How to visit and what to see in Rila Monastery (Bulgaria): schedule, prices

There are places that justify a trip to a country and put it on the tourist map and in the case of Bulgaria that's him Rila monastery.

Declared Heritage awarded by the UNESCO, for visit the Rila Monastery You have to enter a winding and narrow road in a lush mountain landscape.

You may be surprised that, being one of the Bulgaria tourist icons It is not reached by a wider road.

But on your trip you will see that most of the orthodox monasteries that you are going to visit in said country are located in remote places, hidden among leafy forests, since their isolation is one of their characteristics.

In the area where the Rila monastery, originally there was a community of monks scattered throughout the mountain.

Curiosities history Rila monastery

In fact, the first Rila monastery It was founded in the 10th century near the cave where, as a hermit, the monk John , now known as Saint John of Rila, dedicated himself to fasting and prayer.

Specifically, it was located about 4 kilometers away from the current monastery that was built in the XNUMXth century, and from the beginning it has been considered the Bulgarian spiritual center.

Nowadays it is possible to reach said cave following a marked path, and a small church was built next to it.

In the 17th century the monastery building was destroyed, which led to its subsequent reconstruction.

It should be noted that between the 50th and XNUMXth centuries the monastery experienced a great boom as its monks opened nearly XNUMX convents in the most important places in Bulgaria.

Furthermore, during the time of occupation by the Turks, who came to Bulgaria At the end of the 14th century, the sultans themselves protected the monastery.

In the communist era, since 1961 it was considered a national museum, and after the fall of said regime, in 1991 monastic activities were reestablished.

The best things to see when visiting Rila Monastery

El Rila monastery It was the first visit we made in our trip to bulgaria with a tourism agency specialized in tailor-made trips (here we tell you our very good experience).

But if you prefer to visit it on your own, you will see that it is located between the mountains at about 1100 meters above sea level.

When you arrive at Rila monastery parking lot You can't imagine what you're going to see inside.

At the entrance you will see a large stone wall with an access arch, an area that is part of the wall about 22 meters high that surrounds the large enclosure of almost 9.000 square meters with a large central patio.

Once you access this patio, which serves as a cloister, in the center of it there is a large church and a tower.

Jreliyova Tower in Rila Monastery

The one known as Khreliyova Tower It is the oldest building preserved in the monastery, dating back to the year 1335, and in its time it was a defensive tower of the monastery.

Throughout the interior of the walls there are several floors of arcades where the monks' cells are located, more than a hundred.

Rila Monastery Church

The building of the Rila Monastery Church that you can now see in the center of the great cloister is from 1837, and the great decoration with mural paintings of the exterior galleries announce what you are going to see inside.

With five cross-shaped vaults, said interior shows an impressive decoration, being the iconostasis of carved wood the place where the greatest artistic wealth is concentrated.

Specifically, the mural paintings in the church and other corners of the monastery are from the 19th century, and were made by the best artists of the time,

During your trip around the country you will see that it is a type of decoration and themes common in all the bulgarian orthodox churches.

Rila Monastery Museum

At Rila monastery you can also visit a museum with artistic objects from between the 14th and 19th centuries that reflect the history of this very spiritual enclave.

Among them you can see various gifts from Turkish sultans and also from other countries, such as Russia.

They are also exposed icons of the best artists of the 19th century, and among all the objects a wooden cross from 1803 with 36 biblical scenes and more than 600 miniature figures.

In this museum, which has some rooms in the basement, you can also see vestiges of the 14th century monastery.

Rila Monastery Visit Schedule

The Rila Monastery Visiting Hours They are every day, from 7 a.m. to 20 p.m., and you can go to the top of the tower, where there is a chapel, from June to September.

El Rila Ethnographic Museum You can visit it in summer from 8,30:19,30 a.m. to 8,30:16,30 p.m., and in winter, from October to May, from XNUMX:XNUMX a.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.

Rila Monastery ticket prices

Access to the monastery grounds and the church is free, and the price of tickets to visit the museum It is 8 BGN (4 euros) for adults, 1 BGN (0,50 euros) for students, with a discount also for families.

Map: how to get to Rila Monastery

El Rila monastery It is located 127 kilometers south of Sofia, from where you must go along the A3 highway, and it will take just over an hour and a half.