Rila Monastery "St. Ivan of Rila"

Rila Monastery is the biggest monastery in Bulgaria. It was built in the middle of 10th century by the hermit Ivan of Rila. The present appearance of Rila Monastery dated back to the beginning of 19th century when the residential wings and the main church "The Nativity of the Virgin" were built. The oldest building in the monastery is Hrelyo Tower from 14th century.

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Bachkovo Monastery "Virgin Mary"

The monastery was established in 1083 by the Great Domestik of Western Byzantine Garrisons, the Georgian, Grigorii Bakuriani. Due to its origin, the monastery combines three cultures – Byzantine, Georgian and Bulgarian. There are three churches in the monastery, the oldest one of which dated back to the 12th-13th century.

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Aladzha Monastery

The Aladzha rock monastery is situated only a few kilometers south of the Riviera Holiday Club sea resort and 2 km of Golden Sands seaside resort. It is also a part of the Golden Sands Nature Park. At present, the remains of 20 residential premises and three churches, which were cut out on two levels in the almost 40-meter high limestone rock and connected via an external staircase dug into the rocks, will fascinate the visitor.

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Basarbovo Monastery “St. Dimitrii of Basarbovo”

Basarbovo Rock Monastery was established during the period of the second Bulgarian kingdom, but its name was mentioned for the first time in a Turkish tax register in 1431. The most famous resident of the monastery was St. Dimitrii Basarbovski.

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Cherepish Monastery

Cherepish Monastery was established during the reign of tsar Ivan Shishman. It was mentioned in a document kept in the Sofia church, historical and archeological museum that the monastery was destroyed during the period of Ottoman invasion. The Cherepish Monastery was restored in the beginning of the 17th century by the renowned Bulgarian ecclesiastic, builder and painter Pimen Zograf of Sofia.

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Dryanovo Monastery “St. Archangel Michael”

Dryanovo monastery “ St Archangel Michael” is situated in the picturesque gorge of Dryanovo River , 4km away from the town of Dryanovo, 14km away from Gabrovo and 24km away from the historical town of Veliko Turnovo. The monastery was one of the main centers of Hesychasm and it was a shelter to many monks in the 14th century. There was a secret storeroom for food and arms, which was the reason why rebel leaders Priest Hariton and Bacho Kiro used the monastery as their fortress at the time of the April uprising.

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Etropole Monastery "St. Trinity"

The Etropole Monastery was established in the Middle Ages (1158). It is famous for its limestone base due to the limestone with which the monastery’s church was built. The legend says that the holy cloister’s existence may have been closely related to the name of the hermit Ivan Rilski, who had settled in one of the caves in the ‘Varovitets’ region before choosing solitude life in Rila. Nevertheless, the local people of Etropole declared the place holy and laid the foundations of the present-day monastery. Etropole “St.Trinity” monastery was one of the biggest literacy centres at Bulgarian lands in XVI and XVII century as the popular Etropole calligraphic and art school was established there.

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Glozhene Monastery „St. George the Victorious”

Glozhene Monastery “St. George the Victorious” was established in the middle of 13th century by the Ukrainian prince Glozh who settled in the area of the present village Glozhene with the permission of the Bulgarian king Ivan Assen II. He built there a monastery dedicated to the icon “St.George the Victorious”, which he carried with him all the way from the land of Ukraine.

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Ivanovo Monastery “St. Michael the Archangel”

Ivanovo Rock Monastery was established in the twenties of 13th century by the monk Yakim. During the whole period of Second Bulgarian Kingdom, the monastery had developed strong relationships with the kings of Tarnovo.In the 14th century Ivanovo Rock Monastery was a centre of Hesychasm. The monastery had survived until Bulgaria fell under Ottoman Rule and shortly after, but gradually it fall into decline. Nowadays the monastery is not functioning and it consists of 20 small rock churches, chapels, monks' cells, hewn into the rocks of the picturesque canyon of Roussenski Lom river.

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Kuklen Monastery “St.St. Kosma and Damyan”

The Kuklen Monastery was established during the Second Bulgarian State and it was mentioned in the 11th century in a document describing the properties of the Bachkovo Monastery. It is believed that the monastery was named after the saint bothers Kozma and Damyan for their curative capabilities. The monastery emerged as a religious cloister around a spring of curable waters and according to the legend, it cures mental disorders.

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Osenovlashki Monastery „Virgin Mary”

The legend says that the establishment of the Osenovlashki Monastery (the Seven Altars) is related to the name of the famous Bulgarian boyar Petar Deliyan and the rebellion against the Byzantine rule in 1040. The earliest historical evidence for the existence of the Osenovlashki Monastery was found in a Gospel dated back to 1511, and from another official document from 1554

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Plakovski Monastery "St Prophet Iliya"

The Plakovo Monastery “St. Prophet Iliya” was established during the reign of the tsar Ivan Assen II.The monastery was erected on its present place in the middle of the 13th century. In 1835, the Plakovski monastery hosted the famous Velcho’s Plot, as one of the leaders of anti-Ottoman plot being the ex-abbot of the monastery, Father Sergey.

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Rozhen Monastery “St Nativity of Mother of God”

The exact date of the establishment of Rozhen Monastery is not known, but according to annals, the name of the monastery was mentioned for the first time in a Greek manuscript which dated back to the 13th century. It is the only monastery in Bulgaria which was restored in the first centuries of Ottoman rule and has survived to the present day.

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German Monastery “St.Ivan Rilski”

The German monastery was established in the 10th century and according to the legend, the venerable St.Ivan Rilski has lived there for a while just before he has found his solitude in the Rila Mountain. . The holy cloister was completely destroyed during the time of the invasion of Ottoman conquerors in 1382 when Sofia city fell under their power. The shrine was restored one century later and it has rapidly turned into a cultural centre. After the Liberation, the then father superior of the German Monastery, Nikifor and his brother Cyril decided to rebuild the sanctuary. In 1886 the old church was torn down and a new one was erected over the same place.

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