transported the short car ride to our chalet.

The chalet was in a beautiful position, in the shadow of the mountains overlooking most of the town. It was clean and well stocked with everything needed for a self-catering holiday. There was even a sauna though as it was August and 30 degrees outside we didn't use it.

The town itself was lovely, rustic and ramshackled with excellent restaurants serving traditional Bulgarian food. There was a modern spa resort and and old bathing house as well as a few bars and shops. Anything we couldn't get in Dobrinishte we could go over to get in Bansko.

Getting around was sometimes a problem and I would recommend hiring a car (which can be done in both Dobrinishte and Bansko). To really explore the mountains, a car is very useful as the local bus service and be a little hit and miss.

There's a good travel and excursion agency in Dobrinishte which can help you with exploring the place. The chalet host was also extremely helpful and friendly as were the Bulgarian people in general.

Overall, we spent a very relaxing and peaceful few days exploring the local scenery and Bulgarian culture. I would highly recommend it to anyone.