Only 1.5 hours away, a day trip to Melnik is one of the easily doable excursions available if you are staying in Bansko. With eye catching architecture, Melnik's main attractions are to the wineries and nearby Rozhen Monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God, a well preserved medieval Bulgarian monastery. We set off in the early morning and our driver woke us when we got to Melnik and the environs. He first took us to the monastery first which is a few kilometers outside of Melnik.
This was a bit of an opportunity lost and I should have investigated the area first and arranged a pick up time at the end of the day rather than be on the driver's timetable. Once we were in Melnik we were driven in and allowed to walk the short but scenic route to Kordopulov House. After that it would have been nice to have been given time to just wander the narrow streets of this beautiful town. In fact there are walking trails in the area which if you staying in Melnik for a day or two would be great to follow.
The earliest archaeological evidence of life at the Rozhen Monastery is a grave with a few coins from the time of Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos (1259–1282). Other remains date as far back as the 13th or 14th century. A number of frescos are well preserved despite devastation by fire in the years between 1662 and 1674. Major reconstruction finished in 1732. The paintings we see today date as far back as 1597 and the frescos in the photos date to then and 1611.
Kordopulov House was built in 1754 for the business of wine production and consists of a wine cellar as well as floors for habitation. Kordopulov House is now a museum decked out in traditional Bulgarian style.
After you've experienced my delights or horrors of Bulgaria, see what the destinations below may have in store for you.
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