We wondered what the hermit monk, Ivan Rilski, for whom the monastery is named, would think of the monastery today. The hermit lived in a cave without any material possessions not far from the monastery’s location in the 10th century. Far from that humble cave, The Monastery of Saint John of Rila, “Sveti Ivan Rilski” is an elaborate and busy pilgrimage and tourist spot.
Rila Monastery
The monastery was built in the 14th century but has been damaged and rebuilt several times. Other than the 14th century Hrelyo’s Tower, most of the buildings are from the 19th century. Unlike many Christian sites, it continued to operate as a school during the Ottoman reign.
Upon entering through Dupnitsa Gate, you will gasp at the beauty of the site. The large, stone Nativity of the Virgin Church takes centre stage. Painted in bright colourful murals it is breathtaking. Some of these murals are instructions on what one should do and not do in life as well as what constitutes bad actions.
The large courtyard is bordered by 2, 3 and 4 story buildings with striped arches in front of each room. The stairs leading to the upper floors were closed to anyone except monastery residents.
Inside the church, the multiple domes on the ceiling makes it feel as if there are several separate rooms, each with their own dome Every inch of the tall, vaulted ceilings are covered in murals depicting saints and Bible stories. Even the thick window sills are painted with murals.
In the middle there is a massive golden chandelier and at end, the altar is covered in golden picture frames. Tall candelabras are lit by worshippers.
If you go through Samokov Gate at the back of the complex you will find a few old village buildings, food kiosks and basic accommodations for those who want to stay overnight.
Entrance fee – Entry is free, although there is a fee to enter the small museum inside; Opening Hours – 6:30 am to 8 pm
Note – Conservative dress is required. Shoulders must be covered and shorts/skirts must go below your knees. These rules are for both men and women.
Getting to Rila Monastery
If you don’t have a car you will need to join a tour to visit Rila Monastery. Many tours are offered in Sofia or Plovdiv. If you do have a car it is a nice 2 hour drive from Sofia. There is no public transportation to the lake.
If you liked Rila Monastery, you may also enjoy reading about Bachkovo Monastery. You can read about it in our post Visit Bulgaria’s Plovdiv.
7 Rila Lakes Trek
Nestled in the Rila Mountain Range is a popular hike to seven pretty mountain lakes. Autumn was just beginning, and the fall colours were starting to come out adding more colours to the treed mountains. Our destination was to hike to the 7 Rila Lakes, a group of glacier lakes located high up in the Bulgarian mountains.
The hike begins at the top of the chair lift, but in the autumn it wasn’t in operation. Instead, we hiked our way up through the dense forest. Since it didn’t allow us any views of the landscape we were starting to wonder if this hike would be worth it. Once we got out of the trees though, we were treated to panoramic views of the rugged hills all around and we knew we had made a great choice in coming here.
After reaching the top of the chair lift we had one more ridge to climb. From the top of it we could see our first lake. Called Lower Lake, Lake 1 (Dolnoto Ezero) is the lowest at an elevation of 2,095 m (6,873 ft).
There is a good trail that follows along the ridge and took us by lakes 1 to 5. None of the lakes are large, but they each have their own personality. The first three are in quick succession and are tucked into small coves formed by the hills. Right beside lake 1 is Lake 2 called Fish Lake (Ribnoto Ezero) (2,184m/7165 ft ). There is a very rustic lodge beside lake 2 where you may be able to stay during the summer months.
After passing Fish Lake we very quickly saw Lake 3 called Cloverleaf (Trilistnika) at 2,216 m/7,270 ft). Its irregular shape does look like a cloverleaf from some perspectives.
At first we thought that the next lake was very small. Lake 4 is called Twin Lake (Bliznaka) (2,244m/7,362 ft) because it’s almost split into two. Initially we could only see one twin.
Lake 5, called Kidney Lake (Babreka) (2,282 m/7486 ft), is the largest of the seven lakes. We followed a trail that took us right beside its shore. The rugged rockwall behind it gives it a dramatic backdrop; made even better by its reflection off the still lake.
From above we could tell from its shape why it is named Kidney.
We weren’t sure where the next lake was located but could see a trail that climbed up a sharp ridge in front of us. We followed its steep switchbacks to reach Lake 6, 100 m or so above. It is called The Eye (Okoto) because of its oval shape. It is located at 2,440m (8,005 ft), but we still had to climb higher. From a ridge above lake 6 we looked back for an amazing view of The Kidney and the Eye.
The final lake is even higher, a steep, gravelly trail climbs to reach it. Tear Lake (Salzata) 2,535 m (8,317 ft) on its own may not be worth the climb, but the views from a point just above it, definitely make it worth while. From this point we can look down to see the first 4 lakes huddled together on the plateau with Kidney off on its own.
Hike details
The hike to Rila 7 Lakes begins at the chair lift for the ski resort. It’s open in the summer but our mid October visit meant that it was no longer in operation. The hike from the parking lot to the top of the lift is mostly through a dense forest with pine and poplar trees. Above the chair lift is where the true hike begins.
If you take the gondola the trail is 11.4 km (7.1 miles), with an elevation gain of 350 m (1100 ft). If the gondola is closed, add an additional couple of kilometers and over 500 m.
On most summer weekends 4000 people hike on these trails The lakes are protected so you must stay on the trails and not even put your fingers in the lakes.
During the summer months it is possible to take public transportation from Sapareva Banya, but that is not an option in off-season. It is a very nice drive through the mountains though if you have your own car.
There are quite a few trail signs, but they are written in the Cyrillic. Look for ones that say Рилски езера (Rila Lakes).
When to hike 7 Rila Lakes
The lakes are located above 2,100 meters so are best visited in the summer months. They are often still frozen in June and snow covered in October. We visited in early October and the air was cool, perfect for hiking, but some years the trail may be already covered in snow. Summer weekends though, it will be very busy with as many as 4,000 people. Most don’t make it up to lake 7 so only the first few will be busy.
There are two mountain chalets where you can stay during the summer, but they are apparently very rustic. The hike easily done on a day trip from either Panichishte or Sapareva Banya.
Stob Pyramids
On our drive to Rila Monastery we stopped to take a small hike. A 1.1 km (3/4 mile) trail takes you 150 m (490 ft) beside a few hoodoos and to the top where there is a nice view of the countryside. It’s okay if you are in the area visiting Rila Monastery, and have your own car, but not worth a trip on its own.
Entrance Fee – 3 BGN ($1.70 USD)
Tips for visiting Rila Monastery and 7 Rila Lakes
The easiest way to see both of these sites is if you have your own car. Otherwise, there are many day tours to either from Sofia. We don’t think there is a combined tour to both. In the summer you can stay in one of the huts, but they appeared to be closed in the fall. We stayed overnight in the city of Sapareva Banya. There are quite a few hotels and restaurants in the small city.
Getting to many of the small, mountain communities in Bulgaria is not as easy by public transportation so renting a car is often a better option. Visitors from almost any country outside of the EU need to show a physical copy of their international driver’s permit. A digital copy is not enough. Car rental agencies are very strict with this rule.
Click on the link for Travel Tips For Bulgaria.
To read more of our adventures in Bulgaria, click here.
Coming Next – Bulgaria’s First Empires
For pictures from other blogs go to Gallery at monkeystale.ca
To read about more of our adventures go to Destinations.
If you like what you read, please comment or share (with credit) using the links below.
We'd love to hear from you, please leave a comment.