Picture a tiny town of cobblestone streets and 19th-century merchant houses. A backdrop of sand-colored pointy rock formations, some reaching 100 meters tall. Add a few taverns serving up freshly cooked Bulgarian food and market stalls laden with local wines and honey. That’s what you get when you travel to Melnik in Bulgaria, which is famous for being the country’s smallest town and the capital of its wine region.
It’s a must-visit if you enjoy wine. There is also a surprising amount to do beyond drinking. From hiking around Melnik to discovering abandoned houses and natural hot springs. Read on to find out what to do in Melnik and some tips to make the most of your trip.
Where is Melnik, Bulgaria?
Melnik is located in the South of Bulgaria, in the foothills of the Pirin mountains. It has a very unique landscape. On one side, you’ll find rolling hills covered in vineyards. On the other, there are limestone formations reminiscent of Cappadocia in Turkey. Water running through the soft rock causes strange sculptures to form in the rock as it erodes. Pyramids, obelisks, and mushrooms, some reaching 100 meters, dot the landscape. Beyond these strange shapes, you can see the distant snowy outlines of the Pirin range.
As it is situated just 30 kilometers from the border, Melnik has a distinctly Greek feel. The climate is warmer in this part of Bulgaria than in the mountains to the North. That’s one of the reasons it is a popular holiday spot for Bulgarian visitors, known for its picturesque town and fine wines.
What to do in Melnik, Bulgaria
Most people who visit Melnik do so for the wine. Yet when I went there, I was surprised by the many other things to do. From enjoying spa hotels to hiking through the hills, here are the things you should not miss when in Melnik.
Visit a Winery
The Melnik region has thousands of vineyards producing Bulgaria’s best wine. Most of them offer tours. These are a great way to learn about wine culture and production. And, of course, to sample some tasty beverages served with cheeses and cold cuts.
My favorite wineries to visit are:
- Villa Melnik, a family-run winery with spectacular views. Their orange wine is particularly delicious!
- Orbelus, a winery shaped like a giant barrel and serving organic wines.
- Zlaten Rozhen, for tasting award-winning wines surrounded by vines
Taste Some Homemade Wines
Some of the best wine I had in Melnik wasn’t from the fancy wineries, with their gold medals and French-made barrels. It was made by the Melnik locals and sold in plastic bottles on market stands in the cobbled streets.
Most will be happy to let you have a taste before you buy. You’ll find blueberry and other fruity variants alongside classic reds and whites.
These are best drunk on the spot rather than taken home. They don’t have preservatives or even corks to maintain their flavors!
If you climb through the streets of Melnik, you’ll find local restaurants with house wines and local cheeses and meats. These are another great place to sit and sip.
Admire the National Revival Era Mansions
Melnik town is small but beautiful, with loads of houses dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. This was known as the National Revival era in Bulgaria. After decades of Ottoman rule, Bulgarian writers and revolutionaries led a movement to promote the Bulgarian language and culture, reviving national identity. Walking around the streets of Melnik gives you a feel for this time of cultural awakening.
Some of the houses are open to visitors, such as Kordopulov house. It is beautifully decorated, and has the largest wine cellar in town. Wine tastings are free for visitors.
Climb up to the Viewpoint
Monastery Virgin Bogoroditsa Spileotisa is a simple church at the top of the hill, that offers lovely views over Melnik town. The trail up takes about twenty minutes through the forest. This is a great option for anyone who wants a shorter walk.
Go for a Hike Close to Melnik
From Melnik, trails run into the sandstone pyramids, and you can spend a wonderful afternoon exploring the hoodoos, as the strange rock formations are known.
An easy trail of around an hour and a half leads you to Rozhen monastery. You’ll follow the valley, then climb up onto cliffs with plunging views over the hills. The monastery itself is a well-preserved medieval building with a beautiful inner courtyard and an intricately painted church.
From there you can walk down to the village of Rozhen, which has a couple of great restaurants and feels a bit like Melnik’s secret twin, with a fraction of the visitors.
Hike from Bansko to Melnik
Keen hikers can walk all the way from the mountain town of Bansko to Melnik. This takes you across the entire Pirin Range from north to south. You’ll pass by snowy peaks and high-altitude lakes, then descend into mellow rolling hills and forest before entering the golden sandstone pyramids around Melnik.
I loved this hike, which I did with a bunch of friends over two days. We stayed the night at Pirin hut, a very atmospheric mountain refuge. We then stayed a second night in Melnik, so we could fully treat ourselves to some post-hike wine!
The trailhead begins at Vihren hut. You can reach it by getting a shuttle from Bansko bus station. The hike is 40.4 kilometers long, with an ascent of 1266 meters, and takes around 14 hours. For Pirin Hut, you’ll want to call and book ahead if you are a large group or traveling in the summer. The hut serves simple food.
Explore Abandoned Houses
Until 1913, Melnik was inhabited mainly by people of Greek ethnicity. At the end of the second Balkan war, the town was ceded to the Bulgarian state, and the Greek population was ordered across the border. This left the area with a large amount of abandoned houses. You can see many of them in the countryside around the town, and anyone who enjoys Urbex will love taking a peak inside.
Relax in a Spa
Many of Melnik’s hotels have spas included in the price, so you can soak in the jacuzzi and enjoy the sauna at the end of your day. Hotel Melnik has a particularly nice spa, with steam room, sauna, jacuzzi and cold plunge.
Soak in the Natural Hotsprings of Rupite
Around an hour’s drive from Melnik, the Rupite mineral springs are a great thing to do as a day trip or on your way to Melnik from Sofia. I find this place so beautiful and surreal.
A bright marble of green, copper, and yellows covers the ground as though it has been painted. A series of pools extend into the distance, masked by the thick steam emanating out of them. Some of the water is so hot it is bubbling.
Locals come to cover themselves in mud and lie for hours in the warm water to benefit from its healing properties.
Practical Information
Things you should know when you plan a trip to Melnik.
Where to stay in Melnik
My absolute favorite place to stay in Melnik is the family-run guesthouse Лумпарова къща. It is in an old house with views over the town and the cliffs. Breakfast is a delight, with homemade bread, cheeses and jams.
Hotel Melnik is also a great choice, as it is situated in the heart of town, and has a great spa, where you can spend hours away.
How to get to Melnik
Melnik is two hours drive from Sofia and about one hour from Blagoevgrad. If you are looking to rent a car in Bulgaria, Local Rent is an affordable and reliable choice.
By public transport, there is one daily bus to Melnik, leaving Sofia at 2pm. Alternatively, there are several daily buses from Sofia to Sandanski, where you can get a taxi or hitchhike to Melnik.
Melnik is easily accessible overland from Greece, Turkey, and central Europe. If you’re traveling with a campervan, you will find some great places to park in the surrounding hills.
When to visit Melnik
The best time to visit Melnik is during spring and autumn, when the weather is mild and the vineyards are glowing green. Summer can be scorching hot, so avoid July and August.
Valentine’s Day is a great time to visit. The 14th February is Saint Trifons Day – a celebration of the patron saint of wine. You can expect live music and dancing at the wineries and a busy town center.
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6 Best Day Trips From Bansko, Bulgaria
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