Charm and romance and other things to do in destination Bulgaria
Destination Bulgaria – Melnik – beauty, emotions, antiquity! A quiet place, a mountain, rich history, coziness, stunning scenery, rich wine… This is what the thousands-year-old Melnik offers, and may be more. Well, this is a romantic and full of charm place in destination Bulgaria. The smallest town in Bulgaria, Melnik, is 130 km away from the capital of Bulgaria – Sofia, in the south-western slopes of the southern part of Pirin. (Sofia tours guide) It attracts with its ancient history, monasteries, natural landscapes… And its wine, of course, for which the locals claim that even Sir Winston Churchill had tried it and estimated its merits appropriately;-) If you wonder what the things to do in Bulgaria are, remember this small town and its wine. Get your family or friends, travel to Bulgaria, Melnik and then indulge in a glass or two of wine. Once a very lively place and an important trading centre, today this romantic place comprises of around 230 people and that makes it the smallest town in Bulgaria. That doesn’t make it less interesting, though. It even adds to the charm and magic of the place.
The Sand Pyramids – another reason to enjoy a Destination Bulgaria
Supposedly, the name of Melnik comes from the Slavonic word ‘Mel’, which means white clay. The first inhabitants of the place were the Thracians. Then, a few centuries later, came the Romans (a Roman bridge can still be seen today). And after them came the Slavs and they gave the name ‘Melnik’ to the place because of the peculiar, natural Sand Pyramids.
Today Melnik and the Pyramids are among the favourite places to visit in Bulgaria and preferred destination Bulgaria. The Sand Pyramids – they are rock formations scattered over an area of 50 square kilometres. More than 4-5 million years ago, at the place where the today Pyramids are, there was a big flat lake. On the bottom of the lake, time had deposited clay and sandy materials.
Melnik Pyramids
For thousands of years different processes took place, the result of which are the Melnik Pyramids – one of the most interesting natural attractions in Bulgaria. These fantastically sculpted rocks have assumed the most varied shapes and details, resembling stone mushrooms, haystacks, minarets, alpine ridges and peaks, swords, obelisks, Egyptian pyramids, and so forth. The Melnik Pyramids became a natural landmark in 1960. Not only that but these same Pyramids that surround Melnik from all its sides, hold the wine cellars where the wine – this famous elixir stayed to ripen and mature. Choose your Bulgaria vacation among different destinations Bulgaria. Choose Melnik and you can enjoy the wine there together with many other things. History and architecture are another part of the picturesque Melnik. An important part that makes the place, together with the nearby Rozhen monastery (only 7 km away from Melnik), a natural and historical reserve. In the beginning of XIII c., Melnik became the capital of the Independent Feudal Kingdom of despot Alexius Slav, the ruins of whose fortress can still be seen today in the town. During his reign, Melnik reached glamorousness.
Many churches and monasteries
People built many churches and monasteries. In one of the churches of that time – ‘St. Nicholas’, people found the oldest bells on the Balkan Peninsula from the beginning of the XIII c. These two bells today are in the National Historical Museum in Sofia. Another monastery, first ‘The Mother of God Spileotissa’ and later, after the XVII c., ‘St. Zona’ is related to motherhood. Today a small chapel can be seen in the yard of the big monastery and it is active. The symbol is the red thread which the women from Melnik carry with them and which they, after being sanctified, gave away for health and obtaining a baby. Among other things to do in Bulgaria and destination Bulgaria is a monastery of olden days and an interesting one – ‘St. Antonius the Great’. What makes it interesting and mystic is a column with a chain. What people used the place and Melnik in particular, for was to tame the ones who were raving mad. There is the icon of the saint Antonius. It is a mysterious one because of the different expressions the saint shows to the visitors. Once, the saint from the icon looked at a woman so angrily and it even didn’t let her get closer. The sexton had to pray to calm the saint down.
Destination Bulgaria – ‘You are welcome in the house of the Kordopulovs’ – treat yourselves with a travel to Bulgaria and a glass of wine rich in taste
During the Renaissance – end of XIV and beginning of XIX century, everybody knows Melnik with the good wine it produced. Whole Europe knows the wine and enjoys its taste. Merchants were selling wine and in return were getting fabrics, food, and weapon. The biggest and most known family for wine producing were the Kordopulovs. They were making wine and trading with it. Their house is still preserved and it can be seen today. There is an exhibition inside of the house arranged as a cellar in the form of a tunnel dug in the rock with huge vats for storing Melnik wine, which visitors can taste if they want.
Kordopulov’s house
Kordopulov’s house was built in 1758. The curious fact about the house is that people suppose it is the biggest residential building on the Balkan Peninsula from the Revival Period. Its architecture is impressive. The pearl of the house is the reception room having twenty four windows with Venetian stained glass facing the four directions of the world and bringing the message ‘You are welcome in the house of the Kordopulovs’. What you will also see there is fine wood carvings and drawn ornaments on cupboards and ceilings. Another notable thing about the Kordopulov’s house is the enormous wine – cellar. At present the house is a private museum. Check destination Bulgaria, travel to Bulgaria, enjoy the view, the wine and other things to do in Bulgaria, Melnik. Today people in Melnik still make their living by growing vineyards and producing wine. That locally made wine, which has an ancient foresty taste is found only in the towns and villages here. The sun, the warmth, the sandstone, combined with very little rain and, of course, the sort of grapes that grow in Melnik only and the region, make the land ideal for the late ripening grapes that grow in the vineyards here. What made the Melnik wine so successful? All the things mentioned above and, of course, like local people say, its intoxicating bliss. Or maybe you come and find out for yourselves. Nearby Melnik is the biggest monastery in the Pirin region – the Rozhen monastery. It is one of the destination Bulgaria attractive for tourists and Bulgarians as well. It was built in 1890. Fine fescoes, amazing wood carvings. Each step you take on the path to the Rozhen Monastery offers a new breath-taking view, created by master Nature and her paintbrush, the Wind/Erosion.
Smallest town in Bulgaria
Melnik – the smallest town in Bulgaria. A town famous for the impressive Sand Pyramids and the wine produced in the region (only two of the things to do in Bulgaria). Scenery that leaves you breath-taken. You visit Bulgaria and Melnik once and you like to go back there again and again. You feel like you are drunk after visiting this lovely place. Drunk with the wine, which even Churchill tasted? Or maybe drunk with the beauty, emotions and antiquity that Melnik offers… Whole Bulgaria, each destination Bulgaria brings not only beauty, mystery, nature but good memories as well… Contact us and we can arrange your tour to Bulgaria
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Rila Lakes
Very good!!
Is Melnik really like in the picture? Wow, it looks great and the writing is very interesting. I haven’t been there but I heard about the wine. I know they make really good wine. Must try it;-)
Yes, Melnik really is charm and romance. I went there once and now like to go back but this time with my family. I want they to see and feel the peace there. Whole Bulgaria is charming country and I think to have private tour Bulgaria is more better.
I only been twice in Bulgaria but I think it has many places like melnik. And the wine is really good;-)
that is exactly what I am looking for – a small and quiet place. Must visit it soon.
I went once to Melnik. In fact, I was there only a couple of hours but I think it’s worth to be visited for longer.
Hello from me:-) I am a keen traveller but still haven’t been to Bulgaria. that article about Melnik got my attraction. Looks like an interesting place.