Glozhene Monastery

Glozhene Monastery stands on a narrow rock spur in the Balkan foothills near Teteven, with the ground falling away on three sides, and the position is the whole point: the courtyard ends at a low wall with a drop beyond it and a view over the Vit valley and the ridges beyond. It was founded in the thirteenth century by a Kyivan prince according to tradition, and the present church dates from 1951, after an earthquake in 1913 destroyed the medieval one. The buildings are simple, with timber galleries around a small courtyard. Vasil Levski used it as a hiding place and a tunnel is shown in connection with that. The road up is steep and narrow and the monastery is quiet, with a handful of monks and few visitors.

History

Legend says the monastery was founded in 1224 by Georgi Glozh, a prince of Kievan Rus who settled here with Ivan Asen II's leave and dedicated it to Saint George, whose icon he had brought; the icon kept vanishing and turning up on a nearby hill, which the monks took as a sign to move the monastery there near the end of the 14th century. The tunnel said to link the two monasteries, which Vasil Levski used many times, was ruined by an earthquake in 1928, the old church and its frescoes were lost in an earthquake of 1913, and the present church was built in 1951 on its site (Wikipedia, Glozhene Monastery).

The main sights

• A spur with drops on three sides - the monastery on its rock.
• The courtyard viewpoint - the Vit valley and ridges from the wall.
• The 1951 church - built after the earthquake of 1913.
• The Levski hiding place - the tunnel shown to visitors.

When to go

April to October; the road can be difficult in winter. Two hours including the drive up. Late afternoon light over the valley is best. It is quiet at almost any time.

Things to know

The road up is steep, narrow and has drops; it is not for nervous drivers. Facilities are minimal. Interpretation is limited and in Bulgarian. The buildings themselves are plain; the position is the attraction.

Nearby

Teteven is south; the Central Balkan park lies east.

Key facts