Coworking Bansko is a Haven for Digital Nomads

Matthias Zeitler is the co-founder of Coworking Bansko, one of the most recognized destinations for digital nomads in Europe. He chose the mountain town of Bansko, one of the main ski resorts in Bulgaria.

Today, Coworking Bansko has around 100 members from all over the world. Most of them work in the digital space and include writers, translators, graphic designers, and software developers.

In this slogging thread, our community discusses Zeitler's initiative and nomadic working.

This Slogging thread by Mónica Freitas, Sara Pinto, Limarc Ambalina and Jack Boreham occurred in slogging's official #random channel, and has been edited for readability.

Mónica FreitasFeb 9, 2022, 3:09 PM

A haven for digital nomads?
https://www.euronews.com/culture/2022/01/26/ml-06-bulgaria-bansko-coworking-web-en

Mónica FreitasFeb 9, 2022, 3:09 PM

"Matthias Zeitler is the co-founder of Coworking Bansko, one of the most recognised destinations for digital nomads in Europe. This German entrepreneur, a digital nomad himself, created the haven for foreigners five years ago."

Mónica FreitasFeb 9, 2022, 3:10 PM

"He chose the small mountain town of Bansko, one of the main ski resorts in Bulgaria. "I decided that Bulgaria is actually a very interesting location because there's a low cost of living," Matthias said. "There's low taxation. It's in Europe, so you don't have any issues with visas and it has amazing nature. I found Bansko, here in the Pirin Mountain range. As I love the mountains, for me, it was a natural choice to come here."

Mónica FreitasFeb 9, 2022, 3:10 PM

"Today, coworking Bansko has around 100 members from all over the world. Most of them work in the digital space and include writers, translators, graphic designers and software developers. What makes this place magical, according to Matthias, is its community."

Mónica FreitasFeb 9, 2022, 3:11 PM

This is such a great thing for people working remotely who want to travel simultaneously. And I love that this initiative comes from someone who has experienced this first hand.

Mónica FreitasFeb 9, 2022, 3:13 PM

What do you think of this? Do you know any other places like this, specially built for digital nomads?

Sara PintoFeb 10, 2022, 10:50 AM

Oh, wow! I've never heard of something like this. The concept is interesting. I see why this would work. We're all trying to make the most of our time, so to have a place where you could work while traveling is very convenient. In the article, they say they profit a lot from working with different people at the same time. The environment must be amazing! Would you like to try this haven?

Mónica FreitasFeb 10, 2022, 11:33 AM

Sara Pinto, though I'm not a snowy escapades type of person, I'd love to check this place out only for the ambiance. You could live in a place full of people that share the same way of life, from different areas of expertise and from all around the world. It must be such an interesting environment.

Mónica FreitasFeb 10, 2022, 11:34 AM

Sara Pinto, would you ever go full digital nomad?

Sara PintoFeb 11, 2022, 10:37 AM

Mónica Freitas, me too. This got me very curious. I've never explored the nomad lifestyle, but to know you have such space, it must make a difference in the quality of travel.

Sara PintoFeb 11, 2022, 10:39 AM

Mónica Freitas, I'm not sure haha. Maybe not full-on mode. I think I would like to try it for a few months, but I enjoy having my own space, and I don't think I would have it with all the traveling. What about you?

Mónica FreitasFeb 14, 2022, 2:37 PM

Sara Pinto, I wonder how cost-friendly this space is compared to other hostels or hotels.

Mónica FreitasFeb 14, 2022, 2:38 PM

Sara Pinto, I'm definitely intrigued by this lifestyle. I suspect it may be a bit tiring after a while if you're constantly traveling, but it must be a great adventure. I'd love to try it for a year.

Limarc AmbalinaFeb 15, 2022, 6:04 AM

I don't know any myself, but I'm guessing some of the best places to be would be lower cost of living areas. Since we're working fully remotely, I always thought about moving to Vietnam or Thailand. Imagine how much money you could save!

Limarc AmbalinaFeb 15, 2022, 6:05 AM

Once Covid dies down I imagine coworking spaces could make a come back and become hugely popular.

Jack BorehamFeb 15, 2022, 9:53 AM

Mónica Freitas, I've actually been thinking about this a lot. All my jobs are fully remote, so it would be amazing to travel and work. The only thing that is holding me back is rent! I generally think this is a feasible lifestyle for me.

Mónica FreitasFeb 15, 2022, 10:58 AM

Limarc Ambalina, for sure! Vietnam is so cheap in comparison, and you could make a great living out of a small amount of income per month.

Mónica FreitasFeb 15, 2022, 10:59 AM

Limarc Ambalina, I'll have to try it out. I know Madeira (Portugal) is big on digital nomads too but I'd love to try this outside of my country.

Mónica FreitasFeb 15, 2022, 11:03 AM

Jack Boreham, same! But I think if you mix cheaper locations with more expensive ones, you'll be able to balance it out. For example, suppose you want to live in Amsterdam for a month. If you then go for some smaller city, you can easily manage your finances (save one month to spend more on the next). But mostly, I think it's just a matter of actually going and trying. If it ends up working for you, great. If not, you can always go back home.

Sara PintoFeb 15, 2022, 12:08 PM

Mónica Freitas, I didn't even think of the cost. Do you think it's more accessible than Airbnb's and so on?

Mónica FreitasFeb 15, 2022, 2:14 PM

Sara Pinto, I guess it depends on the location and whether you're going solo or not. I've seen Airbnb's for 500€/month (which is cheap for big cities like Rome) but I've seen them way more expensive than that - like above 1000€/month.

Mónica FreitasFeb 15, 2022, 2:16 PM

So sometimes, hostels are more budget-friendly.

Mónica FreitasFeb 15, 2022, 2:17 PM

But out of curiosity, I checked the prices for Coworking Bansko, and they're really reasonable.

Sara PintoFeb 16, 2022, 10:19 AM

Mónica Freitas, oh, wow, quite reasonable indeed! I actually thought it was gonna be a little overpriced, but it makes a lot of sense what they are asking, having in mind what's at the disposal of the nomads.

Mónica FreitasFeb 16, 2022, 11:03 AM

Sara Pinto, I've seen Airbnb and hostels far more expensive! This is actually amazing! I'm not a fan of snowy mountain landscapes, but maybe I'll book a room there someday. They even have "communal" dogs 😍

Sara PintoFeb 16, 2022, 10:52 PM

Mónica Freitas, you could have mentioned the dogs earlier. You would have sold me this haven much faster haha. This haven must be quite the experience.

Mónica FreitasFeb 17, 2022, 10:09 AM

Sara Pinto, I can do you one better. I can share the dog's photo!

Mónica FreitasFeb 17, 2022, 10:11 AM

Sara Pinto, I think the guests end up forming a community there which must make things easier. And being able to share experiences in new locations with such a community, can only improve their experience.