Religious Building · Rila, Bulgaria
Rila Monastery
The Monastery of Saint John of Rila, also known as Rila Monastery ("Sveti Ivan Rilski" (Bulgarian: Рилски манастир „Свети Иван Рилски“), is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. Built 946.
Photo: Raggatt2000 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Rila, Bulgaria |
|---|---|
| Type | Religious Building |
| Built | 946 |
| Elevation | Elevation: 1147 m |
| Coordinates | 42.1333° N, 23.3403° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Rila Monastery is known for
The Monastery of Saint John of Rila, also known as Rila Monastery ("Sveti Ivan Rilski" (Bulgarian: Рилски манастир „Свети Иван Рилски“), is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria.
About Rila Monastery
The Monastery of Saint John of Rila, also known as Rila Monastery ("Sveti Ivan Rilski" (Bulgarian: Рилски манастир „Свети Иван Рилски“), is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. It is situated in the southwestern Rila Mountains, 117 km (73 mi) south of the capital Sofia in the deep valley of the Rilska River ("Rila River") at an elevation of 1,147 m (3,763 ft) above sea level, inside of Rila Monastery Nature Park and in close vicinity of the Rila Monastery Forest Nature Reserve. The monastery is named after its founder, the hermit Saint Ivan of Rila (876–946 AD), and houses approximately 60 monks.
History
It is traditionally thought that the monastery was founded by the hermit Saint Ivan of Rila, whose name it bears, during the rule of Tsar Peter I (r. 927–968). The hermit actually lived in a cave without any material possessions not far from the monastery's location, while the complex was built by his students, who came to the mountains to receive their education.
Planning a visit? Visit the official Rila Monastery website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Rila |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Sofia Airport (SOF) |
| Distance from the airport | 38.5 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Sofia Airport (SOF) · Sofia, Bulgaria · 39.1 miles away
- Plovdiv International Airport (PDV) · Plovdiv, Bulgaria · 77.6 miles away
- Skopje International Airport (SKP) · Ilinden, North Macedonia · 89.0 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Bulgaria
More religious buildings
Frequently asked questions
What is Rila Monastery?
The Monastery of Saint John of Rila, also known as Rila Monastery ("Sveti Ivan Rilski" (Bulgarian: Рилски манастир „Свети Иван Рилски“), is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria.
Where is Rila Monastery located?
Rila Monastery is in Rila, Bulgaria. Its coordinates are 42.1333° N, 23.3403° E.
How do I get to Rila Monastery?
The nearest town is Rila, and the nearest airport is Sofia Airport (SOF), about 38.5 miles away (straight line).
When was Rila Monastery built?
Rila Monastery was built 946.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rila_Monastery — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q207945 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://rilskimanastir.org — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.