Bachkovo Monastery of the Dormition of the Mother of God

The second largest functioning Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria after the Rila Monastery, in a picturesque spot among the mountains. Established in the 11th century, it has been sacked and rebuilt several times. The only original building to survive is the Ossuary; the monastery's Cathedral Church of the Dormition was built in 1604. Getting there is extremely easy, as buses on the route Plovdiv-Smolyan stop in both Asenovgrad and Bachkovo. Tell the driver you are going to the monastery (simply saying "Bachkovo Manastir" should do the trick) and he may drop you off right in front.