Sand cliffs
Above town.
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Melnik is a tiny town in a narrow valley beneath cliffs of white sand and clay carved by water into shapes like pyramids and towers. Two-storey white houses with wooden balconies and tiled roofs line both sides of a stream that runs through its middle. With about 385 residents it is the smallest town in Bulgaria, keeping its town status for historical reasons. It is an architectural reserve, and 96 of its buildings are cultural monuments. It lies at about 440 m at the foot of the Pirin Mountains, overlooked by the sandy Melnik Pyramids. Many peoples have lived here since ancient times, and an old Roman bridge survives. Its name comes from a Slavic word for white clay. You stroll the single street along the stream among the old houses, visit the large Kordopulov House, then climb a trail to the cliffs for the view over town, or walk on to Rozhen Monastery. It is about 10 km in a straight line southeast of Sandanski. Summer is very hot, so spring and autumn are best.
Above town.
By the stream.
Through the hills.
Blagoevgrad Province, southwest Bulgaria
Spring and autumn.
Yes, there are guesthouses.
