Melnik
Melnik is the smallest town in Bulgaria. It is a proclaimed cultural-historical reserve and a museum-town. It combines nature and rocks flocked around the houses perching on hills, history, culture and wine.
Location, climate and natural resources
Melnik is located in the municipality of Sandanski. The famous SPA centre of Sandanski is located in the vicinity of the southern slopes of the Pirin Mountains, from which numerous mineral springs issue. Its beautiful parks and the remnants of the settlements from ancient times create the exceptionally pleasant atmosphere of the town having a world reputation of a climate resort due to its salubrious mineral waters and healthy climate healing successfully the bronchial asthma. Melnik is located in the southwestern part of Pirin. In the 17th and 18th c. tobacco manufacturing and the potent Melnik wine made the town a flourishing centre of trade.
Architecture
The Kordopulova, Pashova and Tsintsarova houses are impressive models of the local architecture. "St. Nikola Wonder Worker" Church (1756) is the most significant of the five churches of the national revival in the town. The town is famous for its sandy pyramids - enchanting natural sculptures of various shapes and outlines, resembling haycocks, Egyptian pyramids, gothic hills, minarets, ancient towers and turrets, giant obelisks and pyramids, soaring awls, monster mushrooms of a spectacular resemblance.
Historical landmarks
The Rozhen Monastery is located 6 km to the northeast from Melnik. It is the only monastery restored during the first centuries of the Ottoman rule, which has survived nowadays. It was built up in the 12th or 13th century by the ruler of Melnik Despot Slav. The Rozhen Monastery owes its glory mainly to the heavenly fretwork of the iconostasis and lectern.