The town of Melnik has a population of 269 inhabitants. That makes it the smallest town in Bulgaria located at a distance of 18km southeast of Sandanski. Until 1914 the town has a population of 14 000 inhabitants. It is located at the southwestern foot of Pirin Mountains at an altitude of 380m. The settlement is proclaimed for an architectural reserve. The town is a unique combination of natural and architectural landmarks. Its houses are arranged amphitheatrically along the steep slopes of the Melnik Pyramids.

The present settlement dates back to the Thracian times. Afterwards it is inhabited by Roman, Byzantine and Bulgarian people. Melnik enters the limits of Bulgaria in IXc. At the beginning of the XIIIc. it is an inaccessible fortress, the capital of the domain of Aleksii Slav, nephew of King Kaloyan. The town is liberated from the Ottoman yoke in 1912. Apart from its history, nature and architecture the town is famous for its red wine. The wine cellars are dug in the soft sandstones which are more than 70 around the town. In these wine cellars is kept the famous Melnik wine made from a special wine sort, typical for this region only. In the past the Melnik wine is exported to Vienna, Genua, Venice, Budapest, France, Spain and England.

The tourist sighs of the town are: The History Museum, the "St. Antonii" Church from the middle of XIV c., the "St Peter and Pavel" Church from 1840, the "St.Nikolai Chudotvoretz" bishop's church from XVII c., a Byzantine house from XIII-XIV c. and the Kordapulov's House from 1758.

The Melnik Pyramids are rocky formations from sandstone. Nature has created miraculous figures with the shape of Gothic towers, mushrooms, 100 m high swards, occupying an area of 50 m².

Tourist sights:

The Kordapulov's House in Melnik is built in 1754. It is the biggest Revival house from the Revival Period of Bulgaria. The guest room of the house has 24 Venetian windows of stained glass.

The "Rozhdestvo Bogorodichno" / Virgin Mary's Birth/ Monastery in Rozhen is situated at a distance of 5 km from Melnik. It is one of the Bulgarian monasteries which has been preserved intact until present times. It is established in 1220 and it has acquired its present outlook at the end of XVIII c. The monastery has the form of an irregular hexagon with housing buildings which surround a beautiful yard in the middle of which there is a church. The monastery is famous for its mural paintings, stained-glasses and wood-carvings. The monastery has its own miraculous icon - that of Virgin Mary. The monastery is well- kept and open all the year round.