Rila monastery & Boyana church with Audio guide

The tour starts from your hotel. After two hours transfer we will reach the Rila monastery. We will leave you to explore the monastery for 2 hours approx. by audio guide (English, Espanol, Italiano, Français, Deutsche, Русский). After this time you will take the shuttle back to Sofia. Before to return you back we will take you to Boyana church, where you will have time to visit the church with audio guide. At the end of the tour we will leave you in your hotel.

The monastery was initially situated near the cave where the saint dwelled. After he passed away in 946, St. Ivan of Rila was buried in the cave in which he found solitude. Tsar Peter (who reigned in the period 927 – 969) brought the relics of the wonderworker from Rila to Sredets (Sofia). It was probably then when he was canonized as a saint. The relics were returned to Rila holy cloister in 1469.

Throughout the centuries Rila Monastery has always been the spiritual, educational and cultural centre of Bulgaria. During the Bulgarian Revival Period (18th – 19th centuries) Rila Monastery set up approximately 50 metochions in the large Bulgarian towns and villages where some of the most well-educated Rila monks performed their religious rites, established schools, and brought pilgrims to the monastery.

In 1961, Rila Monastery was declared Rila Monastery National Museum. In 1976 it was declared a National Historical Reserve and in 1983 it was included in the List of World Cultural Heritage of UNESCO. In 1991, the state restored the monastic status of the cloister and closed Rila Monastery National Museum institution. Rila Monastry, Hrelyo’s Tower and the monastery buildings were declared a group architectural, artistic and historical complex of national importance by virtue of publication in State Gazette, issue No 73 of 1992.