A museumlike town in a rugged mountain region, Melnik is Bulgaria's smallest town and out of the way for most visitors but worth the effort to see. It is 118 mi/190 km south of Sofia, near the border with Greece. The beautiful historic village has a spectacular backdrop of pyramid-shaped, bare, rocky mountains.
Nearly 100 buildings have been preserved there as cultural monuments, some of which feature museums. A must-see is the Wine Museum located in the Kordopulov house, which features a wine cellar set in underground tunnels and an ornate interior including stained-glass and murals.
Nearby are unusual earthen "pyramids" (shaped more like mushrooms) of windblasted sandstone, some of which hover over the town. Melnik is also famous for its fine red wines. Close by are the Rozhen Monastery (4 mi/6 km from Melnik) and a health spa and hot springs at the pretty mountain town of Sandanski, 22 mi/35 km north.
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