Bachkovo

Bachkovo brings together monastic history, icon art and hikes through the Chervenata Stena landscape. You can focus your stay on two different experiences: the monastery’s churches and collections, or trails with their own destinations and estimated times. This combination makes Bachkovo appealing to travelers who want to combine culture and nature in one destination.

Location and orientation

The monastery lies about 500 meters south of the village of Bachkovo. The village is approximately 8 kilometers from Asenovgrad and 23 kilometers southeast of Plovdiv. Bachkovo also serves as an access point to the Central Rhodopes on routes toward Pamporovo and Smolyan. These distances and the routes leading into the Rhodopes give an overview of the area’s location without treating the individual destinations as the same place.

Churches and icon art

The icon gallery at the Bachkovo Monastery Museum displays works from the 13th to the 19th century. The gallery was added in 2022, and most of the icons on display have been restored. The exhibition traces the stylistic development of Orthodox icon painting. The collection thus offers a thematic introduction to several centuries of this art, rather than focusing on a single work or period.

The churches also represent different periods of construction. The active St. Athanasius Church in Bachkovo was built in 1848. The monastery’s Winter Church of St. Archangels dates from the late 12th or early 13th century. Comparing the dates makes the time gap between the two buildings clear without conflating their distinct names and functions.

Hiking and pilgrimage history

A cultural route leads from the monastery via Kluviyata to St. Archangels Chapel and takes about 1.5 to 2 hours. A four-hour hike runs from the monastery to Marciganitsa Hut and crosses the Chervenata Stena Biosphere Reserve. The estimated times help you distinguish the shorter cultural route from the longer hike as separate activities; their destinations also differ. Trail conditions can change, so check them before setting out.

The historic Bachkovski Road pilgrimage route also runs nearby, from Asen's Fortress to Bachkovo Monastery. Sections of the route follow fragments of Roman and medieval roads. This gives the trail its own historical significance, distinct from the two routes with stated hiking times.

Landscape and nature

The Chervenata Stena Biosphere Reserve lies directly next to Bachkovo Monastery and is home to rare animal species. In the Chervenata Stena area, Haberlea rhodopensis blooms each spring with sky-blue flowers on the surrounding rocks. This seasonal sight adds a specific botanical feature to the landscape.

The Chervenata Stena trail area offers views of the Slivodolsko Waterfalls, rock bridges and caves. Together with the hike through the reserve, this creates a nature-focused experience distinct from Bachkovo’s icon art and churches. These landscape features also serve as individual landmarks in the trail area.

Regional trout

For many years, the Chepelarska River, locally called the Chaya, supplied the monastery with trout. Nearby restaurants also serve trout, though individual restaurants’ offerings may change. The fish dishes provide a culinary connection to the surrounding area, while the historic link between the river and the monastery describes another aspect of the area’s history.

Discover more destinations: Cherven, Asenovgrad, Novakovo, Narechen, Kosovo.

Back to the regional travel overview: Asenovgrad.