Rock-Hewn Churches of Ivanovo

What I would recommend to anyone who is a little bit more adveturous- go hike all the small churches in the area. Yeah, the terrain is not the easiest, but the sights are incredible. If you are interested in Bulgarian churches during 13-14-15th century, the whole area is like a textbook for that. If you are too scared to take that road- you can visit the main one, which is stunning on it's own. If you climb up the rock , you will find a nice view of the whole area AND you will see the other 15-ish small churches. The area is peaceful and I consider it a great day trip.for the main church the price for a ticket is 10 lev, but the others are free.

Definetly worth a visit. Great history, and even though we had a guide, the person attending the cave has a lot to add about the history of this remarkable historic site

A really cool old church carved into a mountain. There's a gentle walking trail up to the church entrance (if the 126 steep stairs are too challenging) with nice views of the surrounding valley. The murals inside the church itself are breathtaking and remarkably well preserved. There was a tour guide at the entrance who collected fees and answered questions about the structure and its history. Definitely worth a visit if you are in/near Ruse.

A church cut into the rock hundreds of years ago, and then painted with biblical scenes on every surface possible! Access is either up some steep steps, or along a cliff side path, so not for the faint. But the view inside is quite something, and the view from the balcony spectacular!

This site is an amazing UNESCO World Heritage Site with frescos dating 800 years ago. I loved the (easy) climb and the site. Beware of the hungry mosquitos and spray generously before ascending the stairs.

Beautiful frescoes that are incredibly well preserved inside this tiny church hewn from rock. I recommend taking the path past the souvenir shop and walk up the hill following the sign. The stairs from the car park were incredibly slippy (it had just rained) although there is a hand rail to hold.
The ticket man was incredibly helpful and told us all about the frescoes in English.

Hidden gem. Very nice place with a lot of history.
I would recommend taking the trail on the way up and the stairs on the way down.

Amazing rock-hewn churches with great and well preserved frescoes. Nice (and short) panoramic pathway nearby.

Excellent C13 monastery with roof and wall paintings. Beautiful views out into the valley. Quite a stiff climb 40 metres up to the monastery.

I would not say that is impressive but it is worth a look. There is quite a great scenery, there's also a small hike path that guides you to some view points. In the end you arrive at the church where you can find details of what and how it happened to look as it is, in different languages given to you for free by the guides over there. Also there is a gift shop from where you can buy magnets and some perfumes.

The caves have been inhabited by monks from the 1200 when it was founded by the Patriarch of Bulgaria Joachim I. The monastery complex reached over 40 churches. Frescoes were painted in 13th century. There are nice stairs to climb (the old wooden ones were removed) ... There is also a panoramic view.

A bit of a drive and a little walk up the hills but totally worth it. Tiny but extremely interesting and the person in the place is very knowledgeable about the place and its history

Unique and quite impressive place. Ask for a guided tour- the guide has treasured stories about the church and its 660 years of history.

Very cool, very old (1360 AD) church built into the cliff face. There are frescos that have survived intact and are very well preserved, especially on the ceiling, but many others are damaged as would be expected. Look closely and see an interpretation of the Last Supper that is 100 years older than da Vinci's masterpiece. Don't expect a large place (it's carved into a cliff, after all) or vivid colors as I believe the church, though protected, was still open to the elements for hundreds of years.

There is also a nice, flat look out area on the way up that shows the beautiful valley and surrounding cliffs.

Note: There's a longer, sloping way up that doesn't involve as many steps that makes the church a little easier to reach, although you will still have to navigate at least a few steps. You can take the steep steps on the way down, but if you have knee problems, just take the long way back, as from what I understand, going down steps is actually harder on your knees than going up.

This is such a great site,really beautiful location and a personal tour in English of the church. Recommend

This is a beautiful and magic place - not only because of its historic significance, but also for the natural beauty of its location. It is worthwhile to make the trip and see the medieval frescoes

This was well worth the effort it took for us to get there and check this place out. We were on foot so we had to walk from the train station but it was so fascinating. We’ve been a lot of places and have seen a lot of cool things. This will stick in our memories.

Surprising! A natural wonder! Also a historical place. Very old paintings protected as Unesco site

Beautiful view. You will have to climb some stairs till the little old church. Also pay a fee and have a guided tour.

Great place to visit!