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ChristinaNest Says: I didn't have much interest in flowers before until I started collecting stamps and postcards. Then I noticed that some people collect flower postcards and stamps only, and looking for such to send them, I learned a bit more about flowers. I still collect touristic postcards...
ChristinaNest Says: Rila National Park is a protected area because of its wildlife and flora. We didn't see any of the bigger animals (such as bears or mountain goats), and not even rodents, but I guess they avoid tourists. We only saw some beatiful birds like the one on the photo that I don't...
ChristinaNest Says: The last part of the path to Skakavitsa hut goes by the river which is falling down in beautiful cascades and little waterfalls. The path is so steep that you get out of breath quite fast, so this is a great way to relax while enjoying the view. The cascades come up one...
ChristinaNest Says: Skakavitsa waterfall is supposed to be the highest one on the Balkans. It is within a 30-minute walk from Skakavitsa hut. The path goes by the river and through flower fields so it's very nice. If you want to climb a big higher from the base of the waterfall, you need some...
Rila Monastery-Bulgaria's Spiritual Place
cuppajo Says: A "must see" for any trip to Bulgaria is the Rila Monastery. Situated in the beautiful mountains of southwest Bulgaria, the Rila is the country's most visited tourist destination and a holy place for Bulgarians. Stepping into this ancient wooden Orthodox Church transports...
Sininen Says: Our trip to Rila was pre-VT time so I didn't take many photos, though at the time I thought I was taking lots of them. For instance I have not taken any photos of the ceiling frescos which are so beautiful. Now I cannot understand why. Probably because I knew that we had to...
Sininen Says: We really admired the beautiful buildings there, whcih reminded me of Spain, maybe because of the Arab influence in them. Even though I am not a worrying type I ahve to admit that I couldn't help thinking of how we would get back to the station from the monastery and it...
Sininen Says: We began to explore the monastery area and it was so beautiful. Surrounded by stunning mountains, one of which was Rila's highest mount-Moussala (2925m). If we had had more time we would have loved to take some hikes and see more of the breathtaking scenery. Unfortunately we...
Sininen Says: In the morning we walked to the railway station and began to arrange a ride to Rila. It wasn't easy because when people heard that we spoke foreign language they disappeared. Finally the man who sold tickets found two men who agreed to take us to Rila and back (at least we...
wrangler_blk Says: Small and nice restaurant in front of Rila Monastery.Good breakfast was served there! I have visited it with my cousins. We were satisfied.Unfortunately I don't remember restaurant's name but there are 2 or 3 restaurants and you can choose anyone by your choice!Enjoy!
MacDaddie Says: Can't remember the name...but as you walk through the monastery and out the back there will be two restaurants visible...one up on the left over the stream...the other straight ahead. I ate up on the left and it was good....had the chicken with Potatoes, plus some grilled...
If you are too lazy to walk...
hekate Says: If you are too lazy to walk up to the Rila lakes hut you can go to Vada hut, close to Govedartsi village and take a truck GAZ or a van WAZ. Both vehicles are Russian make and the abbreviation shows factory where they were made.Do not expect comfort :) You will travel trough...
hekate Says: If you are too lazy to walk up to the Rila lakes hut you can go to Vada hut, close to Govedartsi village and take a truck GAZ or a van WAZ as I said in my other tip. Besides that option you can try some horse back riding.The horses are next to the trucks and I think that the...
Transportation to Skakavitsa hut
ChristinaNest Says: To get there from Sofia, we took the train Sofia-Kulata at around 7:30 am and got off at Dupnitsa at around 9:45 am. The bus station is right next to the trainstation, and from there we took a minibus that goes to hizha (hut) Pionerska. You have to tell the driver that...
ChristinaNest Says: Beside the 'Rilski ezera' hut there are horses/mules and jeeps. The horses can transport you to the other side of the lakes (Bubreka lake). We didn't try that, but heard that it was 20 lv per person. By jeep you can get down to civilization, althouth I heard that it's...
Sininen Says: It was easy to purchase a bus ticket in Sunny Beach to Sofia. I don't remember the price anymore but it was very cheap. Everybody gets a seat number and our seats were in the back row and we were wondering if the ride would be bumpy and make us sick. Fortunately it was a...
hekate Says: Petar Danov (1864-1944) known also as Beinsa Douno is the founder of the doctrine of the White brotherhood and owrshiper of the Sun.In 1929 Petar Danov and his disciples came here and made a camp at the second lake. From then on the Seven Rila Lakes are considered sacred for...
hekate Says: There are snakes in Rila so watch out were you step. Especially when walking on rocks.Some of the snakes are poisonous. A friend of mine who was raised in a Rila village told me that you could prevent a snake bite by squeezing a piece of garlic on your feet. So, if you want,...
DPando Says: there is a little museum inside the rocky nooks of this building or complex ...you can see the former tools they used ....its not per free i guess 1o 2 euros ..it doesnt worth so much but just per 1 euro so you can deem it !
DPando Says: Several cats and dogs live altogether there ..i saw a real dogs family lol !! and the cats are so calm and not uneasy as we use to see in main cities... this is their home and we are the visitors so its easy to caress them with no harm
Plan a Rila vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Rila locals
Behind the Rila Monastery is a small court yard where there are a few small shops & places to eat. All is located next to a river that passes next to the...
Q: Could someone enlighten me as the distance in Kilometers from Hissarya to Rila Monastery and approximate drive time? I'm also...
A: Hi, To go to Rila from Hissar,you shoud pass trough Plovdiv(40km),than Pazardzik(40km) and than you go trough the mountain(around 130km) to Dupnitza and than again...
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Rila is the highest mountain in Bulgaria and on the whole Balkan Peninsula. The name Rila is derived from the Thracian word roula, meaning ‘lots of water’ due to the beautiful perenial lakes and...
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Rila is the highest mountain on the Balkan Penninsula and Europe's 5th highest. There are around 200 lakes and many mineral springs there. There many places to visit: Mussala peak, the beautiful Seven...
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RILA WONDERFUL DAY TRIP THROUGH BULGARIAN HILLS
I've got some interesting experiences in Rila. I'd love to share with you the 13 tips I've written, the 16 photos uploaded, and 0 travelogues I've created.
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As we were booking a tour to Istanbul from Sunny Beach in Bulgaria I saw absolutely gorgeous photo of Rila Monastery on the wall of the travel agency and knew immediately that I wanted to go there.......
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If you can go only one place in Bulgaria outside of Sofia, this is it! Rila Monastery is perhaps the most revered site in the country. During 500 years of Turkish Ottoman domination, the monasteries...
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