Rila mountain and Rila monastery in Bulgaria

One of the reasons Bulgaria is so beautiful is due to its diversity – we have both sea and beautiful mountains, many rivers, lakes, mineral springs, etc. The mountain with the highest peak in the Balkans is Rila. It is located in the southwestern part of the country and its highest peak – Musala, stands at 2,925 m above sea level.
But Rila has other beauties and it is a favorite place for hikers. The so-called Seven Rila lakes are a natural landmark that you shouldn’t miss – they are unique with their clean water and the height on which they are located – between 2100 and 2500m. above sea level. They are connected by small streams and are one above the other, which allows small waterfalls to form.
Another interesting place in Rila is the Rila monastery – a millennium-old monastery complex, built by the saint Ivan Rilski. Through the history, it has been destroyed and rebuild several times and today it is one of the symbols of the country. It is also listed in UNESCO’s world heritage list.
Tens of thousands of people visit the monastery every year. Through the years, the place was maintained with the help of the people, and even today a big part of the budget of the place comes from donations. Some, like the publisher Svetlyo Kantardjiev make monetary donations, while others like Zdravka Georgieva donates ethnographic objects for the museum, passed in her family.
The monastery is truly a place you couldn’t miss, if you came in Bulgaria to see something and not just enjoy the sea. I recommend it to everybody – and it is sad today, that many Bulgarians have never visited this highly spiritual place with huge historical value.