Story
The story of Sandanski
Until 1947 this town was called Sveti Vrach; today it carries the name of the revolutionary Yane Sandanski. It spreads like an amphitheatre over the south-western slopes of the Pirin Mountains, along the lower reaches of the Sandanska Bistritsa River, between 240 and 300 metres above sea level. Sandanski statistically has the warmest temperatures in Bulgaria, with the country's highest average annual temperature, 16°C, and around 2700 hours of sunshine a year.
Summer is the longest season, lasting 4 months from early June to late September, and the highest temperature ever recorded here is 45 °C. That mild climate, together with a relatively high number of thermal springs, makes the town a popular place for rest and recreation. The Greek border is about 20 km away and the Aegean Sea about 100 km.
The ancient Roman city of Parthicopolis stood nearby, and within a short drive lie Melnik, the smallest town in Bulgaria, and the Rozhen Monastery.
This story is compiled from Wikipedia and other open sources; dates and numbers are checked against the source. The text is shared under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Source ↗
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More highlights in Sandanski & Melnik
- Archeological Museum SandanskiA museum in Sandanski displaying finds from archaeological research in the town and municipality; museum work here began in 1936 with an archaeological society.
- Episcopal Basilica, SandanskiRemains of an early Christian episcopal complex with a basilica in central Sandanski, in the northeastern part of ancient Parthicopolis.
- Kordopulov HouseThe Kordopulov (or Kordopulov's) House is a large late Ottoman style house in the southwestern Bulgarian town of Melnik. It was built in 1754 specifically for wine production and was bought by the Greek merchant Manolis Kordopoulos.
- Melnik pyramidsThe Melnik Earth Pyramids are rock formations, known as hoodoos, situated at the foothills of the Pirin mountain range in south-western Bulgaria. They span an area of 17 km2 near the town of Melnik, Blagoevgrad Province.
- Rozhen MonasteryThe Rozhen Monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God is the biggest monastery in the Pirin Mountains in southwestern Bulgaria, nestled in the Melnik Earth Pyramids.
- Melnik History MuseumThe museum of Melnik's history, a branch of the Archaeological Museum in Sandanski and one of the 100 National Tourist Sites of Bulgaria.