Blagoevgrad

A high-mountain province in the southwest, with Pirin National Park, the Bansko ski resort and the wine town of Melnik.

Blagoevgrad Province lies in southwestern Bulgaria, bordering Greece and North Macedonia. The valleys of the Struma and Mesta rivers separate the Rila, Pirin and Rhodope mountains. Pirin National Park, with its alpine lakes and limestone peaks, is a World Heritage Site; Bansko is a popular ski resort that also preserves a Revival-era old town; Melnik is known for its sandstone pyramids and its wine, with Rozhen Monastery nearby; and Sandanski is a spa resort. Winter is for skiing, and summer and autumn are for hiking and wine tasting. The transport gateway is Sofia, and you head south along the Struma motorway.

Destinations

• Bansko
• Melnik

Itineraries

• Bulgaria Grand Loop Self-Drive – Set off from Sofia on a loop through the mountains, the Rhodopes, the Rose Valley, and the Black Sea, returning via the…
• Rila, Pirin & Rhodope Mountains Self-Drive – Drive through three mountain ranges in southern Bulgaria to see monasteries, glacial lakes, caves, and traditional vill…
• Pirin & Rila High Mountain Hiking – Based in Bansko and Govedartsi, summit Mount Vihren and Mount Musala, and hike through glacial lake basins.
• Melnik Wine Cellars & Rose Valley – From the red wines of the Struma Valley to Thracian wineries, the Rose Valley, and ancient Thracian tombs.