Bachkovo Monastery “Dormition of the Theotokos”

Beautiful and quiet spiritual place. You can find a parking lot near Main street (parking fee) and Walk the touristic way. The monastery itself ist beautiful and recommended.

Very beautiful monastery, quiet and peaceful. Parking is available, 2,56€ only cash. On your way to the entrance there are plenty of shops with locally produced food (honey, jams etc) and souvenirs.

It was a beautiful Monastery and I learned more about the Orthodox church. There are amazing paintings in a display room done by young people in the area. The church was overwhelming with all the visuals. Unfortunately we were not able to take pictures.

Here, nestled in the Rhodope mountains, the Bachkovo Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos stands as a moving testament to religious tolerance and historical continuity. Founded in 1083, it has welcomed different cultures, survived invasion and change, and still welcomes visitors of all faiths to reflect, pray or simply pause. The stone walls, the quiet courtyards and the rich frescoes speak of an era when different traditions—Byzantine, Georgian, Bulgarian—and yes, even Ottoman-era coexistence left their mark. It is a place that encourages respect, contemplation and the freedom to worship in one’s own way. A truly beautiful and humbling site.

A nice monastery and the nature around and the fact that in the monastery there are the graves of two people that had a major role in preventing the deportation of Bulgarian Jews during WW2

Beautiful location, would have been 5 stars but the museum and some of the other rooms were still closed at 9:45am and no one was sure what time they were meant to open so didn't get to see everything I'd hoped. Well worth the journey anyway though.

Hi there! We visited this wonderful monastery and we enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere and the “Vecernia”(around 6 p.m). Located ~ two hours away from Sofia, it is attracting many pilgrims and it’s worth visiting also for its unique architecture and painting - typical of Eastern Orthodox culture. Bachkovo Monastery has at least two other church buildings in addition to its main one, its own museum and later on we discovered that it preserves a significant ossuary which can be reached in a few hundred meters away from it… So, are you ready to visit one of the oldest monasteries on the Balkan Peninsula, still active (with monks) and the 2nd largest in Bulgaria? :)✌🏻

A sanctuary of peacefulness. Some fantastic frescoes. We ate at one of the eateries on the street leading to the monastery which was below average. They all do the same thing and all look the same quality. Recommend eating elsewhere. But the monastery is great.