Rila Monastery & Melnik

A bit heavy program with a lot of driving but 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 centre, 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 Monastery, where if there is time, we will go for a short stroll. In Melnik, we will make a degustation of local cuisine specialties and aromatic brands of wine, adding extra flavour to the trip (*entry ticket to the winery with degustation of the wines, is not included in the price). 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 an 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).