MELNIK...19KMIN THE SOUTH WESTERN FLANKS OF PIRIN MOUNTAIN ISSITUATED THE SMALLEST TOWN IN BULGARIA MELNIK,WHICH IS DECLARED AS AN ARCHITECTURAL HISTORICALRESERVE AND MUSEUM MUSEUM. MELNIK IS ACOMBINATION OF INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL NATURE ANDINCOMPARABLE ARCHITECTURE. ITS HISTORY IS RICH INLEGENDS AND MYTHS FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES. THEBEAUTIFUL WHITE HOUSES, WHICH ARE BUILT ONE ONTHE TOP OF THE OTHER ON THE HILLS, ARE SURROUNDEDBY ROCKS AND HAVE QUIET YARDS AND WHITEBAY WINDOWS. THEY REALLY AROUSE ADMIRATION. TODAYTHE TOWN HAS ABOUT 230 INHABITANTS. INTERESTINGARE THE RUINS FROM DIFFERENT EPOCHS AND NATIONS,WHICH HAVE INHABITED THE TOWN WHEN IT PROSPEREDCULTURALLY AND ECONOMICALLY. AT THAT TIME IT HADMORE THAN 1300 HOUSES AND 25 000 INHABITANTS. INTHE SAND PYRAMIDS THAT SURROUND IT ARE HOLLOWEDOUT CELLARS IN WHICH THE FAMOUS MELNIK WINEMELLOW, FULL BODIED AND HEAVY MATURES, SEASONSAND IS PRESERVED. AMONG THE MOST FAMOUS HOUSESARE KORDOPOULOVA THE BIGGEST PRESERVED REVIVALHOUSE AND BOLYARSKA THE OLDEST ONE IN BULGARIA.PLACE OF RUPITE...12KMYOU CAN MAKE AN INTERESTING EXCURSION TO THEPLACE OF RUPITE, WHICH IS SITUATED ABOUT 20KILOMETERS SOUTH FROM THE TOWN OF SANDANSKI NEARTHE STRUMA RIVER. IT IS LOCATED ON AN EXTINCTVOLCANO CRATER, AND ITS RELIEF IS FORMED BY THEVOLCANO HILL KOJUH AND THE HILL OF PCHELINA. THEPLACE IS FAMOUS WITH ITS THERMAL SPRINGS, WHICHARE CURATIVE AND ARE VISITED BY MANY TOURISTS.THERE IS A WIDE VARIETY OF PLANTS IN THE REGIONSOME OF THEM ARE LISTED IN THE RED BOOK OFBULGARIA. IT IS THIS PLACE WHERE IS SITUATED THEVILLAGE OF RUPITE. HERE ARE LOCATED THE HOUSE ANDGRAVE OF THE FAMOUS BULGARIAN PROPHET BABA VANGA.SHE SAID THAT RUPITE IS FILLED WITH SPECIFICCOSMIC ENERGY. ON HER INSISTENCE IN 1992 THETEMPLE ST. PETKA WAS BUILT IN THE VILLAGE, WHICHAT ONCE TURNED INTO A PLACE FOR PILGRIMAGE OFTHOUSANDS OF PEOPLE NEEDING HEALING. THE ICONS ONTHE ICONOSTASIS ARE PAINTED BY PROFESSOR SVETLINRUSEV.ROZHENS