Saint Ivan Rilski cave

Visit the cave of Saint Ivan Rilski, located near the Rila Monastery in the Rila Mountains. The cave of Saint Ivan Rislki is one of the most sacred places in Bulgaria, as it was the home of Saint Ivan Rilski for the last five years before his blissful passing and the place he used to live before the establishment of the Rila Monastery.

After you visit the Rila Monastery, take the road behind the monastery, the cave of Saint Ivan Rilski is located approximately 3-5 kilometers from the monastery. You will arrive in an area in the forest with signs pointing towards the cave of Saint Ivan Rilski. You can leave your vehicle there and take the path in the forest. The hike towards the cave of Saint Ivan Rilski is approximately 20 minutes, with some steep and rocky areas along the path. Nevertheless, there are signs pointing to the cave, and the path in general is not very difficult to walk through, however, be sure that you have comfortable shoes suitable for the forest. Reaching the end of the path, you will arrive in front of "The Passing of St. Ivan" chapel.

The construction date of the "St. Ivan" chapel is unknown, however, it was remodeled in 1820, and the feast day is celebrated on the 18 of August. The cave of Saint Ivan Rilski is on the right side of the chapel, you will see a sign pointing towards the cave. Narrow stairs lead to the cave's narrow entrance, where Saint Ivan lived. The cave itself is small and dark, thus, you should have some flashlight. On the right side in the cave, there are wooden stairs going to the other exit/entrance of the cave. However, the second entrance is very narrow.

After you go out of the cave of Saint Ivan Rilski and go a bit further, you will see a small spring. Climbing after the spring, you reach the prayer rock that reveals a marvelous view of the Rila Mountains. When you walk around the cave, the spring, and the praying rock, you will see folded pieces of paper stuck into the walls and rocks where people write down their wishes.