About Bulgaria - Melnik

Picturesque Melnik

Melnik is the smallest town in Bulgaria with just 230 residents. It lies in the south-western slopes of the Pirin mountain and is 180 km to the south of Sofia and 23 km from Sandanski. The town, together with the neighbouring Rozhen monastery is declared a cultural and historic reserve.

It has a favourable climate, reputedly good the treatment of chronic pulmonary, kidney and rheumatic disorders. It is steeped in history and culture, and is also one of the major wine producing areas of the country. This had lead to numerous excavations into the rock as ideal storage areas for the wine.

The location of the town is stunningly beautiful, being set amongst sand-like rocks, which have been eroded into sometimes bizarre shapes including obelisks, pyramids, towers and mushrooms.

Apart from the unique natural surroundings, the town also boasts impressive architecture, which straddles cobbled street. Most of the old houses were built during the Bulgarian Renaissance, a testament to the grandeur and richness of more affluent times when the town had 25,000 inhabitants, around 1300 houses and more than 70 churches.

Amongst these buildings is the famous Kordopoulov's House with its impressive wall paintings and huge private cellar and the Boyar House, which is the oldest house in Bulgaria.

The ruins of the St Nicholas monastery (12th century), Slav's fortress (13-14th century), the Roman bridge and the old Turkish bath are other places of interest. 7km away from the town, up in the Pirin mountain, is one of the largest and most beautiful monasteries in Bulgaria - the Rozhen monastery.