The Glozhene Monastery „St. George the Victorious” is one of the most impressive Bulgarian monasteries! The access to it is easy… actually the road is quite narrow and it is difficult to pass two cars, but it’s nice and it reach right next to the monastery’s parking lot. But you have to drive very careful. It is located about 100 km away from Sofia. Takes to the town Yablanitsa and immediately before it turns to the village of Malak Izvor. From the village there are about 6 km of ascent to the monastery. I recommend you to visit it in the autumn when the road to it is painted in different colors – it’s great!
How does the monastery arise?
One of the legend about the monastery states that in the 13th century the Prince of Kiev, Georgi Glozh, settled in the lands of today’s village Glozhene and built there a monastery devoted to “St. George the Victorious”. The icon of the saint disappeared several times and was found by monks on the nearby rock above the village. This was interpreted by them as an omen and they built a new monastery in the 14th century on the eminence over the village, where it is still today…
Interesting facts about Glozhene monastery
There was also a tunnel, the Prosechnik tunnel. It connected the monastery with the village but was unfortunately buried by an earthquake in 1928. It was used by Vasil Levski for escape from the Turks, and today the Apostle’s hiding-place can be seen. A sure refuge in the monastery was also found by many other revolutionists during the Ottoman slavery. The room in which the Bulgarian public figure, Vasil Drumev, lived is preserved. As Metropolitan of the Eparchy of Tarnovo, Vasil Drumev (or Metropolitan Kiril, as his monastic name was) pronounced a speech in defense of Orthodoxy, which was not liked by the then Prince – Roman Catholic Ferdinand. Drumev was sentenced to “eternal” exile in the Glozhene monastery in 1893, which, however, lasted one year because of the fall of the government, until 1894.
The monastery is situated at about 800 meters above sea level, on vertical rocks at the foot of top Kamen Lisetz. Seen from a distance, it resembles a medieval castle. After crossing the main gates it falls in the monastery yard, which is on several levels. From the yard are revealed magnificent views toward the valley under the rocks, and we add the colorful autumn notes… something extremely is getting… Through the tunnel you reach the inside, where you can look at the cells and light a candle in the temple. Take a walk, try to feel the spirit of this place… And the views from the windows are no less impressive than those in the yard…
