Take a day to visit the center of culture in the heart of Bulgaria, and visit Rila Monastery and Boyana church. This tour includes a trip to see the origins of the Glagolitic and Cyrillic alphabets, with an opportunity to learn other unique and interesting facts about the role of the monastery in the political and Orthodox history of Bulgaria.

The artistic richness of the frescoes, carvings, and ancient material monuments found on these sites is enormous. And to top it off, all of this rich cultural history is preserved by a large museum complex, complete with a rich library that preserves approximately 3,500 unique exhibits, including nearly 300 manuscripts, and 9,000 print and graphic publications from the 11th to 19th centuries. Safely protected within the museum grounds are also the relics of the founder of the monastery and patron saint of the Bulgarian people, St. Ivan Rilski, as well as the icon of the Most Holy Mother of God Osenovitsa, and the relics of 32 early Christian saints. All of this and more can be seen among the hundreds of centuries-old relics of the Rila Monastery. As well, visit the Boyana church, located near Sofia. Built in the 10th century, this magnificent church preserves the spirit of the Byzantine-Balkan Renaissance, and within it is contained the image of the Bulgarian Mona Lisa from the 13th century: the boilie Desislava.

UNESCO has these sites high on its list of monuments. Join this tour and you will soon see why.