The climax of any visit to the monastery of Rila , the principal church on this site (universally revered among Bulgarians) is a breathtaking architectural and decorative ensemble. Pause in the outer narthex to admire the wall paintings by Dimitar..

The “flagship” of the monastery, this church was built in 1604 by master masons from the Rhodopes on a cruciform plan, topped by a dome and preceded by a narthex decorated with superb frescoes painted in 1643. The lavish interior is breathtakin..

On entering this vast rectangular paved courtyard surrounded by countless galleries of monks’ cells, one cannot fail to be charmed by the harmonious marriage of architecture with the wooded mountain backdrop visible on all sides. An age-old cypress a..

Rila Monastery, now on Unesco's World Heritage list, is worth a visit, not only for the harmonious beauty of its buildings, but also for the artistic treasures it contains. It is regrettable that most of them should often be inaccessible. However, yo..

The Gallery of Ancient Bulgarian Art presents an exceptional collection of religious art (mostly icons) dating from the 12C to the 19C. The most interesting items include: a 12C St Nicholas, the altar doors of Boboševo Monastery (1488) and an outstan..

The extraordinary National History Museum displays fabulous collections concerning Bulgaria's history and civilisation. Each room deals with a specific period: Prehistory (gold treasures of Hotnica and of the necropoles of Durankulak and Varna), Anti..

Bojana Church in fact consists of a group of three successive churches, surrounded by trees over a hundred years old. When you enter the church, you will be astounded by the frescoes, probably painted in 1259, which form an exceptionally harmonious w..

It is most certainly from the top of the Kaleto krepost fortress or from the hill overlooking the village that one gets the best view of these amazing red rocks showing above the forest. If you wish to get closer to the rock formations, you can follo..

Hidden in a beautiful valley south of Plovdiv, Backovo Monastery, founded in 1083, is Bulgaria’s second largest after Rila . Looking out over the Bulgarian landscape, the monastery has known turbulent times (captured by the Ottomans in 1363, pillage..

Known as the "royal residence", A Kujumdžioglu's House is a fine example of the so-called "Plovdiv Baroque" style. Built for a wealthy merchant in 1847, it is now the home of the Ethnographic Museum. Apart from the magnificent faç..

In the village of Trigrad, children offer to sell "tea" (in fact herb tea) to passing travellers. After catching sight of a solitary mosque to the left of the road, you will reach the Trigradska Gorge. These tall cliffs hewn out of marble c..

One gets a glimpse of the walls of the old town from the access dyke flanked by a fine wooden windmill. Built of brick and stone and restored many times by the city's successive occupants (Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Bulgarians, Ottomans), the walls ..

The Archaeological Museum displays fine collections from prehistory to Antiquity but, above all, it houses two treasures. The first of these, found in Vrana's necropolis, consists of weapons, objects and gold jewellery (4600-4200 BC). The second (4C-..

Sveštari's Thracian Necropolis, on Unesco's World Heritage list, contains the graves of two prominent persons (tumuli nos 12 and 13), and an extraordinary royal grave (splendid entrance surmounted by a carved frieze). Visitors can see a dromos (corri..

Built from the 15C onwards, the Nativity Church includes a nave, a narthex and an outside gallery leading to St-John-the-Baptist's chapel. However, the most remarkable features of the church are the walls which are literally covered with frescoes dat..

Old Plovdiv is crisscrossed by streets running up three steep hills. Take time to stroll along the steep cobbled streets, interrupted by flights of steps and widening into tiny flower-decked squares. They contain a wealth of treasures, in particular ..

There are two Sozopols: old and new. The old town is not much visited, but it’s worth taking the time to stroll through its network of little streets linking three main thoroughfares: Cyril and Methodus Street on the right; Fishermen’s Street on the ..

This part of the Black Sea shore is served by a coast road as far as Carevo. The delayed development of seaside tourism has miraculously preserved the fragile ecology at the mouth of the River Ropotamo, renowned for its dunes, fauna (200 species of r..

This imposing natural barrier separates Bulgaria from Greece. In this legendary landscape where Turkish occupation has left its mark (minarets, mosques), strung-out villages adhere to their traditional activities. To the west, the village of Siroka ..

In the bottom of the Arda Vlley, the village of Mogilica has a rare survivor from the days of Ottoman occupation: the Agushevi Konatsi. Built in 1843, this fortified structure with façades covered in friezes using organic motifs is one of the last ex..