Our last full day in Bulgaria was a blast. We left early in the morning to drive out to Rila Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Rila National Park. Every village we passed through had an incredible view of the mountains.
About two and a half hours later we arrived in Rila territory.
From the UNESCO website:
"Rila Monastery was founded in the 10th century by St John of Rila, a hermit canonized by the Orthodox Church. His ascetic dwelling and tomb became a holy site and were transformed into a monastic complex which played an important role in the spiritual and social life of medieval Bulgaria. Destroyed by fire at the beginning of the 19th century, the complex was rebuilt between 1834 and 1862. A characteristic example of the Bulgarian Renaissance (18th–19th centuries), the monument symbolizes the awareness of a Slavic cultural identity following centuries of occupation."
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| Hreliov's Tower (left) was built in 1335 and is the oldest structure in Rila Monastery. |
Just as we were leaving about 8 tour buses pulled up. I was able to get a few shots before the crowds came in!
When we arrived again in Sofia we visited the Museum of Socialist Art which contains a garden full of Soviet-era statues. The idea behind the museum is to preserve rather than destroy. The inside of the museum offers modern reinterpretations of propaganda posters. The museum is worth visiting although it doesn't take long to walk around.
Saint Sofia Church is the second oldest church in Sofia, dating back to the 4th-6th century. It eventually gave the city its name. The church offers a tour of its catacombs but we were pressed for time at this point and didn't get to see it.
One of the first things you're supposed to do in Sofia is visit the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, a massive building that holds up to 10,000 people. We saved the best for last!
And there we ended our last day in Bulgaria. The next day we boarded a plane back to London. We had a great trip and hope to return to see more of it!
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