Melnik

Melnik and Rozhen Monastery

Melnik is the smallest town in Bulgaria, housing only a few hundred people, but it is one of the most beautiful. It turns out that the title of “town” in Bulgaria is given to places of historical importance, regardless of the number of inhabitants. Thus, we find towns with only a few hundred people and villages with thousands.

Melnik lies in the heart of Bulgaria’s warmest and sunniest valley, an area of Cappadocia-style sand hills at the foot of the Pirin Mountains. Between the hills are a few streets lined with houses from the Revival period and a relatively large number of wineries. The Melnik region is the best in Bulgaria for growing wine grapes, and Melnik’s wine is known for its quality.

In the 13th century, Melnik was the capital of a small local kingdom ruled by a Bulgarian nobleman, Despot Alexius Slav. He built an impressive citadel there and donated funds for the construction and glorification of the Rozhen Monastery near the town, which is one of the most beautiful and important in Bulgaria.

The monastery is one of the few in Bulgaria whose main parts have been preserved intact since the Middle Ages. However, the central church was built in the 16th century and painted in the 17th century. The monastery was burned down and renovated in the 19th century and today houses about twenty monks who are happy to receive guests. There is a beautiful walking route that runs between the picturesque sand hills from the monastery and the village next to it to the town of Melnik.