Bansko

Bansko needs 3 days: skiing the slopes of Mount Pirin, with over 75 km of runs, over two days, and touring the 19th-century stone-house old town on the third. December-March is best for skiing; June-September for trekking in Pirin National Park. It's among Europe's most affordable ski resorts. It became the continent's best value-for-money ski destination in the 2000s, with modern lifts funded by European investment after the fall of communism, drawing British and Scandinavian tourists seeking a cheap alternative to the Alps.