The road to Rila Monastery climbs a long valley through forests of beech and spruce, and when the monastery appears the effect is theatrical. Its walls enclose a courtyard of striped arcades in black, white and red, with a church in the middle covered in frescoes, and behind it the green flanks of the Rila mountains rise towards peaks of more than two and a half thousand metres. It is the largest and most important monastery in Bulgaria, and UNESCO listed it in 1983.
The monastery was founded in the tenth century by Ivan of Rila, a hermit who lived in a cave nearby and became the patron saint of Bulgaria. Pilgrims followed, and the community grew. Through the long centuries of Ottoman rule it kept Bulgarian language and culture alive, which gave it a symbolic place in the national story. A fire destroyed most of the buildings in 1833, and the monastery was rebuilt over the following decades in the form you see now. The tall tower of Hrelyo, from the fourteenth century, is the one medieval structure that survived.
The church of the Nativity, in the courtyard, is covered in murals painted by some of the best Bulgarian artists of the Revival period, including Zahari Zograf. Visitors are asked to keep their voices low and dress modestly, and photography inside the church is restricted. The monastery bakery is known for its fresh bread, and the little shops sell honey and icons. Trout from the Rila river often features on the menu in the restaurants nearby.
The ride up the valley is a real pleasure, with a decent surface, gentle bends and forest on both sides. The road climbs steadily, and it can be cool and damp even in summer. Rila, the nearest small town, has fuel, and Sapareva Banya, famous for its hot springs, is not far away. Go early in the day to avoid coach parties, and stay for the evening if you can, because once the day visitors leave, the place is calm. Autumn colours are glorious, and winter brings snow.