Rila Monastery: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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Rila Monastery stands alone at 1,150 metres in a forested valley, and for five centuries of Ottoman rule it was where Bulgarian language, books and faith were kept alive. Behind its fortress walls is a courtyard of striped arches, wooden galleries and a painted church, with a medieval tower in the middle. Give it two or three hours; there is no town here, only the monastery, a few restaurants and a guest wing. Modest dress is required, and photos are not allowed inside the church.

A short history of Rila Monastery

In the 10th century the monk John of Rila withdrew into the Rila Mountains and lived as a hermit in a cave. After his death in 946 his disciples gathered around his tomb, and so the monastery was founded that became the spiritual centre of Bulgaria. In 1335 the local ruler Hrelyo built the fortified tower, the oldest building surviving on the site. Under Ottoman rule, too, the monastery continued to preserve the Bulgarian language and culture. In 1833 a fire destroyed most of the buildings, and the monastery was rebuilt in the years that followed, with a courtyard surrounded by tiers of red-and-black striped arcades, and a church whose paintings were made by, among others, Zahari Zograf. In 1983 the monastery was declared a World Heritage Site.

The ten best sights in Rila Monastery

1
Rila Monastery
Bulgaria's great monastery; come before 10 or after 4 to miss the Sofia day-tours
2
Church of the Nativity
The striped main church in the courtyard; shoulders and knees covered, no photos inside
3
Hrelyo's Tower
The oldest building in the monastery, a stone tower from the 1330s
4
Monastery Museum
Icons, manuscripts and the famous carved cross of Rafail; small fee
5
St Luke's Hermitage
A small painted church in the forest, a 20-minute walk east
6
St Ivan's Cave
The saint's last hermitage, 4 km up the valley; a church and the cave behind it
7
St Ivan's Cave near Skrino
Near the saint's birthplace in the Struma valley; quiet and little visited
8
Varosha, Blagoevgrad
The old quarter of Blagoevgrad, with restored 19th-century houses
9
Seven Rila Lakes
Bulgaria's most famous hike; take the chairlift up and walk the lakes in 3-4 hours
10
Rila Lakes Chairlift
Lower station above Panichishte; it stops in bad weather, check before driving up

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What is an audio walk?

Tours in Rila Monastery →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Rila Monastery:

Free walking tours in Rila Monastery

Inside the monastery

Rila Monastery · A fire in 1833 destroyed almost everything except the medieval tower, and Bulgarians from all over the Ottoman Empire gave money to rebuild it in only a few years. The result, with its red, white and black arches, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1983.
Church of the Nativity · The church was built in 1834-37 by the master builder Pavel Ivanovich, and its walls were painted by the best artists of the Revival, among them Zahari Zograf. The relics of St Ivan of Rila, the hermit who founded the monastery in the 10th century, rest inside.
Hrelyo's Tower · A local lord, Hrelyo Dragovola, built the tower in 1334-35 as a refuge and lookout, and it is the only part of the monastery that survived the fire of 1833. At the top is a small chapel with wall paintings from the 14th century.
Monastery Museum · The star piece is Rafail's Cross, a wooden cross about half a metre high on which a monk named Rafail carved more than a hundred biblical scenes with hundreds of tiny figures. He worked on it for about twelve years with fine chisels and a magnifying glass, and the story is that he went blind when it was done.
Monastery Kitchen · The old kitchen in the north wing has a chimney that rises through every floor like a giant funnel, built so the smoke of the cauldrons could escape. The monastery fed pilgrims for free, and the pots were sized for hundreds at a time.
Bakery at the back gate · Outside the east gate a small bakery fries mekitsi, Bulgarian dough fritters, all day; you eat them hot with powdered sugar, jam or white cheese. Eating mekitsi at the monastery is as much part of a Bulgarian family visit here as lighting a candle.

The Seven Lakes

North of the monastery, on the other side of the ridge, a chain of seven glacial lakes climbs in steps between 2,100 and 2,500 metres. It is the most popular mountain walk in Bulgaria, and on a summer weekend you will not be alone. Start with the hot springs of Sapareva Banya, take the chairlift up and walk the lakes; with the drive round from the monastery it is a full day. Go early, check the chairlift is running, and carry rain gear — storms build fast after noon.

Sapareva Banya Geyser · The water comes out at about 103 degrees, among the hottest mineral springs in Europe, and the geyser in the town square was made by drilling. The Romans already had baths here, and 'banya' in the town's name means 'baths'.
Rila Lakes Chairlift · The chairlift climbs from the forest near Panichishte to the Rila Lakes hut at about 2,100 metres in roughly twenty minutes, saving a steep two-hour walk. It runs in summer and in the ski season, and it closes when the wind is strong.
Rila Lakes Hut · The hut stands beside the Lower Lake, the last and lowest of the seven, and the walk goes up past the others to the Tear, the highest and clearest. Each lake has a name from its shape: the Fish Lake, the Trefoil, the Twin, the Kidney, the Eye and the Tear.
Seven Rila Lakes · The Eye is the deepest glacial lake in Bulgaria, about 37 metres. Every August thousands of followers of the White Brotherhood, a movement founded by the teacher Peter Deunov, gather on the meadows here at dawn to dance the paneurhythmy in great circles.
Ivan Vazov Hut · The hut is named after Ivan Vazov, Bulgaria's national writer, who walked these mountains and wrote about them in 'The Great Rila Wilderness'. It sits on the trail between the lakes and the monastery, a long day's crossing on foot.
Malyovitsa Hut · Malyovitsa, at 2,729 metres, is the climbers' peak of Rila, with sheer north faces. At the end of the road below is Bulgaria's Central Mountaineering School, where generations of Bulgarian climbers learned the rope.

In the footsteps of St Ivan

Ivan of Rila was born in a village in the Struma valley around 876 and went into the mountains to live alone, moving higher each time people found him. This route follows him backwards: from the hermitages above the monastery, down the Rilska valley to the strange earth pillars at its mouth and the cave near his birthplace. It is a half-day by car with two short walks, about 90 km. End in Blagoevgrad's old quarter for dinner.

St Ivan's Cave · Ivan spent his last years in this cave and was first buried here, before his relics began a long journey to Sofia, Hungary and Veliko Tarnovo and finally back to the monastery in 1469. Pilgrims squeeze up through a narrow hole in the cave's roof; tradition says that only those free of sin can pass.
St Luke's Hermitage · The small church of St Luke was built in 1798 in the forest above the monastery for monks who wanted a stricter, quieter life. Its walls and porch are painted inside and out, and few visitors make the short walk to see them.
Rila town · The mountain's name is thought to come from a Thracian word meaning 'rich in water', and the range does hold some 180 glacial lakes. The little town at the mouth of the valley is where the road, the river and the buses to the monastery all begin.
Stob Pyramids · The pillars of soft sandstone and clay, some over 10 metres high, were carved by rain, and many still wear a hat of harder rock that protects them. Local legend says they are a wedding party turned to stone.
St Ivan's Cave near Skrino · Ivan was born in Skrino, a village on the Struma, and tradition says he first lived as a hermit in a cave near his home before going up into Rila. The spot, with a chapel, is a pilgrimage place for Bulgarians who come to see where the story began.
Varosha, Blagoevgrad · The old quarter of what was once called Gorna Dzhumaya keeps the houses of 19th-century merchants. The town was renamed Blagoevgrad in 1950 after Dimitar Blagoev, founder of the Bulgarian socialist movement, who was born in Macedonia.

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Getting to Rila Monastery and getting around

Rila Bus Station · In Rila town, 22 km down the valley; only a few buses a day go up to the monastery
Kocherinovo Station · The nearest railway stop, on the Sofia-Kulata line in the Struma valley
Blagoevgrad Station · A bigger town 40 minutes away, with more trains and car hire

Cheap eats in Rila Monastery

Bulgarian mountain food is simple: banitsa, a cheese pastry, in the morning; bean soup, shopska salad and grilled trout or meat at lunch; yoghurt with everything. Since January 2026 Bulgaria uses the euro. At the monastery there is no shop to speak of, only the bakery and a few restaurants by the gates, so on the way up buy water and snacks in Rila town.

Mekitsi at the monastery bakery · Hot fritters by the east gate, about €0.50-1 each; add yoghurt or cheese
Eleshnitsa · Riverside restaurant on the road down; grilled trout about €9-13
Magiyata na Rila · Bulgarian dishes by the river; a main about €8-12
Pastra · Roadside restaurant lower in the valley; a main about €7-11
Chicho Kiro · At Kirilova Polyana; soup and grills after a walk, about €6-10
Zemya i Hlyab · Bakery in Rila town; banitsa about €1-2

Holy places in Rila Monastery

Church of the Nativity · The gilded iconostasis and St Ivan's relics; services morning and evening
Hrelyo's Tower chapel · Climb the tower to the chapel at the top
St Ivan's Cave · An hour's walk or a short drive; the hole in the roof is narrow
St Luke's Hermitage · Painted church in the forest; often locked, but the porch is open
St Ivan's Cave near Skrino · A chapel and cave near the saint's birthplace

Nature and day trips near Rila Monastery

Seven Rila Lakes · 3-4 hour loop from the chairlift; good shoes and warm layers
Malyovitsa Hut · Walk from the road end; views of the north faces
Kirilova Polyana · Meadow, river and forest trails above the monastery
Rila Monastery Nature Park · Beech, fir and spruce forests around the monastery; marked trails from the gate
Stob Pyramids · Marked path among the pillars; hot and shadeless at midday

Things to do in Rila Monastery with kids

Rila Lakes Chairlift · Open chairs over the forest — hold on to hats and small hands
Sapareva Banya Geyser · Steam, a fountain of boiling water and warm pools to swim in
Stob Pyramids · Hunt for the pillar that looks most like the bride
Kirilova Polyana · Open meadow to run and picnic, with a stream

Museums in Rila Monastery

Monastery Museum · Rafail's Cross, icons and manuscripts; under an hour
Hrelyo's Tower · Five floors of stone; the climb ends in the chapel
Varosha, Blagoevgrad · Restored Revival houses and cafés; an evening stroll

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Frequently asked questions about Rila Monastery

What is there to see in Rila Monastery?

The top sights in Rila Monastery are Rila Monastery, Church of the Nativity and Hrelyo's Tower. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Rila Monastery?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Rila Monastery without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Rila Monastery?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Rila Monastery, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Inside the monastery.

How do you get to Rila Monastery and get around?

The main ways are Rila Bus Station, Kocherinovo Station and Blagoevgrad Station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Rila Monastery, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Rila Monastery that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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