According to Lonely Planet, Melnik, with its population of 280, is Bulgaria’s smallest town. Personally, I’d regard it is a village, but that’s semantics.
We’d overnighted in nearby Rozhen, and according to our self-guided itinerary, were due to hike the 6km trail between Rozhen and Melnik through the famous sand pyramids. However, as it was raining and we didn’t fancy spending three hours getting wet, a taxi dropped us at Melnik Town Hall. Thinking most of our time would be hiking, we’d not done much homework and searched unsuccessfully for a coffee shop where we could read our guide book.
We walked in both directions along the main road, and eventually came across an impressive bronze figure in a rebel uniform mounted on a stone pedestal. We later discovered this was Yane Sandanski, a Macedonian freedom fighter whose grave we had seen the previous day outside the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius near Rozhen Monastery.
We then realised we needed to turn and walk along the Melnishka river which had several wooden bridges allowing easy access to both sides.
Although we’d not walked through the Melnik Sand Pyramids, they surrounded the town. The sand formations, created by erosion, wind and water, have different forms and shapes said to resemble rock mushrooms, minarets, swords, pyramids and cones.
According to Wikipedia, the town is an ‘architectural reserve’ with 96 of its buildings being cultural monuments, whatever that means. However, there were indeed some beautiful houses with a unique type of stone wall for the ground floor, and a larger wooden upper structure in black and white. Unfortunately by now it was raining more heavily, and we had to peek out from the hoods of our rain ponchos.
Melnik is also renown not just locally, but worldwide, for its thriving wine industry and having seen signs for the Museum of Wine, it appeared to be an ideal way to spend a wet hour. Unfortunately despite the outside lights being on, and a sign indicating it should be open, it was unfortunately closed.
We continued walking and passed the closed Church St. Yoan Predtecha but decided against climbing to explore what appeared to be a section of old wall, as it was steep, with wet slippery cobbles.
A sign indicated a Historical Museum down a side street, which we suspected would also be closed and so we decided to have a drink, but again many places were shut. Eventually, we found a delightful small bar and whilst we probably should have had a glass of wine, we enjoyed a couple of beers before being picked up again.
Regardless of its status as a village or town, it’s not a great place to be when it’s raining and out of season. However, in the summer, it might be a completely different story.