Our group is very punctual leaving our hotel in Sofia at 9am sharp to travel about 2 hours into the mountains to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Rila Monastery. The views outside the bus just get progressively more exciting as we ascend to about 3,700 feet elevation.
The Monastery of Saint Ivan of Rila, better known as the Rila Monastery is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. Founded in the 10th century, the Rila Monastery is regarded as one of Bulgaria’s most important cultural, historical and architectural monuments.
After touring the Monastery and its museum, we go for a trout lunch along the river near the Monastery, and then commence a long drive to Plovdiv where we will be spending the next two nights.