Nestled in the Rila Mountains, the Rila Monastery is a large famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. It is also called the Monastery of Saint Ivan of the Rila, named after a hermit who lived in a cave nearby. Much of the monastery was destroyed by invaders and by fire, but was reconstructed into the marvel it is today.
It is famous for its church frescoes painted by Zahari and Dimitar Zograf. They were brothers who were thought to start secular art in Bulgaria. In the museum, you’ll find Rafail’s Cross. It’s a wooden cross carved out of one piece of wood. That may not sound that impressive, but wait until you see it! It has 104 biblical scenes and 650 miniature figures and took 12 years to carve.
Rila Monastery looks more like a fortified palace than a monastery from the outside. The residential quarters feature high arches and railings along the outer walkways fit for nobility. The Hrelyovata Kula (Hrelyo’s Tower) is the only remaining original building. It was built in the 14th century as a guard tower, almost 70 feet tall with 5-foot thick walls. It’s where you’ll find Rafail’s Cross when you visit.
Sofia to Rila Monastery, Total time by bus, bus transfer and taxi is around 4 hours. From Sofia till Samokov travel by bus. The tickets cost 2 to 4 BGN From Samokov take a taxi to Rila Monastery, which is at a distance of 130.8 km. and costs around 45 BGN, Travel time by taxi is 2hours 56 minutes.
A direct taxi from Sofia takes 3hours 8minutes, covers a distance of 169kms and costs around 140 to 160 BGN.
Take a bus/taxi from Blagoevgrad to Rila Monastery. The total travel time is 2 hours and 52 minutes. From Blagoevgrad to Yakoruda take a bus, travel time is 1 hour 46 minutes and costs 5 to 8 BGN. From Yakoruda take a taxi. The traveling time is 1 hour 6 minutes, covers the distance of 27.3 km and the cost is around 20 BGN.
Rila Monastery timing:
Sunday: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Monday: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Thursday: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Friday: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Saturday: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Hrelyo's Tower (June to September only)
The museum timings (October to May)
Sunday: 8.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.
Monday: 8.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.
Tuesday: 8.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.
Wednesday: 8.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.
Thursday: 8.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.
Friday: 8.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.
Saturday: 8.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.
Waiting Time
Nil
Entrance Fee
Time you can spend
1 to 2 hours
Weather
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