Sofia Holy Mount: Boyana Church and 3 Monasteries with 1 Trip

Your tour departs at 10:00 from the city center. The first stop will be at the UNESCO heritage site – the Boyana Church. It is renowned for its stunning medieval frescoes. Among these exceptional artworks are the captivating images from 1259, depicting the rulers of Sofia couple - Kaloyan and Desislava, along with members of the Bulgarian royal family of that era: Emperor Constantine Tikh Asen and Empress Consort Irene.

The Boyana Church “Saint Nicholas and Saint Panteleimon” stands as one of the few fully preserved monuments from the Middle Ages in Bulgaria, enduring through the centuries. According to one of its early researchers, André Grabar, “Boyana is the most valuable contribution to world medieval art. Its purity and harmonic balance of forms is striking.”

Nowadays, the inner part of the church nowadays operates as a museum, with an entrance ticket. Because of its smaller size, the inside visit is limited to 10 minutes, but it is still completely worth it!

Next, we will continue to the nearby Dragalevsky monastery “Assumption of the Virgin Mary”, founded in the 14th century. It is an important spiritual center and part of the Sofia Holy Forest, associated with Bulgarian history and literature. It serves as a spiritual haven, connecting visitors with nature and the divine.

This monastery exemplifies Bulgaria's cultural and religious heritage, harmonizing past and present. Historically, it was the most important monastery in the area, often donated by the last Bulgarian Emperors, and this is why it was referred as the “King`s monastery”. Nowadays, it serves as a nunnery, which means that only females are allowed to live there.

After that, the route then continues outside the city the Germansky monastery “Saint John of Rila”, located in a picturesque area and dedicated to the most revered Bulgarian saint. It is nestled in the Lozen Mountains, just 5 kilometers southeast of the village of Guerman in the Sofia Region.

Germansky Monastery is one of Bulgaria's oldest, belonging to the Sofia Holy Mount area, named after Saint Ivan of Rila, who is particularly venerated in the Sofia region. It was founded in the 10th century, making it one of the oldest monasteries in Bulgaria. Legend has it that Saint Ivan of Rila spent some time in the lands of the present monastery before retreating to Rila.

In the end of the 19th century, the monastery was visited by the Bulgarian ruler Ferdinand and his wife – Maria Luisa. They planted two towering sequoias by the northern gate, which are still present nowadays.

Finally, we will also visit the Kremikovsky monastery Saint George “the Victorious” – one of the oldest in the Sofia Holy Mount, dating back to the 14th century. The monastery impresses with its frescoes and its peaceful atmosphere.
There, you will have a time for a lunch break – you can use the restaurant next to it or try the typical local barbecue, prepared in the monastery itself! It is also strongly recommended to visit its shop for authentic home-made dairy products, which are remarkable for its quality and taste!

This excursion offers a balanced experience – nature, culture and spirituality – just a step away from the modern European capital.

After a great day of exploration, we will once again return and finish the tour in the city center of Sofia.