Melnik Bulgaria
[Bulgarian Orthodox]
Melnik, the smallest village in Bulgaria, was home to Despot Slav's castle. This made the town the capital of his kingdom in the early 1200s. The 12th century church is under restoration by PHARE. Frescos from the church were saved and form part of the permanent National Archeology Institute with Museum exhibition at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. One of the two oldest church bells in Europe also came from the church. Melnik is the 4th in a list of the 100 top tourist attractions in Bulgaria.