Bansko’s traditional mehanas (taverns) offer regional delicacies and excellent local wine, while grills and pizza places abound near the gondola in winter. Save room for banska kapama, a mouthwatering stew of cabbage, sausages and pork. Some mehanas close in summer, but there's still plenty of choice, especially around the old town.
oMehana Dedo PeneBULGARIAN$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0749-88 348; www.dedopene.com; ul Aleksandar Buynov 1; mains 8-16 lv; h8am-late)
This homespun eatery in a 19th-century stone building is decked out with classic Balkan trimmings such as crimson tablecloths and nostalgic crockery. It serves a predictable but thoroughly satisfying range of soups, barbecued meats and claypot dishes. It's right near Sveta Troitsa church.
Mehana Kasapinova KâshtaBULGARIAN$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0899948494; http://kasapinova-mehana.com; ul Yane Sandanski 4; mains 8-15 lv; h10am-midnight)
This 18th-century inn, just southeast of the main square, once entertained Bulgarian revolutionaries. These days it's hungry hikers and skiers who file in for excellent barbecue. Atmospheric touches include colourful rugs and animal skins draped on the stone walls, best admired with a glass of their locally produced wine.
Mehana VodenitsataBULGARIAN$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0888551110; cnr ul Hristo Botev & ul Ivan Vazov; mains 8-13 lv; h11am-midnight)
A traditional Bulgarian restaurant just west of pl Vaptsarov, the Vodenitsata offers hearty portions and live music. Barbecue is a speciality, and the place is popular with locals and visitors alike. It's open irregularly in summer.
Happy EndBAR
(off ul Pirin; h11am-late; W)
They forgot the ‘-ing’, but never mind. This bar-disco, right near the ski lifts, has themed evenings and quality live acts, making it one of Bansko's favourite après-ski spots. The wood-floored outdoor bar has couches for ski-wearied travellers to slump into. Only open during ski season.
8Information
Bansko Tourist Information CenterTOURIST INFORMATION
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0749-88 580; [email protected]; pl Nikola Vaptsarov 1; h9am-noon & 1-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-noon & 1-6pm Sat, 10am-2pm Sun)
The centrally located tourist information centre has friendly, informed, English-speaking staff who can advise on accommodation, bus and train times, cultural and outdoor activities, and upcoming events.
Pirin National Park Information CentreTOURIST INFORMATION
( GOOGLE MAP ; %0749-88 204; ul Pirin)
This spiffy new information centre, at the southern end of ul Pirin on the border of Pirin National Park, has displays on local fauna and flora, and staff can provide tips on hiking trails. Most information is in Bulgarian, but some English and French is spoken by staff.
8Getting There & Away
Bansko’s adjacent bus ( GOOGLE MAP ; ul Patriarh Evtimii) and train stations ( GOOGLE MAP ; ul Patriarh Evtimii) are on the main road north of the centre, a 15-minute walk (or 4 lv taxi ride) to the old town.
Bus
Buses connect to Bansko from Sofia (15-18 lv, three hours, 15 daily), most heading via Blagoevgrad; from the latter to Bansko, it’s 6 lv. Several more buses travelling to Gotse Delchev stop at Bansko.
From Bansko, six daily buses serve Blagoevgrad (6 lv, two hours). Two morning buses serve Plovdiv (14 lv, 2½ hours). Between mid-June and mid-September, three daily minibuses (4 lv) head to Hizha Banderitsa.
Train
The most scenic route to Bansko is by narrow-gauge railway, which connects Bansko to Septemvri Station in five hours (6.10 lv, four daily), from where you continue west to Sofia or east to Plovdiv and beyond.
Melnik МЕЛНИК
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Steep sandstone pyramids form a magnificent backdrop in tiny Melnik, 20km north of the Bulgaria–Greece border. These natural rock formations, some 100m in height, resemble wizard hats and mushrooms, and they gave the village its name (the Old Slavonic word mel means ‘sandy chalk’).
But it's a 600-year-old wine culture that has made Melnik famous, and the village's wonderfully restored National Revival architecture looks all the better through a haze of cabernet sauvignon. Seeing the village only requires a day, even with an earnest ramble around its many ruins, though an overnight stop is best to soak up its peaceful charms after the tour buses leave.
History
Melnik has seen Thracian, Roman, Byzantine and early Bulgarian rule. Few traces remain, except some ancient pottery and the Roman bridge at the entrance to town. After an Ottoman doldrums, it had a resurgence during the National Revival period, helped along by a lively wine and tobacco trade. The once-notable Greek population among Melnik's 20,000 inhabitants was forcibly relocated by the Greek army in the 1912–13 Balkan Wars, when the village was largely burned.
1Sights & Activities
Melnik's main draws including rambling around town, admiring the historic architecture, and tasting the local wine. The grand old houses, many jutting out from cliffs, feature overhanging upper floors and handsome wooden balconies, most with cool stone basements for wine storage. Officially, all buildings must be built and/or renovated in the Bulgarian National Revival style.
Kordopulov HouseMUSEUM
(%0877576120, 0887776917; www.kordopulova-house.com; 3 lv; h9.30am-6.30pm Apr-Sep, to 4pm Oct-Mar)
Reportedly Bulgaria's largest Revival-era building, this whitewashed and wooden mansion beams down from a cliff face at the eastern end of Melnik's main road. Dating to 1754, the four-storey mansion was formerly the home of a prestigious wine merchant family. Its naturally cool rooms steep visitors in luxurious period flavour, from floral stained-glass windows to Oriental-style fireplaces and a sauna. There are touches of intrigue, too, such as the secret cupboard that allowed the whole family to eavesdrop on wine-trading deals.
After visiting the house, descend into its enormous underground wine cellar (tastings available), with 180m of labyrinthine passageways.
Museum of WineMUSEUM
(www.muzei-na-vinoto.com; ul Melnik 91; 5 lv; h10am-7pm)
Learn the history and tools of Melnik's winemaking trade; ogle 400-plus bottles of wine; and work your way through a tasting menu at this fun museum attached to the Hotel Bulgari. Tour groups occasionally dominate the museum in summer, outside which time the opening hours can be erratic.
Wine Tasting
Melnik is awash in wines that have been celebrated for well over 600 years. Sip before you buy at excellent wine shops such as Damianitza (%0746-30090; www.damianitza.bg; h11am-6pm), and enjoy high-quality local wine with a view at Shestaka.
Be warned: even in Melnik it's all too easy to end up with a glass of substandard stuff. Avoid plastic bottles on sale by roadsides and be wary of super-cheap house wines (some are frightful).
Shestaka WineryWINE
(Manolev Winery; %0887545795; www.shestaka.com; 2 lv; h9am-dusk)
For atmospheric adventures in degustatsia (wine tasting), clamber up the cobblestones to 120-year-old Shestaka (‘six-fingered’) Winery; it's named after the founder, Iliya Manolev, who had an extra digit (as does his modern-day descendant Mitko). There is a wine cellar dug into the rocks, plus a shady hut with tables and chairs outside, which peer towards Melnik's sandstone pillars.
Mitko can help to organise longer winery tours around Melnik; enquire via the website. Shestaka Winery is along the hillside trail between the Bolyaskata Kâshta ruins and the Kordopulov House. Accommodation is also available (doubles 35 lv).
Churches & Ruins
Of Melnik’s original 70 churches only 40, mostly ruined ones, survive. The still-standing 19th-century Sveti Antoni Church is dedicated to the patron saint of the sick; in the unenlightened past, the mentally ill would be brought here to be cured of demonic possession. A signposted path leads to the ruined Sveti Nikolai Church (1756), and to the Despot Slav’s ruined Slavova Krepost . Both are visible from the Bolyaskata Kâshta , a 10th-century ruin of one of Bulgaria's oldest homes. The trail veers east along the ridge about 300m to the ruined Sveta
Zona Chapel.
The Turkish Baths are difficult to recognise, standing just before the Mehana Mencheva Kâshta tavern. Just below the Kordopulov House, the 15th-century Sveta Varvara Church has retained its walls and floor.
zFestivals & Events
Melnik owes so much to Sveti Trifon, patron saint of the vine, that Trifon Zarezan Festival (h1 Feb) is celebrated twice: once on 1 February, and then again during the bigger event, Golden Grapes Festival (h2nd weekend Feb).
4Sleeping
Melnik's popularity among tourists has allowed a healthy, mostly midrange array of hotels and guesthouses to flourish; book ahead in summer. Private rooms are a budget, no-frills option (15 lv to 20 lv per person), usually with shared bathrooms; look for English-language ‘Rooms’ signs.
Sveti Nikola HotelHOTEL$
(%07437-2211; http://melnik-svnikola.com; d 55; paW)
At Melnik's eastern end, near the Historical Museum, Sveti Nikola's 10 crisply furnished rooms huddle above its stone-walled mehana.
oHotel BolyarkaHOTEL$$
(%07437-2383; www.melnikhotels.com; ul Melnik 34; s/d/apt 40/60/100 lv; paiW)
The right blend of old-world nostalgia and modern comfort has made this one of Melnik's favourite hotels. The Bolyarka has elegant rooms, a snug lobby bar, a Finnish-style sauna and one of Melnik's best restaurants. For a touch of added charm, reserve a deluxe apartment (130 lv) with fireplace.
Hotel MelnikHOTEL$$
(%07437-2272, 0879131459; www.hotelmelnik.com; ul Vardar 2; s/d/apt 40/60/120 lv; paW)
This pleasant hotel is shaded by fig and cherry trees, and peeps down over Melnik's main road. White-walled rooms with simple furnishings don't quite match the old-world reception and the mehana (tavern) with a bird's-eye view. But it's great value, smartly run, and the location – up a cobbled lane, on the right as you enter the village – is convenient whether you arrive by car or bus.
Lumparova KâshtaGUESTHOUSE$$
(%07437-2218; www.lumparovamelnik.com; ul Melnik 102; s/d 50/100 lv; p)
Experience Bulgarian Revival style with a modern twist at this atmospheric guesthouse, which features unique stained glass and wall frescoes created by local artists. It's up a steep path starting behind the village.
5Eating
Melnik’s best eats are at hotel or pension restaurants, though other worthy spots abound. Aside from regional wine, try banitsa (a flaky cheese pasty), a local speciality, and mountain river trout.
Mehana Mencheva KâshtaBULGARIAN$
(%07437-2339; www.melnik-mehana.com; mains 6-11 lv; h10am-11.30pm)
This tavern has a lovely upper porch overlooking the main street down towards the end of the village. It's popular with locals and does the full run of Bulgarian dishes, with an emphasis on barbecued meats and yoghurt-slathered salads.
oMehana Chavkova KâshtaBULGARIAN$$
(%0893505090; www.themelnikhouse.com; 7-12 lv)
Sit beneath 500-year-old trees and watch Melnik meander past at this superb spot. Like many places in town, grilled meats and Bulgarian dishes are specialities (try the satch, a sizzling flat pan of meat and vegetables); the atmosphere and friendly service give it an extra nudge above the rest. It's 200m from the bus stop, along the main road.
Chinarite RestaurantBULGARIAN$$
(%0878688328; http://chinarite.cbbbg.com; mains 7-12 lv; h10am-10pm)
Midway up the main road, by the bridge, Chinarite's folk-music soundtrack and sword-like shish kebab skewers will draw you in. Its summer garden is a relaxing spot to slurp a cool tarator soup (cucumber, garlic and yoghurt) or mull over a variety of Melnik wines.
8Information
There's an ATM by the Hotel Bulgari, past the central square, where the post office stands.
Melnik Tourist Information CentreTOURIST INFORMATION
(Obshtina Building; h9am-5pm)
Located behind the bus stop, on the obshtina (municipality) building's upper floor, this centre advises on accommodation and local activities, though opening times can be spotty (especially outside summer). Bus and train timetables are posted outside.
8Getting There & Away
Direct buses connect Melnik with Sofia (17 lv, 4½ hours, one daily) and Blagoevgrad (7 lv, two hours, two daily). Two daily minibuses go from Sandanski to Melnik, continuing to Rozhen, though there may be insufficient seats if local shoppers are out in force.
By train, the closest station is Damyanitsa, 12km west.
WORTH A TRIP
ROZHEN MONASTERY
Standing serenely in the hills 7km north of Melnik, Rozhen Monastery (Birth of the Virgin Mary Monastery; h7am-7pm) has admirable 16th-century frescoes and a holy icon of the Virgin Mary. Its most significant building, the Nativity of the Virgin Church (1600), contains stained-glass windows, 200-year-old murals, woodcarvings and iconostases, with the icon of the Virgin its main focus for pilgrims. The monastery attracts fewer tourists than other monsteries in Bulgaria, so dress modestly and keep chatter at low volume.
First built in 1217, Rozhen Monastery was largely reconstructed in the late 16th century after a fire. Today’s monastery was mostly built between 1732 and the late 18th century. Believers say the icon housed here was painted by St Luke, and that it miraculously survived being hurled into the sea, floating upright.
Treat yourself to a night at Hotel Rojena (%0878424904, 0878832192; www.hotelrojena.net; Rozhen; d/tr/apt from 55/80/140 lv; paWs), tucked away on a quiet road 1.5km from Rozhen Monastery. Most rooms overlook an enticing outdoor pool, which is surrounded by lounge chairs, while the mehana (tavern) has shaded outdoor tables near a trickling fountain.
Bulgarian Thrace
Named for the ancient Indo-Europeans who galloped across its valleys and plains, modern Thrace expands across central Bulgaria, northeastern Greece and northern Turkey. Bulgarian Thrace retains the fertile wine country that kept ancient Thracians well quenched, with remote villages and monasteries scattered in between.
Bulgaria's second city, Plovdiv, is reason enough to explore Thrace: its Roman ruins and revitalised arts scene combine to make it arguably the country's most interesting city. Frescoed Bachkovo Monastery, 30km south, comes a close second. In recent years enterprising locals have boosted attractions beyond these well-touristed spots; world-class wineries in Brestovitsa and beautifully preserved historic sites in Perushtitsa reward travellers veering off the beaten track.
Plovdiv ПЛОВДИВ
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With an easy grace, Plovdiv mingles invigorating nightlife among millennia-old ruins. Like Rome, Plovdiv straddles seven hills; but as Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited city, it’s far more ancient. It is best loved for its romantic old town, packed with colourful and creaky 19th-century mansions that are now house-museums, galleries and guesthouses.
But cobblestoned lanes and National Revival–era nostalgia are only part of the story. Bulgaria’s cosmopolitan second city has always been hot on the heels of Sofia, and a stint as European Capital of Culture 2019 seems sure to give Plovdiv the edge. Music and art festivals draw increasing crowds, while renovations in the Kapana artistic quarter and Tsar Simeon Gardens have given the city new confidence. Once an amiable waystation between Bulgaria and Greece or Turkey, the city has flowered into a destination in its own right – and one that should be firmly stamped on any itinerary through central Bulgaria.
History
The remains of settlements dating to 7000 BC have been discovered around Plovdiv. Thracians settled here around 5000 BC, building a fortress at Nebet Tepe in the old town, calling it Eumolpias. Philip II of Macedon (father of Alexander the Great) extended the settlement, humbly naming it Philippopolis in 342 BC. He strengthened the existing fortress, making Philippopolis an important military centre. However, the ruins that survive today largely come from the Roman annexation (AD 46) and thereafter. The Romans built streets, towers and aqueducts for the new city, named Trimontium ('three-hilled'). Unfortunately, Goths and Huns plundered and destroyed it in the mid-3r
d century and in AD 447 respectively, and Trimontium languished. The Bulgar Khan Krum seized it in 812 and renamed it Pupulden, making it an important strategic outpost of the First Bulgarian Empire (681–1018).
Pupulden, or Philippopolis as the Byzantines called it, was controlled by Constantinople, Bulgars and even Latin Crusaders over the following centuries. After various skirmishes, the Ottomans conquered it in 1365, renaming the city Filibe. The city thrived and its merchants grew wealthy. Some of Bulgaria’s finest and most lavish townhouses were built during the Bulgarian National Revival period. In the late 1850s, literary reformer Hristo Danov taught in the city and would later found the city's first publishing house.
While most of Bulgaria was freed following the Russo-Turkish War of 1877, the ensuing Congress of Berlin left Plovdiv and the south in Turkish hands. Only in 1885 did Plovdiv join the Bulgarian state. Industrial expansion came rapidly in the following century, with tobacco factories and fruit farms booming during WWII. More than 1500 of the city's Jewish citizens were rescued from wartime deportation.
1Sights
Plovdiv’s appeal derives from its old town, largely restored to its mid-19th-century appearance and packed with house-museums and galleries. Unlike old towns in many other cities, Plovdiv's still has eminent artists living and working within its tranquil confines. The neighbourhood boasts Thracian, Roman, Byzantine and Bulgarian antiquities, the most impressive being the Roman amphitheatre. South of here, the modern centre features a shop-lined pedestrian mall, ul Knyaz Aleksandâr, which passes over the Roman Stadium to a square with fountains.
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