Rupite
Рупите
A hot spring and place of pilgrimage at the foot of the extinct volcano Kozhuh, home to the house of the blind prophetess Baba Vanga and the Church of St. Petka.
Rupite lies about 20 km southwest of Melnik, near Petrich, at the foot of the extinct volcano Kozhuh. Geothermal hot springs rise from underground, and you can soak your feet in the free open-air pools. The village became a national pilgrimage site because Baba Vanga, Bulgaria's famous blind prophetess, lived here in her later years. The Church of St. Petka, which she funded, has vividly coloured murals. Her tomb and house can both be visited, and on weekends there are huge crowds of Bulgarian visitors. It is about a 30-minute drive from Melnik, or you can change buses in Sandanski.
Opening hours
Open all day; church about 8:00 am–6:00 pm
Nearby sights
- Melnik Fortress (Despot Slav's Fortress)
- Pasha's House (Melnik History Museum)
- Melnik Wine Museum
- Melnik Earth Pyramids
- Bolyar House (Byzantine House)
- Melnik
- Kordopulov House
- Rozhen Monastery