Updated September 16, 2026
Although I was born in Bulgaria, and now traveling the world, I discovered that looking to the far countries, I didn’t know enough about my own country. But sometimes we have to be a long time abroad, looking to our motherlands from far away. There are some things of our motherlands that only by this way we can discover.
So this time I decided to “visit my own country as a foreign tourist”. Starting from Plovdiv, which is my home city and a traveler’s treasure, I made my first trip around Bulgaria to its west corners. There is the highest mountain in the country and whole Balkans- Rila (Рила) mountain, with its highest peak Musala (2925 m). Rila is one of the dominant high-mountain systems of the Eastern Balkans, where deep forested valleys intersect the main alpine core and create natural corridors for movement, isolation, and spiritual retreat. It’s a mountain, full of dark forests, deep valleys, glacier lakes and alpine peaks. The higher areas of Rila are a paradise for those, who like trekking, as I like too. And the lower areas hide some real treasure, including a historic and cultural side of this place, best presented by the Eastern Orthodox pearl- Rila monastery (Рилски манастир).
There is a road that goes around Rila mountain, and when we arrived at its western side, we turned left, on Rila’s longest valley, straight to this famous monastery. The road soon entered the valley and we proceeded slowly ascending deep inside the mountain, passing by Orthodox churches, small hotels, and roadside restaurants. Soon we arrived at the monastery, surrounded mysteriously by the steep slopes of Rila valley.
Table of Contents
THE ENTRANCE
We stopped in front of a high wall and an arc-shaped entrance through it. There was a large outer arc, and an Orthodox-style painting of Jesus and two angels on His both side. Further inside the wall we passed through a smaller middle arc, finally through the inner arc, and entered the large monastery yard. What revealed in front of us, was like a journey back to the history. There were a big church and a Middle ages tower beside it. These two buildings stand on a stone floor, surrounded by a four-floor monastery residential part, which formed the same wall that we passed through. Some Orthodox priests were walking around. Despite the wandering tourists, everything was silent, like a mystic tale from somewhere in an ancient time.
THE HISTORY
Rila Monastery is one of the most important Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Bulgaria. It is located deep in the valley of the Rilska River, at about 1,150 m altitude, surrounded by the steep forested slopes of Rila Mountain. Since 1983, the monastery has also been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Its history began more than 1,000 years ago with Saint John of Rila (Ivan Rilski, Иван Рилски). He was born around 876 AD in the village of Skrino, near today’s town of Dupnitsa. As a young man he worked as a herder, but later became a monk and gradually chose an increasingly solitary life. After moving between several remote places, he finally settled in the wilderness of Rila Mountain.
Here he lived as a hermit, spending years in prayer and isolation. Gradually, disciples gathered around him and a monastic community was formed. According to the medieval hagiographic tradition, even Bulgarian Tsar Peter I wanted to meet him and travelled to Rila. Saint John avoided a face-to-face meeting with the ruler, but the two exchanged greetings and gifts from a distance. The story became one of the best-known episodes from his life.
Saint John died in 946. The place connected with his final years, his cave and his grave can still be visited in the forest several kilometres beyond the present monastery.
During the following centuries, the monastery grew into an important religious and literary centre. Bulgarian rulers supported it and granted it lands and privileges. In 1334–1335, the local ruler Hrelyo (Хрельо) built a defensive tower, monastic cells and a church. The tower is the main surviving building from this medieval period.
The Ottoman conquest brought a difficult period and the monastery suffered decline and destruction. Later it was restored by monks, and in 1469 the relics of Saint John of Rila were returned here from Veliko Tarnovo. During the centuries of Ottoman rule, the monastery again developed as an important centre of Bulgarian religious, literary and cultural life, maintaining connections with monasteries on Mount Athos and later with Russia.
A large fire destroyed much of the complex in 1833. The monastery was rebuilt during the following decades, and most of the architecture that we see today dates from this period. Thus, the present complex combines the surviving medieval Hrelyo Tower with the monumental architecture and art of the Bulgarian National Revival.
Today, Rila Monastery is still an active monastery, an important Orthodox pilgrimage centre and one of the most famous historic landmarks of Bulgaria.
THE MAIN CHURCH
When we entered the courtyard, the first building that stood in front of us was the Main Church, dedicated to the Nativity of the Theotokos. Unlike Hrelyo Tower beside it, the present church is relatively new. It was built between 1834 and 1837, on the site of an older medieval church, and follows the architectural tradition of the monasteries of Mount Athos.
The church has five domes and is surrounded by open arcades covered with richly coloured frescoes. During the following years, some of the most famous Bulgarian painters of the time worked on its decoration, including Dimitar Zograf, Zahari Zograf and Toma Vishanov, together with their students.
Inside, the atmosphere becomes much quieter. Here we saw the large carved and gilded iconostasis, icons and frescoes, while outside the painted arcades opened directly toward the stone courtyard and Hrelyo Tower.
HRELYOVA TOWER
Then we went to the neighbouring Hrelyo Tower (Хрельова кула), the oldest surviving building in the monastery complex. It was built in 1335 by the local ruler Hrelyo as a defensive structure during a much more unstable period in the history of the region.
The stone tower is 23.6 m high and has five floors. We entered through its narrow interior and climbed the steep stairs upward. Small windows opened views toward the monastery courtyard and the surrounding mountains.
The most interesting part is on the upper floor, where there is a small medieval chapel dedicated to the Transfiguration of Christ, with surviving frescoes from the 14th century.
Today Hrelyo Tower is part of the monastery museum complex. As of 2026, the entrance ticket for adults is €3.
THE RESIDENTIAL PART
The monastery buildings around the courtyard look almost like a fortress from outside, but from inside they form several floors of open galleries, arches and wooden balconies. These wings contain monastic cells, chapels and other rooms connected with the everyday life of the monastery.
This is still a functioning monastery rather than only a historical monument. The residential upper floors are not open for ordinary tourist visits, and visitors are not allowed to walk through them freely. From the courtyard, however, their architecture forms one of the most characteristic views of Rila Monastery.
THE MUSEUM
Today, Rila Monastery has several museum exhibitions. The main one is the Church History Museum, where manuscripts, old printed books, icons, church objects and other artefacts present the long history of the monastery.
Its most famous exhibit is Rafail’s Cross, created by the monk Rafail at the beginning of the 19th century. It is a remarkable example of miniature woodcarving, filled with tiny religious scenes and figures.
Other parts of the museum complex present icons, ethnographic collections and the historical economy of the monastery, including the old kitchen and other working areas.
As of September 2026, the Church History Museum costs €5 for an adult, while a €12 combined ticket gives access to all museum exhibitions. Tickets are sold only at the monastery.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION AND VISITOR RULES
Last checked: September 2026
Rila Monastery is not only a tourist attraction but a functioning Eastern Orthodox monastery, so there are several rules that visitors should keep in mind.
The Main Church “Nativity of the Theotokos” is open daily. From Easter until the end of September, it normally stays open from 6:30 to 19:00 from Monday to Thursday, and until 19:30 from Friday to Sunday. From the end of September until Easter, the usual opening time is 6:30 to 17:00.
The monastery has several museum exhibitions. Their opening hours can differ, but most are normally open from 8:30 to 16:30, with longer opening hours for some exhibitions during the summer season.
As of September 2026, some of the main entrance prices are:
- Church History Museum: €5 for adults
- Hrelyo Tower: €3 for adults
- Combined museum ticket: €12, giving access to all museum exhibitions
Museum tickets are sold only on the territory of the monastery.
There are also some important visitor rules. Photography and video are not allowed inside the Main Church or inside the monastery museums, although photography in the open courtyard is possible. Visitors should wear appropriate clothing—short skirts, shorts, sleeveless tops and other revealing clothes are not accepted.
The upper floors of the residential buildings are not open to ordinary visitors. Smoking, excessive noise and bringing pets into the monastery complex are also prohibited.
Inside the church, visitors are expected to keep quiet. Men should remove their hats, mobile phones should not be used, and large tourist backpacks, bulky luggage and baby strollers are not allowed inside.
Since opening hours, ticket prices and access rules can change, it is worth checking the official Rila Monastery website shortly before your visit.
FURTHER TO KIRILOVA POLYANA
But the interesting places in Rila Valley don’t end at the monastery. From here the road continues deeper into the mountain, following the upper valley of the Rilska River.
One of the most important places nearby is the Old Hermitage of Saint John of Rila, with the church, the saint’s grave and the cave where, according to the monastic tradition, he spent the last twelve years of his life. It is hidden in the forest several kilometres beyond the monastery and can be reached by a short hiking route from the road.
Continuing farther up the valley, at about 7 km from Rila Monastery, the road reaches Kirilova Polyana (Кирилова поляна). It is a wide mountain meadow at about 1,450 m altitude, surrounded by the steep slopes and forests of inner Rila.
From here the character of the journey changes. The cultural and pilgrimage landscape around the monastery gradually gives way to the high mountain. Several marked hiking routes start or pass through this area, leading toward Suho Lake, Kobilino Branishte, Ribni Ezera and other parts of Rila.
So, Rila Monastery can be not only a destination by itself, but also an entrance point to some much longer mountain routes.
But we planned our further Rila trip for the next time. This time we had to back down to the lowlands, proceeding to other interesting places in Bulgaria.
HOW TO GO THERE
Rila Monastery is located deep in Rila Valley, but it is connected with the lowlands by a paved mountain road. There are several ways to reach it, although transport without your own vehicle is less convenient than it used to be.
– By car. This is currently the easiest way to visit Rila Monastery. From the Struma motorway, leave toward Kocherinovo and Rila, then follow the road through the town of Rila and continue upstream into the mountain valley. The same paved road continues beyond the monastery for about 7 km to Kirilova Polyana.
– By public and shared transport. As of September 2026, there is no regular public bus service directly to Rila Monastery. Some old bus timetables can still be found online, but they should not be treated as current. Private tourist transfers from Sofia and other organised transport are available.
Field check, August 2026: After descending on foot from Northwestern Rila to the monastery, I personally had to look for transport out of the valley. At that time, a local private driver came to the monastery at around 17:00 to collect passengers and drive them to the town of Rila. It was an ordinary car with only four passenger seats, not a public bus. I was told locally that the driver normally makes two trips a day, but I could personally confirm only the afternoon one. I could not verify the morning departure time or whether this informal service operates throughout the year.
For this reason, hikers finishing a route at Rila Monastery should not rely on this car as guaranteed transport. If your onward journey depends on it, arrange another option or check the situation locally.
– By trekking. Rila Monastery is also connected with several important mountain routes. Trails descend here from the direction of Malyovitsa and Northwestern Rila, while other routes continue deeper into the mountains toward Kirilova Polyana, Kobilino Branishte, Ribni Ezera and the central parts of Rila. This makes the monastery a useful entrance or exit point for multi-day hiking routes.
ACCOMMODATION
There are several hotels, guesthouses and small tourist complexes along Rila Valley, especially between the town of Rila and the monastery.
A more unusual option is to stay inside Rila Monastery itself. The monastery still offers sleeping accommodation for visitors and pilgrims, but reservations have to be arranged directly with the monastery. Since prices and availability can change, it is better to contact the monastery before arriving rather than rely on old prices published online.
Farther into the mountain, accommodation is also available around Kirilova Polyana. One of the long-established places here is Pri Chicho Kiro (При Чичо Киро), about 7 km beyond the monastery. For hikers continuing into the higher parts of Rila, mountain huts such as Ribni Ezera provide another type of accommodation along the trekking routes.
If you plan to camp, keep in mind that Rila Monastery Nature Park does not allow camping everywhere. Camping is permitted only in designated areas, so wild camping beside the road or somewhere in the forest should not automatically be assumed to be allowed.
Check out your accommodation in Rila Monastery and the nearby area：
BEST TIME TO VISIT RILA AND ITS MONASTERY
For different people, the best season can be different. Winter is snowy, in the high areas of the mountain the snow can stay until May and even later. There is an avalanche danger in some place. The lower areas are covered by snow too, including Rila monastery. Spring comes gradually from low to high altitude. In my opinion, the most beautiful season for Rila monastery is the end of May, when the new leaves are fresh and the meadows are deep green, full of flowers. September and October are beautiful too when the leaves of the forest mix in various colors from yellow to red and green. But for trekking in the high areas of the mountain at the end of July, August and September are the best. Unless you prefer winter trekking, requiring winter gear.
Rila mountain is a really amazing place. If you visit Bulgaria for the first time and want to follow a basic itinerary, Rila mountain with its Rila monastery is a must, being one of the landmarks of the country.
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Hi, we are Krasen and Ying Ying. Krasen is from Bulgaria, and Ying Ying is from China. We are passionate about geography and history, and we believe that the best way to experience it is by exploring the Earth in reality, not in a school, and not virtually.
So, we created this blog Journey Beyond the Horizon, where we share geographical knowledge, travel guides and tips how to experience it when you explore our planet, and a lot of inspiration.
And we wish you a happy journey, not just virtually, but most of all- in reality.
Enjoy!
Krasen and Ying Ying
Hi, we are Krasen and Ying Ying. Krasen is from Bulgaria, and Ying Ying is from China. We are passionate about geography and history, and we believe that the best way to experience it is by exploring the Earth in reality, not in a school, and not virtually. So, we created this blog Journey Beyond the Horizon, where we share geographical knowledge, travel guides and tips how to experience it when you explore our planet, and a lot of inspiration. And we wish you a happy journey, not just virtually, but most of all- in reality. Enjoy!
