Only two km away from Bankia’s district of Mihailovo you will discover Divotino Monastery. The sanctuary was founded in the 11th century.

Divotino Monastery shared the fate of numerous other Bulgarian Christian complexes. It was destroyed in an 1806 assault.

Only the iconostasis and three icons have been preserved from the original monastery. The church and all other premises were reconstructed in 1902. The monastery has its miracle making icon of Virgin Mary.

Monks live in Divotino Monastery even today. The sanctuary was named a monument of culture.

The monastery offers no food or accommodation. Yet, its proximity to Bankia turns it into a popular tourism destination.

Information boards directing tourists towards Divotino Monastery are missing. It would be best to ask locals for directions.

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St. Ivan Rilski Monastery, also known as German Monastery, is situated five km away from the village of German in the Sofia region.

Information boards and a nice road will take you easily to the sanctuary.

The monastery was created in the 10th century and is one of the oldest in the country. According to a legend, St. Ivan of Rila lived there for a certain period of time.

Ottoman invaders destroyed the monastery upon their conquest. It was renovated in the 17th century and once again destroyed in the 18th century.

Monks who survived the assault started rebuilding the sanctuary. The new monastery church appeared in 1818.

Bulgarian rulers Ferdinand and Maria Luisa visited German Monastery in 1899 and planted two sequoias in its yard. The trees are still there today.

German Monastery offers no food and accommodation but is an excellent idea for a one-day trip outside Sofia.

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Lozen Monastery St. Spas is situated near the village of Dolni Lozen in Sofia region. The proximity to the capital turns the place into a favorite for weekend walks and relaxation away from the city.

The sanctuary was probably constructed between the 11th and 13th centuries. It was destroyed during the assault of Ourvich fortress. Renovation took place, but the monastery was taken down once again in the 17th century since monks took part in revolutionary struggles.

A renovation took place once again in 1821. The church was created over the remains of the old one.

Original wall paintings were preserved and depict both saints and historic personalities.

Lozen Monastery opened a school after the liberation of Bulgaria. It turned into a convent in 1900.

Unpaved road leads to the monastery today. You can also walk from Dolni Lozen and it will take you 30 minutes to reach Lozen Monastery.

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A beautiful mountain monastery is situated very close to the capital city of Sofia.  St. Bogoroditsa Vitoshka is more commonly known as Dragalevtsi Monastery. It is situated three km away from the district of Dragalevtsi, on the slopes of Vitosha Mountain.

To reach the monastery, you need to follow either an asphalt road or a mountain path. Information boards are missing so it might be best to ask for directions. You need to head to the first station of the Dragalevtsi lift, where the path to the monastery starts.

Dragalevtsi Monastery was founded in 1345 and its wall paintings were renovated in the 17th century.

The sanctuary acts as a convent nowadays. It offers no accommodation but a large number of hotels function in Dragalevtsi.

Several eco paths start near the monastery and will take you to some of the most beautiful Vitosha landmarks.

To learn more about Dragalevtsi Monastery click here.

St. Bogoroditsa Monastery, also known as Sedemte Prestola is situated 86 km away from Sofia and 50 km away from Vratsa, in the region of Sredna Gora Mountain.

Historians believe that the monastery appeared during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. Seven boyars or seven brothers created the sanctuary, thus giving it its name (sedemte prestola means seven thrones in Bulgarian).

The monastery church is known for its unusual architecture. Walls separate the interior space into seven chambers. Each one acts as a separate chapel.

The massive church chandelier is one of its main landmarks.

Sedemte Prestola Monastery was destroyed several times during the Ottoman rule. It was renovated after the end of the Russo-Turkish war.

The monastery garden is beautiful and various rare plants grow there. You can see a century-old sequoia tree.

Accommodation in the monastery is possible but you will have to obey several rules. Visitors are not allowed to go out at night and the consumption of alcoholic drinks in the monastery complex is banned.

Find out more about Sedemte Prestola Monastery here.

Kremikovtsi Monastery, also known as St. George, is situated three km away from the Sofia district of Kremikovtsi.

Follow the main street of Kremikovtsi to reach the monastery. It turns into a small road that ends right in front of the sanctuary.

Kremikovtsi Monastery was established during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom.

The most important landmark of the monastery is an old church dating back to 1493. Some of the wall paintings were renewed in the 17th century and some new ones appeared. A second major renovation took place in 1879.

Kremikovtsi Monastery offers no accommodation but its proximity to Sofia turns into a favorite weekend walk or a picnic destination.

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St. Teodor Stratilat Monastery is situated only two km away from the Sofia region village of Balsha. The village is located a few km away from Sofia’s ring road.

According to some legends, the monastery was created in the 12th century. Its exact age remains unclear.

In 2003, the monastery complex was opened once again after a long period of renovation works.

The church was significantly changes from the original. The complex has the potential to offer accommodation but this opportunity still remains unused.

To learn more about St. Teodor Stratilat Monastery click here.