Rila Monastery (Рилски манастир) ? a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most popular and beautiful places in all of Bulgaria ? one of the centers of both the religious and cultural spirit of the Bulgarian nation. Founded in the 10th century, it is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. It is situated in the northwestern Rila Mountains, 117 km (73 mi) south of the capital Sofia. It is traditionally thought that the monastery was founded by the hermit St.John of Rila (Ivan Rilski), whose name it bears, during the rule of Tsar Peter I (927-968).
The monastery has a spectacular architecture which is well combined with the picturesque nature of the Rila Mountain. Inside the complex, the main church stands in the center of the inner ring. The entire church is decorated with amazing wood-carving, and it's famous for the gold-plated iconostasis. Outside the Rila Monastery, you can find a variety of little pubs and restaurants, where one can experience the fine Bulgarian cuisine. There are a lot of gift shops for the tourists with reasonable prices.
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Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Southwest Bulgaria - updated May 2024
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Southwest Bulgaria Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
