Rila Monastery & Melnik

A bit heavy program with a lot of driving but with plenty of impressions to remain afterwards.
Rila Monastery is a UNESCO site and its entire complex is quite impressive for its size and decoration. The monastery’s most treasured historic and artistic monuments include the 14th century Hrelyo Tower, the five-domed Birth of the Blessed Virgin Church and the original monastery kitchen from the 19th century. The monastery also houses a rich museum collection. Sightseeing with a professional guide of the largest Bulgarian Monastery and its museum will reveal the turbulent history of the monastery.
Melnik is the smallest Bulgarian town, located amidst strangely shaped pyramids of sand and limestone. During the 17th – 18th centuries it became a flourishing tobacco and wine-producing center, whose fame spread to many European countries. Today, the city is famous for its lovely white houses and cobbled streets, mild climate, different internationally recognized brands of red wine and the nearby Rozhen Monestary, where we will go for a short stroll. In Melnik we will make a degustation of local cuisine specialties and aromatic brands of wine, that will add extra flavor to the trip. We will visit the Kordopoulo’s house – the largest building in Melnik. It has Venetian stained glass windows, spacious rooms and salons, ornamented murals, a large wine-cellar and iron door from where the caravans with the precious Melnik wine left for Athens, Vienna and Rome. Starting at 07.30 from Sofia, the journey will end at 19.30 (approximately).