Bulgarian monasteries

The monasteries
Price from 571E

First day - Arrival at Sofia airport. Welcoming by a guide. Transfer to the hotel. Accommodation in hotel. Supper. Overnight.

Second day - Breakfast. We start our journey from Sofia with a city tour – “Alexander Nevski” Cathedral, National Art Gallery, National Theatre, “St. Sofia” Church, and National History Museum and Dragalevci monastery. After lunch we make for Troyan. Accommodation four star hotel in Troyan. Overnight.

Third day: After breakfast we make for Troyan monastery. We see the monastery. At lunch we will have the opportunity to try traditional Bulgarian meals from the cook-house of the monastery. In the late afternoon we make for Veliko Tarnovo. Overnight.

Fourth day: After breakfast we make for the Preobrajenski monastery “St Transfiguration” and after that our way continues towards Arbanasi. We see the architectural museum reserve Arbanasi.
At noon we are “Guests at Arbanasian house”. We offer the tourists a new type of attraction – unveiling the real Bulgarian life. The guests can not only see the historical and natural sights of the village, but they can touch the true way of life of local people, their trivial daily round and their problems, too.
A lunch at private houses is offered to the tourists, a culinary lesson can be carried out in addition. The houses and hosts are thoroughly selected – the houses have the typical for the village of Arbanasi architecture and at the same time they are unique with their appearance and interior. The furniture is in the typical style of the Bulgarian national revival. Original furniture combined with modern conveniences of contemporary life can be seen in some of them. The selected hosts are people with different and interesting professions – an artist, architects, a doctor in cardiology, a teacher, and a former officer. All hosts are proven to be good cooks; they can prepare and serve the dishes attractively, they are friendly and smiling all the time, they can tell a good story about their families and mainly they participate in the programme at their own free will, which means that they treat their guests cordially and in the best way possible every time, which guarantees having a good time.
The hosts welcome their guests and accommodate them inside the house or at a specially framed place outside according to the season. During the lunch they bear their guests company - they introduce their family to the guests, tell them about their everyday tasks. There is an interpreter provided for every house to help the communication between hosts and guests.
The menu includes home-baked loaf, salad, peppers stuffed with meat and rice, and a glass of wine and syrup-soaked shredded sweet for dessert. Home – made wine or home grown vegetables are served in many homes, which makes great impression to tourists. The programme which includes a culinary lesson demonstrates the way of cooking stuffed peppers. Making yoghurt or baking pastry is offered as a variant of a culinary lesson.
After lunch the guests have the opportunity to go over the host’s house, where there are very often pleasant surprises, to listen to other interesting stories about the host’s life or to turn over the pages of the family photo album.
After the lunch we will have the opportunity to see the Arbanasi monastery St Nicholas. Full of impressions and emotions we go back to the Premier hotel where the dinner awaits us. Overnight.

Fifth day: - After breakfast make for Dryanovo, where we will have the opportunity to see the Dryanovo monastery. Our way continues to Gabrovo. We see the Open-air Ethnographical museum Etara. Supper. Overnight.

Sixth day: - After breakfast we make for Sokolski monastery. We see the monastery and we continue our trip to Plovdiv. We put up in a hotel. Supper. Overnight.

Seventh day: - After breakfast we make for Bachkovo monastery. We see the monastery and in the afternoon we travel to Sofia. We put up in the hotel. Supper. Overnight.

Eighth day: - Breakfast. Transfer to the airport.

Dragalevci monastery named Sveta Bogorodica Vitoshka (St Mother of God of Vitosha) is situated 3 kilometres away from the village of Dragalevci (a quarter of Sofia for a few years) at the foot of Vitosha. Being one of the most beautiful and easily accessible monasteries, besides its valuable murals, Dragalevci monastery is also famous for its monastery school which was located there during the Turkish yoke. Dragalevci monastery played a major part as a seat of learning and culture and it is a typical representative of still preserved Bulgarian monasteries.

 

Troyan monastery is undoubtedly the biggest historical and cultural sight of this region. It is situated 10 km away from Troyan on the bank of the river Cherni Osam. It is one of the biggest famous Bulgarian monasteries. It was founded at the end of 16th century. It is operative monastery and is a valuable monument of the Bulgarian national revival art.

The monastery is remarkable with its architecture, woodcarvings and the magnificent mural paintings in the minster. The mural paintings were made by Zahari Zograf – one of the greatest artists of the Bulgarian national revival. Besides this the monastery was a famous literary seat and a real revolutionary centre in the middle of 19th century. The monastery is also noted for the wonder-working icon of Sveta Bogoroditza Troeruchitza (St Mother of God with three hands)

 

Arbansi monastery St Nicholas

It is situated in the village of Arbanasi, which is famous for its architectural monuments from 13th, 17th and 18th century. Arbanasi monastery St Nicholas was founded during the Second Bulgarian Empire – the time of Asenovtzi (the family of the first ruler of the state at that time - tzar Asen). In 1393 it was destroyed by the Turks during the conquest of Veliko Tarnovo. Almost three centuries after that the monastery was rebuilt. The minster which almost burned out in a fire dates from that time. According to a note added to an old gospel the church was renovated in 1735 with the help of the Arbanasian boyar Atanasius who was later killed by the Turks for participating in a plot against the empire. Later the cloister was ruined by the invasion of the kardjalii (vicious outlaw gangs raging during 18th century), but it was restored again in 1833 by the initiative of the abbot of Preobrajenski monastery. The church is a one – nave one with a central dome. Some old icons have also been preserved. The old wood-carved iconostasis, the wooden cross entirely covered with silver and decorated with enamel and stones of different colours and the old – aged bronze chandelier from 1746 are of great interest.

 

Kilifarevo monastery “St Nativity of Mother of God” .

It was founded in 1348 by the eminent Bulgarian hesychast Theodosius Tarnovski. The monastery was one of the greatest seats of literal and enlightenment activity in medieval Bulgaria. There were translated liturgical books and Byzantine chronicles, composed medleys, written passionals of Bulgarian, Greek and Serbian saints, which brought great glory to the monastery outside the territory of Bulgaria. Near the monastery, in “Gradishteto” country, at the place of medieval Bulgarian fortress, now is situated the church St Nativity of Mother of God with two chapels dedicated to Ivan Rilski and Theodosius Tarnovski. In 1840 the famous master of the Bulgarian national revival Kolyo Ficheto built the present minster St Demetrius- a spacious, one-nave, one - dome building. Its outer walls are decorated with a number of two-stepped merged arched bays and on a polyhedral drum a pyramidal dome towers. The two chapels with their mural paintings from 1718 are very valuable. In the chapel of Theodosius Tarnovski is preserved the old fretted iconostasis – a remarkable work of the Bulgarian woodcarving art. The residential buildings in the monastery built in 1849 also bring colour. The monastery is a valuable monument of the Bulgarian architecture and art.

 

Dryanovo monastery St Archangel Michael.

It was founded during the Second Bulgarian Empire. It was ruined and robbed twice during the Turkish yoke. It was built on its present place in 1845. It was a fortress and sanctuary of leaders and revolutionaries of the Bulgarian national revival. During the April uprising it was a scene of heavy battles between the Turkish army and the rebels leaded by priest Hariton with the participation of Bacho Kiro. In the monastery yard there is a mausoleum monument in honour of the fallen of the uprising. The church is built of stone and has an octahedral bell tower. There is a museum collection arranged in the monastery which keeps relics from Dryanovo detachment. The “Bacho Kiro” cave which according to the experts was inhabited in the Paleolithic era is situated among the sheer cliffs above the monastery. The monastery is operative and it is situated 4 km away from Dryanovo and 15 km away from Gabrovo.

 

Preobrajenski monastery St Transfiguration.

The Preobrajenski monastery is one of the most valuable monuments of architecture and arts in Bulgaria. According to the historical data it was built in 1360s, during the Second Bulgarian Empire. Tzaritza (queen) Theodora- Sarah, the second wife of tzar Ivan Alexander, and her son tzar Ivan Shishman became donors and patrons of one of the biggest Bulgarian monasteries, built near the capital Veliko Tarnovo. That is why the monastery is known as Sarin (Sarah’s) or Shishmanov (Shishman’s) monastery. The monastery was burned and robbed by the Turks but with the help of patriotic Bulgarians was rebuilt in 1825. The restoration and the building of a new minster were procured in 1832 with a sultan firman. The building of the minster was completed in 1834 by Kolyo Ficheto. It is a three – apse, cross-shaped, one-dome Bulgarian revival building with a covered narthex. Its internal decoration – the mural paintings and the icons is made by the great artist of the Bulgarian national revival Zachari Zograf. The mural paintings and the icons were created in 1845-51 and are of great art value. Together with the images of St Cyril and Methodius the maestro painted his self-portrait. The scene “Wheel of Life” on the southern outer wall as well as the whole abundant internal decoration is of special esteem and interest and is a valuable monument of the art of painting of the Bulgarian national revival period. The gold-plated iconostasis is also a monument of the Bulgarian woodcarving art. The underground chapel St Andreas Parvozvani was built in the same year. In 1863 the building of the small church “The Annunciati” was completed over it by Kolyo Ficheto. The icons in it were painted by the follower of Zachari Zograf – Stanilav Dospevski – the first Bulgarian artist to study at the academy. The bell tower with the seven bells, one of the most beautiful belfries created by master –builder Kolyo Ficheto overtops the western part of the monastery complex. The Transfiguration cloister was a cultural and enlightenment centre and a sanctuary of many patriotic Bulgarians and revolutionaries and during the War of liberation between Russia and Turkey the monastery was turned into a hospital. Now there is a museum exposition in the monastery which keeps its relics: papers, historical documents, liturgical books, icons and other works of applied arts. The Preobrajenski monastery is a national monument of architecture and arts. The monastery is operative and it is situated among the rocks over the Yantra, 6 km away from Veliko Tarnovo.

 

Sokolovski monastery “Assumption”

Founded in 1833 by archimandrite Joseph Sokolski. The minster was built in 1834 and it was decorated by priest Pavel from the village of Shipka. The icons of St Mother of God and Jesus Christ, painted by Zachari Zograf are treasured in the monastery chapel. There is an unique fountain, a work of Kolyo Ficheto(1865) in the monastery yard.

In the middle of the spacious embowered monastery yard, a unique fountain made of white stone and with eight spouts decorated with falcons warbles night and day. The fountain was made by Kolyo Ficheto.

Nowadays the monastery is permanently operative and it consists of a minster, residential and farm buildings. The parts of the monastery that were destroyed by fires in 1918,1924 and 1938 were restored in the period between 1980 and 1982. The monastery was declares a monument of culture. The monastery is situated on a picturesque spot at the upper course of the Yantra, high among the northern slopes of Stara planina, 4 km away south of the ethnographical settlement of Etara and 12 km away southeast of Gabrovo.

 

Shipka monastery St Nicholas

The monastery is situated near the village of Shipka and it was built by the initiative of Olga Skoblelva, in memory of the perished Russian soldiers and Bulgarian volunteers. The temple was built after the project of the Russian architect A. Tumishko. The building works started in 1896 and finished in 1902. The architecture is in the style of Russian cathedrals from 17th century. It is interesting with its many-coloured emblazonry and its peaked gilt domes and crosses. The big fretted iconostasis made of lime wood and thoroughly gold plated is of great interest. The icons are a gift from the Russian monastery in Mount Athos St Pantheleimon. The monastery is a unique monument of the orthodox architecture and art. It is situated 8 km away from Kazanlak.

Bachkovo monastery “Assumption”

It is the second largest monastery in Bulgaria after the Rila monastery. Historical data indicates that the monastery was founded during the Byzantine domination in 1083 by two Georgian brothers – Gregorius and Apasius Bakuriani. Gregorius built in his fief a monastery dedicated to the woman-mother (by a Georgian tradition) and he called it Petrichki (after the name of the fortress near it). The monastery had a stormy past. It was attacked and robbed many times. Its flourishing state was in 13th century especially during the reign of tzar Ivan Alexander – the second donor of the monastery. The end of 14th century was an important period for the monastery. Bulgaria was conquered by the Ottomans and the last Bulgarian patriarch Euthimius was exiled there. That is how the traditions of the literary school of Tarnovo were handed to the future generations by his disciples among who was and Konstantin Kostenechki. In regard to architecture the monastery is joined in rectangle buildings forming a vast quadrangle in which the minsters Holy Trinity (1604), St Archangels (12th century) and St Nicholas are placed. The architecture style of the oldest church St Archangels is one-nave one-dome building with 4 vault arches. The other church St Nicholas is built in the southern part of the monastery grounds. The whole church is decorated with mural paintings by the famous artist of the Bulgarian national revival Zachari Zograf. The refectory which complements the architectural ensemble and which was built of stones and bricks in 1643 attracts with its valuable mural paintings, too. The composition painted by Zachari Zograf (1843) on the northern wall of the refectory presenting a view of the whole monastery and its outskirts makes a great impression. The oldest building is the ossuary from 12th century. There is a full-length portrait of tzar Ivan Alexander in its narthex. It is situated 400 m east of the monastery entrance. There is a rich museum exposition in the monastery which includes ancient church artifacts, liturgical books, ancient coins, icons and jubilee jewels. The monastery is situated 28 km south of Plovdiv near Asenovgrad.