Rila Monastery – Bulgaria
5 September 2016
An “A HA” moment at Rila Monastery.
After countless churches, scores of monuments, a plethora of museums and sites, it becomes harder and harder to feel an “A HA!” moment.
Zipping south on a relatively new highway, I am driven into the Rila Mountains and its largest tourist draw, the 10th century Rila Monastery, one of Bulgaria’s most important historical and architectural monuments and a UNESCO site. Stepping into its courtyard beneath towering cloud-draped mountains, the Rila Monastery provides one of those “A HAs!” I am surrounded by the lofty green peaks of the highest mountain range of Bulgaria and the Balkans. Clear rushing streams and drifting low clouds provide a perfect backdrop for revitalization and contemplation. (more…)