Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(mains 7-12 lv; 8am-midnight)
This restaurant specialising in Bulgarian grills and loc-
al fish is the area's most atmospheric, set in a traditionally decorated 19th-century build-
ing.
Bakery $
( dawn-dusk)
This popular little bakery near Rila Monastery's Samokov gate is good
for a mid-morning snack of hot, deep-fried doughnuts, bread and all-natural sheep's-milk
yoghurt.
BAKERY
Restaurant Drushlyavitsa $
( 0888278756; mains 6-13 lv; 8am-10pm)
Outside Rila Monastery's Samokov gate,
this fine place has outdoor tables overlooking a brook, and serves traditional Bulgarian
cuisine.
BULGARIAN
Getting There & Away
Most travellers visit Rila Monastery from Sofia (to the north) or Blagoevgrad (to the
south). One daily morning bus (17 lv, 2½ hours) goes from Sofia's Ovcha Kupel bus sta-
tion, returning in the afternoon. However, the monastery gets five daily buses from Rila
village (4 lv), making the latter a better transport hub. If you somehow get stranded in
Dupnitsa, two daily buses from there serve Rila Monastery directly.
Monastery day trips from Sofia by bus require leaving before 8am to travel to Dupnitsa
(1½ hours) from the central bus station or Ovcha Kupel bus station. Then grab the next
bus to Rila village or monastery, and repeat the process back to Dupnitsa, which also has
train connections to Sofia.
Five daily buses (9 lv, 45 minutes) run between Rila village and Blagoevgrad. A mon-
astery day trip from Blagoevgrad also requires starting early (leaving around 7am).
Alternatively, a taxi from Rila village to the monastery costs 20 lv. Taxis are available
at both village and monastery, so there's no need to pay the driver extra to wait for you to
finish your sightseeing.
Prices vary for organised full-day monastery tours from Sofia, but they're generally
around 100 lv per person. Bansko and Borovets resorts may also offer day trips, though
prices fluctuate considerably.
