Trip to the Wonderful Bridges, Bachkovo Monastery and Asen’s Fortress from Plovdiv

Highlights

• Amazing view from Asen’s Fortress
• Bachkovo Monastery is the second largest monastery in Bulgaria
• The Wonderful Bridges situated in the heart of the lovely Rhodope Mountains

All about the trip

From Plovdiv, we will head towards the Rhodope Mountains passing through the pretty town of Asenovgrad. Nearby we will see the remarkable remains of King Ivan Asen’s Fortress, a wise ruler of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. There we find an ancient church dating to the 13th century painted with authentic pieces of iconography. At the top of the fortress, we will enjoy an awesome 360 degrees panorama all over the Rhodope Mountains, Asenovgrad town, The Thracian Valley and the imposing Balkan Range with its highest Botev Peak in the far distance.

Next, we will go deeper in the Rhodope Mountains towards the picturesque Bachkovo Monastery. The cloister is the second largest in Bulgaria, founded in 1083 and one of the most sacred places in Bulgarian history. Inside the monastery, we will visit the main church of the Virgin Mary built in 1604 where a rare icon of Saint Mary from 11-12th century AD is being kept. According to the legend and the big number of healed people this remarkable icon is believed to be miraculous. Connected to the Virgin Mary church we will see the Archangels’ Church dating to the 12th century. The monastery refectory is another jewel in the complex which has preserved colorful murals from 1643. Together with the Doomsday fresco, we witness the images of prophets, saint-monks, ancient philosophers and writers as Socrates, Aristotle, Plato and many more. The panoramic mural painting on the outside wall of the refectory represents a bird’s eye view of the monastery with all the surrounding buildings from 1807. This is the biggest scenic mural on the Balkan Peninsula! In the second monastery yard, we finally visit the Saint Nikola church built between 1834 and 1837.

Next, we continue the tour towards The Wonderful Bridges situated at 1450 m above the sea level in the heart of the lovely Rhodope Mountains. This unique nature phenomenon consists of two rocky bridges (height of 45 m) over a small river. The marble bridges were formed by an earthquake and the erosive activity of the once high-water river. Together with the Bachkovo Monastery and the Asen’s Fortress these outstanding nature bridges are also on the list of the 100 national tourist sites of Bulgaria.

In summer on the weekends the longest zip line on the Balkan peninsula (240 m) stretching between the 2 bridges is available for the more adventurous travelers. The zip line ride takes place some 50 m above the river flowing through the two rocky bridges.

What is included in the price

• English speaking tour guide
• Plovdiv hotel pick-up and drop-off
• Parking fee

What is not included in the price

• Insurance
• Asen’s Fortress entrance fee (1 € student and elderly, 2 € adults)
• Bachkovo Monastery refectory entrance fee (3 €)
• Snacks and drinks

Instructions

Please show up at the meeting point 15 minutes before the scheduled time.