We will start this half day tour from your accommodation in Plovdiv. You just need to relax and enjoy in the ride through the beautiful city of Asenovgrad. We will go on the top of the Rhodope Mountains, where you can find the impressive remains of King Ivan Asen’s Fortress. King Ivan was a wise ruler of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. Also you will see an ancient church dating from the 13th century painted with some authentic pieces of iconography. Our guide will tell you everything about the history of this area and show you breathtaking panoramic views all over the Rhodope Mountains, Asenovgrad town, The Thracian Valley and the imposing Balkan Range with its highest Botev Peak in the far distance.
Our next stop will be the historical Bachkovo Monastery - founded in 1083. It is the second largest monastery in Bulgaria. There we will visit the main church of Virgin Mary built in 1604 where a valuable 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 miracle working. You will also see the Archangels Church dating to the 12th century and the monastery refectory which has preserved colorful murals from 1643. Together with the Doomsday fresco, you can admire images of some prophets, saint-monks, ancient philosophers and writers such as Socrates, Aristotle, Plato and many more.
If you want to explore more, we will continue the tour with a short and easy walk in the Red wall nature reserve nearby Bachkovo Monastery. There you will find a lovely waterfall, green meadows and lush forests, or you may even reach the end of the canyon where is a peaceful chapel built around a sacred well with holy water and a few century old plane trees.