The oldest monastery in Europe | "Saint Athanasius" - Bulgaria

Hello, travel lovers and passionate explorers of new places.

Today, on the 18th of January, in the Orthodox church we celebrate Saint Athanasius and all who bear the name Athanasius and its derivatives have name day. On this holy day for all Christians, I will take you for a walk to the monastery with the same name - "Saint Athanasius", located in southeastern Bulgaria on a hill between the picturesque village of Zlatna Livada which can be translated as the Golden Meadow, and the highway connecting Sofia (Bulgaria) with Istanbul (Turkey).
According to scientific data from 2004, it is the first monastery in Bulgaria and the oldest in Europe, built in the year 344 by Patriarch Athanasius the Great of Alexandria.

You can get here from the highway via a convenient specially built turn-off or through the village of Zlatna Livada, which is only a few hundred meters from the monastery. In front of the monastery, there is a parking lot where you can leave your car and enjoy the spirit of the fourth century. The choice of the monastery's location was no accident. It is located near the then strategic road Constantinople-Serdika (historical Roman name of Sofia, now the capital of Bulgaria) and at the foot of an important fortress, the remains of which can still be seen today.

The entrance to the monastery is a few meters from the car park. You will enter through a large wooden gate and a corridor.

To the left and right are the monastery's accommodation bedrooms, and ahead is the path leading to the church. The air is crystal clear as the monastery is located far from the industrial areas of Bulgaria. The garden and buildings are very well maintained, there are benches where you can rest and enjoy the wonderful view.

The uniqueness of this holy place is enhanced by local legends about its healing water. Believers say that the water that flows under the church cures skin diseases, improves eyesight and cleanses internal organs.

The church itself is not large, it has a porch with a canopy, a small bell, and an altar on which the believers can light candles. The great treasure of the church is the copy of the Reims Gospel - Church Slavonic parchment manuscript, richly decorated and painted by Bulgarian artists. The Reims Gospel is famous for having been used for the coronation of French kings for centuries.

In the garden next to the monastery there is a small cemetery where lie the bodies of the monks and nuns who served here in the 20th century.

While walking around and taking pictures, I had the incredible luck to see a family of believers who had brought a large icon to donate to the church. It turned out that they were seriously ill and after drinking water from here they were healed. In gratitude and appreciation, they donated the icon and prayed inside the church. Unfortunately, photos are not allowed inside, so I had to turn off the camera on entry.

There is a specially placed information board that tells the history of the monastery. The text is in English and Bulgarian to reach all guests.

Throughout its nearly 1700 year history, the monastery has been demolished and rebuilt a few times, but fortunately, the builders have always tried to preserve the authenticity of the architecture.

A little further down from the church is located the spring, which, in order to conserve water, is automated with a pump that is started by the priests. The spring is reached by a stone path, which I recommend going down with low and comfortable shoes. While going down I managed to catch an elderly woman tripping on one of the uneven stones.

To the left of the trail is a covered alcove where you can relax and enjoy the scenery.

I managed to capture a moment where two visitors were filling water.

On the walls around the spring, there is a sort of countertop on which believers leave offerings and icons.

One of them is a copy of the Rheims Gospel, which original is kept in the church.

And here's a cute resident of the monastery. As soon as I walked in, he began to play with me and ask for food. I shared my sandwich with him and after that, he stood happily on the sunny bench for a photo session :)

If you want to take some nice pictures I recommend you visit the monastery in the late afternoon when the sun is already low and it is located opposite the monastery buildings and the church.

The nature around the monastery is extremely beautiful and offers opportunities for both cultural and ecotourism. If you wish you can stay here for the night, but it is advisable to make a reservation in advance due to the limited beds in the monastery. There is a shop in the village next to the monastery and in the nearby small town of Chirpan, you can find a petrol station, pharmacy and enjoy delicious local food in one of the small family-run restaurants. I'd recommend the national dish, "Chirpan meatballs", which are named after the nearby town. The region also produces famous and much-loved Thracian red wines, as well as regional beers from the towns of Haskovo and Stara Zagora.

The nearest big city Plovdiv is 70 km away and the capital Sofia is only 190 km from the monastery. Both cities have an airport with daily flights to the major cities of Europe.

If you ever travel by car from Bulgaria to Turkey, I recommend you stop here for a few hours and enjoy a wonderful and memorable break in the oldest preserved monastery in Europe.

I hope you enjoyed this photo trip with me and my camera.
Stay safe and never stop dreaming.

Yours,
George

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