Attractions

Exploring the Village & Surroundings

The 18th- and 19th-century homes that line the dusty main road feature a simplified version of the National Revival architectural style prevalent elsewhere in Bulgaria. They typically are built with fortress like stone foundations that can stretch as high as two stories, sometimes into the sandstone slopes into which caves were dug to store huge barrels of wine. The whitewashed walls tower above this stone base, their facades punctuated with shutters, usually closed to ward off the summer heat. It's a lovely look that is unique to Melnik.

Once you've strolled along the main street, head uphill to visit the main attraction: the stately home (at least it must have been in 18th-c. Melnik) of the Kordopulovs (tel. 07437/265; daily 10am-9pm; 2lev ($1.65/£1). Said to be the biggest National Revival house in Bulgaria, with 24 windows (many of the panes multicolored stained glass, giving it an Eastern-influenced look), Melnik's grandest home was built in 1754 by Kordopulov, a rich trader of Greek descent. After walking through the large airy rooms, you descend into the cool cellar where Kordopulov stored 250 to 300 metric tons of wine in a cave system that took him 12 years to carve. You can do a wine tasting here (not even vaguely in the league of Melnik's finest, but very drinkable and similar in taste to what most of the local villagers produce as their house wine) before exiting and making your way to Mitko's cave. Aside from this and a visit to Rozhen Monastery, perhaps the best reason to venture this far south lies at the Mencheva Kushta , one of the best dining experiences in Bulgaria.

Drinking Wine with "Six Fingers" Manolev -- Even though the region is famous for its red wines, there is no wine shop dedicated to promoting the winemakers in the village, nor is it possible for individuals to arrange a wine tasting with the region's best producer, Damianitza Cellar (www.melnikwine.bg), which caters to groups only. But, if you're not a wine snob, there is a delightful wine-tasting experience to be had in a 250-year-old cave overlooking the village. As you leave Kerdopulova Kushta, take the high path that curves along the hill in the direction of town to find Mitko Manolev (tel. 0887 545 795), aka "Six Fingers," brooding over his barrels. He will offer you a tasting of his wines direct from the barrel (1lev/80¢/40p), all the while ranting about how the E.U. regulations will be the ruin of independent winemakers. Mitko will bottle your wine of choice (two types of red, both close cousins to grape juice, but without preservatives and slightly sparkling). The wine may not be entirely to your liking but worth purchasing, if only to watch Mitko personally fill, cork, and label the bottles, the most personally handled wine you're likely to purchase anywhere.