Zornitza Family Estate

The Zornitza Family Estate sits in the valley of the Struma River, only five kilometres from Bulgaria’s smallest town, the unique Melnik. The hotel is surrounded by vineyards, hills, mountains, waterfalls, the Ali Botush nature reserve and Belasitsa’s forests. Since it is very close to Halkidiki in Greece, you can also spend a lovely day at the beach in a different country.

There are nine luxurious suites, each with a unique interior design, featuring wooden beams and stone walls. The six villas have a more contemporary decor and offer even more privacy and luxury - perfect for cosy evenings in front of your fireplace.

The rooms create a sense of harmony with their setting and bring the outside in: both the suites and villas offer stunning panoramic views of the vineyards and surrounding hills from large floor-to-ceiling glass doors (which also let in plenty of light) and spacious terraces, where you can sit and relax with a glass of wine.

Dine and drink in style while taking in the views at the hotel’s restaurant, aEstivum, whose name means ‘summer truffles’ in Latin – and this is one of the favourite ingredients of the chefs. The innovative and exciting cuisine is prepared with locally-sourced ingredients. The estate has its own eco farm and orchards, where herbs, fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes and artichokes, are grown, fresh eggs are laid by the resident hens, cheese from local cows is smoked, jam is made and honey is created from the estate’s beehives.

Choose from an extensive selection of hundreds of wines from the region and around the world to have with your meal. Find out more by visiting the estate's vineyards and the wine cellar, learning about the art of wine making and enjoying tastings. If you wish, an expert sommelier can choose the perfect wine to accompany your food.

Take some time for yourself in the spa, and indulge in a range of treatments featuring natural ingredients such as grapes and wine, lavender, olive oil, honey from the estate and skin-enhancing mud from nearby volcanoes. Relax in the indoor pool, the salt mineral pool, the warm jet pool or the sauna and steam room.

Discover the acclaimed Melnik wine region and visit local wineries, vineyards and cellars, all within a 30-minute drive from Zornitza. Take a tour of Orbelus, Kapatovo Gardens and Villa Melnik, which is a family-owned estate with a 200-year-old history of wine-making, and has 30 hectares of vineyards as well as a modern winery.

Learn about Melnik’s history in various museums or explore the unique architecture of the houses in the town: visit the most popular houses, like Litova House and Bolyarska House, which is the oldest standing house in Bulgaria, and see the stunning waterfalls and sand pyramids of the area. We recommend the lovely hike from Melnik to the Rozhen monastery, via the pyramids - stop for lunch afterwards at a traditional Bulgarian restaurant in Rozhen. 

Take a one-hour trip to the Greek beaches or to one of Bulgaria’s top ski resorts, go horse riding or enjoy a rafting trip on the Struma River. Also close by are biking tracks and eco trails, or treat yourself to the memorable experience of a hot air balloon flight over the estate, with unbeatable views from above of your beautiful location.