General Information

Melnik is the smallest town in Bulgaria – it has a population of 250 citizens. It is declared as a town-museum as a part of a cultural and historical reserve with international significance. It is located 20km from Sandanski, 95km from Blagoevgrad and 180km from Sofia.

Situated at the foot of Pirin mountain, Melnik impresses its visitors by its natural pyramids (Melnishki) and its ancient architecture dated from the Medieval and the Renaissance. There are churches, monasteries, amphitheatrically located houses. Melnik is also famous for its long tradition in wine-making based on old-time recipes.

Melnik and its vicinity offer a wide range of accommodation options including hotels, guest houses, apartments and villas. A number of new hotels and guest houses were built in the last few years making it possible for visitors to Melnik and the region to enjoy their holiday. A number of privately owned villas and apartments also became available for rent directly from the owners. Please make sure that you check our listings of rental guest houses, villas, apartments and hotels in Bansko.

 

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Sights

About 200 objects dated from the Medieval and the Renaissance are preserved and several of them are ruins. The ancient houses impress with their luxurious architecture and with their cellars, \ showing the Bulgarian practicality and beauty.

You can visit:

• ´Kordopulova kashta´ and its huge cellar built in 1754 by a rich tradesman. It´s the biggest preserved house in the Balkan Peninsula and has extraordinary wall-paintings, stained glasses and wood-carvings.
• ´Pashova kashta´ house was built in 1815 and is used for a museum now. Some of the oldest preserved bells dated from the time of despot Aleksi Slav are preserved there.
• ´Boliarska kashta´ is the oldest preserved house in Bulgaria dated from the Medieval;
• The ruins of:
• ´St. Nicola´ monastery (XII c.);
• Slav´s fortress (XIII – XIV c.), a feudal fortress of the Aleksii Slav despot (1207 - 1230) who was an independent ruler;
• The Roman bridge, the old Turkish bath, as well as the ruins of several of the 75 churches that used to exist in the area;
• ´St. Bogorodica Spileotisa´ monastery – located above the town of Melnik. The monastery was founded by despot Aleksii Slav (nephew of the tsars Asen, Peter and Kaloian). It has been awarded with a charter which gives it juridical status of "despot´s and tsar´s" monastery in 1220.
• ´St. Nikolai Chudotvorec´ church built in XIII c. It is the main operative church in Melnik with the status of a metropolitan´s church. It is declared as a cultural monument. Some of the most valuable works of art from Melnik and the surrounding villages are preserved here. There are icons preserved too.
• ´Rojenski manastir´ monastery is located 6km away of Melnik. It was built in 890 during the Medieval. It is a center of the Christianity and the arts;
• The grave of Iane Sandanski – located near Rojenski Manastir;
• ´Rupite´ – located 20km away. This is a protected area with thermal springs in a crater of an extinct volcano;
• The ´St. Petka´ church of the Bulgarian prophet Vanga. It is located in the ´Rupite´ area;
• The pyramids of Melnik – fantastic rock formations.

History

The name of Melnik comes from the Slav work ´mel´ which means white clay and middle. The town was located on ancient crossroads. The area is inhabited by the Thracian tribe ´Medi´ during IV – I c.b.c. The Roman leader of the slaves Spartak descends from this tribe.

A big improvement of the town began under the control of despot Aleksii Slav (XIII c.), who was a descendent of the Bulgarian tsar dynasty. He made Melnik a wonderful city and an impregnable fortress – a capital of his principality. He built numerous churches and monasteries and helped the improvement of arts – he built the famous and original iconography school including graphite-ceramics. He has also improved the crafts and the trades, as well as the cotton and tobacco production.

Melnik is also world famous for its wines made from special sorts of grapes.

 

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Entertainment

You can Enjoy

• A walk and see the exciting old houses;
• A walk on the tourist´s alley, which will lead you to the pyramids of Melnik – natural sculptures which take various shapes: a form of a haystack, forms of ´Egyptian´ pyramids, Gothic hills, minarets, ancient towers, swords, and colossal mushrooms.
• An original wine-cellar dated from XII-XIII c. It contains a museum collection and reproduces the traditional technologies of the viticulture and the wine production in the region of Melnik;
• Wine tasting and traditional local cuisine;
• Ordinary plenaries which many artists come to;
• Trips to the cities of Sandanski, Petrich and Blagoevgrad.

 

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Sports

Sports enthusiasts can visit the town of Sandanski and use the local town´s and hotels´ sports grounds as well as to participate in offered sports events.