Surrounded by staggering snow-capped mountain tops and huddled amidst magnificent pine woods, the Rila Moanstery has been the stronghold of Bulgarian Christianity for over 1000 years. It is an architectural miracle established in the late 10th C and has been granted UNESCO World Heritage status. Legend has it that the mountain river went miraculously dry so that the horse-driven carts loaded with construction materials could pass through.

St. John of Rila – the hermit who left a lasting mark

The monastery’s patron-saint and founder is St. John of Rila. Early on in his life John of Rila decided to live as a hermit and retreated in the high and deserted Rila Mountains. But word of his piety spread quickly and even King Petar decided to visit the holy man in his cave in the mountains. John of Rila, however, would not leave his seclusion and greeted the king only from a distance. He also accepted only the food that was offered to him and refused the gold. But despite his reclusive life, John of Rila attracted many followers and was proclaimed a saint while he was still alive. After his his death in 946 AD, his followers built a monastery in the saint’s initial place of habitation.

Present-day Rila Monastery

The construction of the present-day monastery which is the biggest in Bulgaria started around 13th-14th century. The striped black, white and red arches, the murals of saints and sinners and the stunning natural landscape, make the cloister a true spectacle. Its main church, the Holy Mother of Christ is a piece of art in its own right. Its walls and dome were painted by some of the best icon painters of the rime including Zahary Zograf.

The Rila Monastery treasures some of the most impressive icon paintings created in the 14th-19th centuries. The portrait of the monastery’s patron, St John of Rila, is the oldest icon in the monastery (14th C). Some other extremely valuable icons include that of St Arsenius (14th-15th C), the Assumption (15th-16th C), St George Enthroned (15th-16th C), John the Precursor, Archangel Michael and Christ Enthroned (17th C).
The iconostasis at the main altar is one of the masterpieces of the Samokov School of Master Wood Carvers. It is the biggest in Bulgaria and the only one that boasts exquisite gilted woodwork.
The tomb of the Bulgarian monarch King Boris III is also located inside the church.

The Hrelyu Tower

A devastating fire in 1778 destroyed much of the monastery. The only building that survived the flames was the Hrelyu Tower. This defensive structure, built in 1335 by a local feudal lord, still stands tall in the monastery’s courtyard. Legend has it that monks warded off attacks perched on top of the tower by pouring boiling-hot oil over any intruder. The tower has a chapel of its own. The murals and the old icon paintings inside it are superb and well-preserved examples of Medieval art. The earliest mural dates back to the 14th century and represents three scenes of the life of St. John of Rila.

The Monastery’s Museum

The artefacts exhibited inside the monastery’s museum reveal the miraculous story of the place. One of its most exquisite art pieces is the Rafali’s cross. The is the life work of the monk Rafali. For 12 consecutive years Rafaili toiled over his woodwork carving 36 different scenes from the Bible and a number of other figures. His exceptional cross is made from a single piece of wood and by the time Rafali completed it he had gone completely blind.

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We are traditionalists who are passionate about our folklore, culture, food, history, and nature. In order to provide our guests with an unparalleled experience, we explored every nook and cranny of our country. We met the winegrowers, farmers, and the elderly people who shared their stories with us. We simply fell in love with everything what Bulgaria has to offer and can hardly wait to show it to you.

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I guess you’ve heard about the Christmas markets in Europe, the red wine, the hand-made decorations, the music, lights, and the traditional food. But, do you know why on Christmas Eve in Bulgaria you will find either 7, 9 or 12 different dishes? Why do we put garlic, honey, walnuts, and wheat on the table? And as soon as everyone is seated, why no one is allowed to leave the table?

If you really want to understand our traditions we will need to start with the very very beginning. They might sound a bit weird but in the end, they will all make perfect sense to you.

1.Garlic, honey and wheat… Wait, what?

The Bulgarians are very superstitious that’s why they will never seat without having garlic on their table. It is believed to protect the house from evil, bad thoughts and against cold, of course. You can see a small pot with honey as a symbol of the “sweet life” and walnuts to predict the health of the family members. If the walnut is full, then the person will be healthy, but if it’s empty or rotten – you probably can guess the answer.

2. Vegan food. You won’t believe, but it is delicious!

On this day the food is only vegan, so no dairy products and meat. Women choose mainly food that swells like beans, rice, wheat etc. They believe the seeds are symbol of the fertility, health and that they will help the maidens to get pregnant. Bean soup, sauerkraut leafs filled with rice and stuffed dry peppers with potatoes are only 3 of the main dishes.  

3. Ritual Bread and lucky charms.

The oldest woman in the house will hide in the bread small items wrapped in tinfoil before she bakes it. Every item has its own meaning. For example, the coin is for wealth, the knob is for work, the willow branch is for health, the little piece of paper is for study and the bean is for productivity. Nowadays the young generation wraps small messages instead just to make it more fun.

4. Sour pastries and sugar, sugar, sugar!

Of course, there is our famous Banitsa (the filled pastry usually with eggs and cheese), but on this day you will find it with two different fillings. One will be with sauerkraut (called “zelnik”) and the other one will be with grated pumpkin and brown sugar (called “tikvenik”). In some regions, the elderly women will prepare “baklava” – a rich sweet dessert made of layers of tin unleavened dough filled with chopped nuts and held together with syrup made of sugar or honey.

5. Honey Water

The water this evening must be sweet too. We boil a variety of dried fruits, put sugar or honey in it and we call it “oshav” (ошав). To be honest, the combination of this sweetness with the sauerkraut and the salty bean soup is absolutely my favourite, although many people find it strange.  

6. Now let’s go back to the numerology. 

Why the number of the dishes are so important and what meaning stands behind each one? Clearly, 7 are the days of the week, the pregnancy lasts for 9 months and 12 are the months of the year. Believe me, there is no a single Christmas’s dinner when we seat on the table before we count the meals.

7. And now let’s count to 12…

Before we seat down we need to make sure that everything is set because no one is allowed to leave the table before we finish with our food. And so it begins – 1. Bread 2. Oshav (sweet water) 3.Bean soup 4. Sarmi (sauerkraut roles filled with rice) 5. Peppers (dry red peppers filled with potatoes or beans)  6. Fresh fruits 7. Walnuts 8. Honey 9. Zelnik (pastry with sauerkraut) 10. Tikvenik (pastry with grated pumpkin) 11. Wheat 12. Baklava (the sweet dessert).

The biggest honour of splitting the round loaf is always given to the oldest man in the house. The first piece of the bread he puts aside for the Mother of God so she won’t feel hungry ever again and another for the house. He is the one to say the blessing and the only one who can go and get the salt and pepper, (which we usually forget in the kitchen). Bending down he shows respect to the Earth, prays for a fertile and full harvest.

And as I’ve mentioned already, Bulgarians are superstitious … On this night the family will leave all the food on the table for the deceased people. We believe that the lost members of the family will come during the night and when they see all the food left for them, they will know they’ve not been forgotten.

Merry Christmas & Весела Коледа

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NASA

1. In 1977 Nasa included one of Bulgaria’s best-known folk songs on the Voyager Golden Record! The song was recorded in a classroom by American collector (Martin Coning) of folklore only with the sound of one bagpipe and the voice of the Valya Balkanska – Izlei e Delyo Haidutin. The bagpipe on the Balkans is called Gayda. The images and sounds selected for the two phonograph records are meant to portray an image of life on earth to any extra-terrestrial beings the craft may encounter.

Plovdiv

2. Plovdiv was chosen for the European Capital of Culture for 2019. It was found during the Neolithic period in the 2nd millennium BC and it is the oldest inhabited city in the world! Plovdiv was the largest Roman city on the Balkan Peninsula and the Episcopal Basilica with its mosaics was included just recently in the UNESCO’s Indicative List of Significant Cultural and Natural Objects. The Ancient Theatre it is a home very often to some of the world’s known performances.

The oldest processed gold in the world was found near the Black Sea in Varna, Bulgaria!

3.  A worker who was excavating in the area in 1972 discovered an ancient Necropolis (grave site). To date, 294 graves have been found at the site, which dates to between 4600 and 4200 BC. One particularly rich grave contained 3,000 gold artifacts, an amount greater that the combined total of all other known sites in the world form that era. The cache was shown for first time in United States in 1988, in New York City in 2009 – 2010 and it was exhibited for 7 months in Japan as “The Oldest Gold in the World – The First European Civilization“.

Glagolitic alphabet was devised by St. Cyril and Methodius

4. Glagolitic alphabet was devised by St. Cyril and Methodius in the 850s and introduced to the world by the First Bulgarian Empire in 886 AD. At the beginning of the 10th century the Glagolitic alphabet was gradually substitute by the Cyrillic script developed around the Preslav Literary School, Bulgaria. The Cyrillic script became the third official script of the European Union in 2007, following the Latin and Greek ones.

Bulgaria is the world’s largest producer of lavender

5. Bulgaria is the world’s largest producer of lavender and the second world’s largest producer of rose oil. Did you know that for one kg of rose oil you need 3.5 tons of rose petals?

The Bulgarian tradition of carpet-making in Chiprovtsi became part of the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2014   

6. The handwoven carpets (kilimi) have been made by the women of Chiprovtsi using a unique technique of weaving on a vertical handloom that is unchanged since the 17th century. The women say prayers and make wishes for luck and success before starting a new carpet, and sing and tell stories while working at the loom.

Mineral springs

7. More than 2 000 mineral springs in the country and in additional you can pour the healing water into your bottle almost on every corner. Well, not only corner… Almost on every curve of the route, in the middle of the main square or just from your tap at home. Yes, only in Sofia we have 31 separate reservoirs and 75 water sources of mineral waters, which makes the Capital one of the richest municipalities in the world by mineral water wealth.

Lactobacillus Bulgaricus

8. Now get into your 5 senses…which pops into your mind first? Perhaps it will be your sense of taste. Dairy lovers may be aware that the bacteria strain needed to produce yoghurt‘s mild texture is called “Lactobacillus Bulgaricus”. But did you know that these natural bacteria are found only in mammals and plants living in Bulgaria? It’s true!

European Capital of Survas & Mummers

9. In ancient Bulgaria, wearing masks was believed to provide protection from evil, ensure a successful harvest, and guarantee health and fertility for humans and farm animals. Many legends date back to the 7th centuries the First Bulgarian Empire, however other tales relate to the Thracian times. In 1995 the International Federation of Carnival Cities accepted the town of Pernik as a full member. In June, 2009, Pernik was proclaimed as the European Capital of Survas & Mummers and included in the UNESCO list of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

Zagreus was a Thracian god later known as Dionysus – the God of wine

10. Our grape growing is dating back to the 4th millennium BC, when our lands were inhabited by the Thracians. Zagreus was a Thracian god later known as Dionysus – the God of wine. Did you know that the Thracians wine was even mentioned in the Iliad – an ancient Greek poem? The Wine Museum of Pleven is a perfect combination of a natural cave, degustation room and cold white wine. But not only! The museum holds selection of over 7000 bottles of wine, ranging from 30 to 90 years and items related to the vine growing in the Bulgarian lands from the ancient Thracian times until today.   

The Misionis Fortress 

11. The Misionis Fortress (5-6th century) is located in the Preslav Mountains just 20 min away from the main route to Varna, Bulgaria. The place was mentioned three times in the book of Muhammad al-Idrisi – “The book of pleasant journeys into faraway lands” as a flourishing town. He was the drawer of one of the most advanced ancient world maps in 1154 – The Tabula Rogeriana – Arab Muslim cartographer, geographer and Egyptologist.

The Deaf Stones

12. “The Deaf Stones” Thracian Sanctuary are Rock blocks with deep gorges cut. A large cult monument in Bulgaria and you can see several of these unique formations in Rhodopi Mountains. The bed, the niche cut in the eastern part and a carved tomb chamber seems to be unfinished, but who would know how they’ve looked like before the Earthquake in the 4th century AD?!

Sultans Trail

13. Arda River is a tributary of Maritsa River connecting Bulgaria and Greece. The villages around this river are included in one of the most famous routes called the “Sultans Trail” – long-distance footpath from Vienna to Istanbul(2 200 km/ 1 400 ml)

Villa Armira

14. Near Ivaylovgrad, Haskovo province of Bulgaria – Villa Armira is dating back to the 1st century and it is believed that belonged to a noble Roman Thrace. Some of the most unique mosaics can be seen in the 22 separate rooms. The marble decoration, geometric figures, animals and plants display features typical of Ancient Roman art. She was named after the River Armira, minor tributary of River Arda.

Orpheus

15. We all have heard about Orpheus – legendary musician, prophet and poet who had the ability to charm all living things (even the stones) with his music. It is believed that Orpheus and king Rhesus (another Thracian ruler) were the only two leaders buried overground – on a top of a hill. Tatul is a Thracian sanctuary where this ritual is closely linked to the cult of Orpheus and many clay altars dating back to 18-19 century BC are proving that it was used without interruption during the Iron Age.  

Magura Cave

16. Magura Cave is one of the few cave complexes in the world where you can stand within inches of prehistoric paintings that were painted between 8,000 and 10,000 years ago. And the visit of the cave can be combined with a tasting of some of the best wines in the country, specially selected to mature in natural conditions.

St. Alexander Nevsky”Cathedral

17. One of the largest Orthodox Churches in Europe “St. Alexander Nevsky”Cathedral can hold up to 10 000 people at once. The temple has 12 bells and the heaviest is weighing 12 tons. The Cathedral was designed by Alexander Pomerantsev and it was built in honour to the Russian soldiers who died in the Russo-Turkish war and liberated Bulgaria from the Ottoman Rule.

Eco trails

18. Over 140 eco trails on a 111 000 square kilometres – this is our Bulgaria. More than 20 are near Sofia and having a picnic in the forest is the first thing that comes up to my mind when I think of quiet weekend

The Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo

19. Unique frescoes from the rock-hewn monasteries in the limestone cliffs of Rusenski Lom. The Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo became part of the UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1979. Remarkable artistry for the 13-14th century and mastery in the art of the Second Bulgarian Empire.

The salvation of the Bulgarian Jews from the Holocaust

20. Memorial of “The salvation of the Bulgarian Jews from the Holocaust”. Did you know that Bulgaria is one of the countries that saved all their Jews three times from deportation to the concentration camps? Dimitur Peshev, Exarch Stefan of Bulgaria and Kiril, Metropolitan of Plovdiv are names that we should remember and be proud of. The rescue has been praised by public figures worldwide. 

The National Theatre of Ivan Vazov   

21. The National Theatre of Ivan Vazov in Sofia. A name that will live forever as the Symbol of the National Awakening in Bulgaria. Did you know that “Under the yoke” by Ivan Vazov was translated into over 30 languages in 1888? The famous “Epic of the Forgotten” was written right after the liberation of Bulgaria and left a huge mark in our hearts.

Sofia is Bulgaria’s capital 

22. Sofia is built in three layers. This hidden Rotunda or the Church of St. George can be found in the middle of the city centre of Sofia, Bulgaria. She was built in the 4th century as a second layer … Read more about our history before that period and soon you will find out why Bulgaria is claiming to be the First European Civilization.

Black Sea

23. The Black Sea turned last summer into a turquoise heaven thanks to a phytoplankton bloom. It was so bright that even NASA took a satellite image of the bloom. Blue sky, fresh air and sun-kissed beaches…The Summer is on its way!

We are traditionalists who are passionate about our folklore, culture, food, history, and nature. In order to provide our guests with an unparalleled experience, we explored every nook and cranny of our country. We met the winegrowers, farmers, and the elderly people who shared their stories with us. We simply fell in love with everything what Bulgaria has to offer and can hardly wait to show it to you.

Looking for more ideas:

• History & Culture
• Nature & Outdoor activities
• Festivals and more …
• Day trips from Sofia

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A PRIVATE TOUR AND WANT TO DISCOVER MORE THAN THE TOURIST SIGHTS, THAN YOUR GUIDES ARE WAITING FOR YOU…

Did we get your attention? Let’s start our journey through Bulgaria together and discover it all!  

Create your own itinerary

The post GET OFF THE BEATEN TRACK IN EUROPE – BULGARIA ! appeared first on Bulgaria Tours | Sofia Day Trips | Private Tours | Undiscovered Bulgaria.