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The Wonderful Bridges, Bachkovo Monastery and Asen’s Fortress

This is by far the best selling day tour from Plovdiv delivering a great combination of fascinating historical and natural sites in the fabulous Rhodope Mountains.

In one day we visit 3 of the most popular and impressive toursit sites of Bulgaria: the medieval Asen’s Fortress; the Bachkovo Monastery, being the most visited tourist site in Bulgaria and finally the fantastic natural arches named the Wonderful Bridges.

From Plovdiv we head towards the pretty town of Asenovgrad located between the Rhodope Mountains and the fertile Thracian Valley. Nearby we see the remarkable remains of King Ivan Asen’s Fortress – a wise ruler of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. There we find an ancient church dating from the 13-th century painted with some authentic pieces of iconography. At the top of the fortress we enjoy an awesome 360 degrees panorama all over the Rhodope Mountains, Asenovgrad town, The Thracian Valley and the imposing Balkan Range with its highest Botev Peak in the far distance.

Next we go deeper in the Rhodope Mountains towards the picturesque Bachkovo Monastery. Being the most visited tourist site in Bulgaria the cloister is the second largest as well. It is founded in 1083 and represents one of the most sacred places in the Bulgarian history. Inside the monastery we 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. Attached to the Virgin Mary church we see the Archangels’ Church dating to the 12-th century. The monastery refectory is another jewel in the complex which has preserved colorful murals from 1643. Together with the Doomsday fresco, we witness the images of some prophets, saint-monks, ancient philosophers and writers as Socrates, Aristotle, Plato and many more. The panoramic mural painting on the outside wall of the refectory represents a bird’s eye view of the monastery with all the surrounding buildings from 1807. This is the biggest scenic mural on the Balkan Peninsula! In the second monastery yard we finally visit the Saint Nikola church built between 1834 and 1837.

Next we continue the tour towards The Wonderful Bridges situated at 1450 m. a. s. l. in the heart of the lovely Rhodope Mountains. This unique nature phenomenon consists of two rocky bridges (height of 45 m) over a small river. The marble bridges were formed by an earthquake and the erosive activity of the once high-water river. Together with the Bachkovo Monastery and the Assen’s Fortress these outstanding nature bridges are also on the list of the 100 national tourist sites of Bulgaria.

Before exploring the exceptional nature phenomenon we have lunch at a small local restaurant in the nearby chalet amid refreshing conifer tree forests.


Period: Year round

Trip duration: 7 hours

Price: Please e-mail us with  your possible tour date/s, the number of people in your group and you’ll be quoted accordingly. We’ll aslo advise on eventual shared trip options at a lower cost. 

Included: English speaking tour guide, transfers from/to your hotel in Plovdiv, parking fee

Not included: Assen’s Fortress entrance fee (4,09 EUR; students and retired people – 2 EUR), food and tip (optional)

Note: Dress code at the monastery – shoulders and knees must be covered. Men are allowed in shorts above the knees. Sandals and T-shirts are allowed for everybody. Temperatures at the Wonderful Bridges are about 10 degrees cooler compared to Plovdiv so please consider some proper clothing in case you need it. The short walk on and around the Wonderful Bridges also includes some uneven rocky path and very short but steep and slippery terrain. Trainers with proper sole and grip or hiking shoes are advised if you are not comfortable on such terrain.

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