Rila Monastery page 1

From the moment you first arrive in Bulgaria, you start hearing about Rila Monastery. It's hyped by everyone you meet, and you begin to think you'll be let down when you finally get there. Not so! It's hard not to be impressed by building, let alone the natural setting it sits in. Many people visit Rila on a day trip from Sofia just an hour and a half a way but if at all possible, stay overnight in the Monastery. Spending a night in an old Monk's quarters is hopelessly romantic and the peace and tranquility is too serene to describe. Everything about Rila relaxes you. The gentle arches, wood railings, smell of the forest all around you. Even the hot mountain sun warming your skin through the thin atmosphere lulls you into peace.