• Rila Monastery (Bulgaria)

    August 29, 2024 in Bulgaria ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Rila Monastery was a lovely side trip from Sofia.

    It is an Eastern Orthodox monastery founded in the 10th century and still houses about 60 monks.

    It is named after the hermit Saint Ivan of Rila (876 – 946 AD). Saint Ivan sounded like he had some significant mental health issues, although he was very important to the Bulgarian people, especially in medieval times. The monastery is still a popular pilgrimage site for Orthodox Christians.Read more