Rila: the back story

About Rila: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Sofia Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Two hours south of Sofia, in the Rila Mountains, the highest range in the Balkans, stands Rila Monastery, the spiritual heart of Bulgaria and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Above it, the Seven Rila Lakes lie in a staircase of glacial basins.

St Ivan of Rila

In the 10th century, the hermit Ivan of Rila withdrew to these mountains, and his followers founded the monastery that bears his name. He became Bulgaria’s patron saint.

The monastery

Rebuilt in the 19th century after a fire, Rila Monastery is a fortress of striped arcades around a vast courtyard, with a church covered in brilliant frescoes inside and out, and a medieval tower. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

Rila Monastery is the spiritual heart of Bulgaria.

The Seven Rila Lakes

High in the Rila Mountains, seven glacial lakes lie one above another, each with its own name. A chairlift from the Panichishte area carries walkers up towards the lakes in summer, and the walk around them is one of the most beautiful in Bulgaria.

Our advice: the monastery is about two hours by car from Sofia, and there are buses and tours. The lakes are a separate long day, best from late June to September. Dress respectfully in the monastery, and do not miss the frescoes of the church porch.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Rila: the back story before you go.