Europe

[Visited: June 2020]

The street of Melnik is empty when I walk east: it is very early, and behind the cloud cover, the sun should still be busy climbing to the top of the mountains. To my surprise, the trail actually starts as a dirt track, and then follows the dry riverbed. I am surrounded by steep hills, the sandstone pyramids I have seen from the top of other hills south of Melnik. The valley narrows, until the trail turns left and I find myself on a steep climb up the hills. I quickly gain altitude, and reach viewpoints which directly pay off for the effort made. It is a pity the sky is covered in clouds: I can see the sandstone peaks above the forest below, and I can see far from here, towards the plains beyond Melnik, where the landscape dissolves in the grey of the early morning light.
A little higher up, I reach a ridge which offers unobstructed views in all directions. I scream Wow to the sky, and walk to the far end of the ridge, where an old tree stands precariously close to the abyss of the sandstone pyramids, struggling to stay on top of things. Just at this moment, rays of sunlight start to burn through the holes in the clouds, and filter a delicate curtain over the mountains in the distance. Closer by, I see the hexagonal shape of Rozhen Monastery, my destination. I continue hiking the trail, which brings me over a rickety bridge, and am happy to find the door of the monastery open, as it is still before 7am. The sound of solemn singing is swirling through the air towards me. I see the well executed frescoes on the wall of the Nativity of the Holy Virgin Church, with the Last Judgment and the Ladder to Heaven as the most remarkable achievements. Unfortunately, large parts of the frescoes have disappeared over time: Rozhen Monastery suffered a big fire in the 17th century.
After seeing the frescoes, and a quick peek inside the church, I decide to sit on a wooden bench in the sun. Apart from the singing, and the occasional bird, there is no sound to be heard. A cat sits on my lap, and I stroke its back. All around the monastery, I notice a big grapevine: it was planted more than 300 years ago, just after the fire that engulfed the monastery. The library of the monastery was completely destroyed, but a 1551 chant book in a library on Mount Athos refers to Rozhen Monastery. I have a second look at the frescoes again, and when I enter the church, only the priest is there, still singing. I light a candle for a dear friend battling cancer, before hiking back to Melnik. It so happens that I redo the hike at the end of the day, when there are still rays of sun piercing through the cloud cover, and Rozhen Monastery is as quiet as dounf it that morning. What a peaceful spot.

Around the World in 80 Clicks

Personal travel impressions both in words and images from Rozhen Monastery (Bulgaria). Clicking on the pictures enlarges them and enables you to send the picture as a free e-card or download it for personal use, for instance, on your weblog. Or click on the map above to visit more places close to Rozhen Monastery.
Read more about this site.
Book your hotel in Rozhen

Book a hotel near Rozhen Monastery, Rozhen, Bulgaria with low prices for all kinds of hotels - without reservation fees.

Rozhen Monastery > Bulgaria > Europe

[Visited: June 2020]

Around the World in 80 Clicks

Book your hotel in Rozhen