MELNIK AND RILA MONASTERY WINE TASTING TOUR

  The starting point of this enjoyable wine tasting tour is St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral in Sofia. At 09:00 o’clock we head up to Rupite on a highway and after 2.30 hours of driving we will be there. Rupite is a protected area famous for its healing mineral springs and related also to the prophet Vanga. The next tourist sight in our programme is the biggest monastery in the Pirin Mountain named Rozhen monastery – please note the road access to the monastery is too limited for big vehicles such as buses so the tourists who want to see the monastery should walk about 1 km on a steep path – it’s not suitable for disabled people.
  Just 7 km away from Rozhen Monastery is Melnik town – the smallest town in Bulgaria famous with the wine production and the sand pyramids. In Melnik you will have 1 free hour to take a lunch after which we continue with a walking tour including Kordopulov house where the most impressive is the wine cellar – the largest in Melnik. The tunnel has special channels and ventilation system for proper wine storage. Tourists can descend to the underground and to see with their own eyes the biggest barrel that can hold 12.5 tons of wine. There you will taste the famous wine from Shiroka Melnishka – an old red grape variety that can only grow in south-western Bulgaria near Melnik. Overnight in Melnik.

  After getting the breakfast the road trip continues to the Rila Monastery which is among the most popular tourist attractions in whole Bulgaria. The monastery is located in Rila Mountain and is a complex of cultural, dwelling and farming buildings which take about 8800 square meters. The guide will explain about the history and architecture of the monastery and then will give you enough free time so to be able to see over the complex and to make photos there.
  The tour continues with lunch in authentic local restaurant on the way between the Rila Monastery and the Winery. There you can enjoy fresh grilled trout or delicious grilled meatballs.
  Our final stop in this trip is Medi Valley Winery where you will have a short tour in the winery – you will see the grapes reception, the fermenters, the bottling room and the aging room. Furthermore you will receive some useful tasting tips – what does the wine label tell us, why we turn the glass, what we find in the aroma of wine and so on. Here you will enjoy 5 different types of wines along with some bread and crackers.
  In the afternoon we head up to Sofia where you should arrive between 17:00 and 18:00 o’clock.