Bulgaria Rila Monastery

“I didn’t expect much. I thought it would just be another historical church visit. But when we started driving deep into the Rila Mountains, something changed. The silence, the forests, the vastness of the landscape… it didn’t feel like a normal tourist place anymore. When I walked into the monastery courtyard for the first time, I just stood there quietly for a long time. No photos. No talking. Just listening to the bells and the wind.”

“We were relieved to finally get to the monastery after having issues with our hired car. [...] When we went to enter the monastery, we realised that our shorts were not long enough, so we had to come back to the car to dig out some trousers. Upon entering the large courtyard, we were presented with the picturesque scene of the beautiful monastery with the dramatic mountains as a backdrop.”

“Honestly I would come hungry to the Rila Monastery because the hottest ticket around the monastery is the monastic donuts (mekitsa). A huge line forms outside the donut window where you can buy a bag of donuts and cover them in powdered sugar or jam. They’re a mix between beignets and elephant ears, and they’re only 50 cents each. They’re somehow crunchy and fluffy at the same time, and not as greasy as you would expect.”