The Lopushanski monastery is located in the Balkan Mountain in the valley of Dalgodelska Ogosta River, between the villages of Pomezhdin, Melyane and Georgi Damyanovo (up to 1958 its name was Lopush). It is located 21 km southwest of Montana, 30 km northwest of Berkovitsa, and respectively 55 km from Vratsa and 105 km from Sofia in the same direction.
At the location of the present-day monastery "Sv. Yoan Predtecha" there was another in the past. It is believed that it existed in the 10th century but was located near the village of Pomezhdin in Manastirishte neighbourhood. The monastery was burned to the ground in 1678 and the fire destroyed all the written evidence of its existence.
The people from Lopush donated their land for building a new monastery and because of their gesture, it is known as Lopushanski.
In the period 1850-1853 the monastery was restored by the monks Dionisiy, Gerasim and Gedeon from Chiprovtsi. They built the present church of a cathedral, the residential housing, the yard gates, the fences and garden fountain. The author of all buildings and facilities was master Lilo.
During the Bulgarian revival in the Lopushanski monastery functioned a school, and the cloister was a center of the national liberation and church struggles. The monastery became a favorite place of Ivan Vazov and during his stay there he created some chapters of the novel "Under the Yoke".
In 1989 the Lopushanski monastery was reconstructed. The main merit of this goes to the then Abbot Archimandrite Amvrosiy. In his time raised the new residential building with two beautiful carved verandas.
Lopushanski monastery is active and inhabited by confraternity. The complex consists of a church, residential and farm buildings and white stone fountain, all surrounded by a stone wall.
The church architecture resembles that of the Rila Monastery. It is a three-aisled, three-apse building with two conch and two side chapels ("Sv. Kozma i Damyan" and "Sv. Joan Krastitel"). There are three central domes and two domes above the side chapels, all located on an eight-side cylinders.
In the stone construction of the church are carved reliefs with figures of men, animals and individual heads. It is displayed a man with a sword, leaning on a shotgun. The temple is not painted, but has one of the most beautiful altar iconostasis created by the master of the Samokov art school Stoycho Fandakov. In addition to the apostles' images the iconostasis includes eight icons made by Stanislav and Nikola Dospevski.
The residential part of the Lopushanski monastery was built in the spirit of the contemporary monastic architecture. It has two floors with a frame structure. On the first floor there are food units and several guest rooms, while the second floor includes the room of the Abbot, the monastic cells and more guest rooms. In the courtyard can be seen the white stone fountain with three spouts built in 1856.
The Lopushanski Monastery was declared an architectural and artistic monument in 1973. The monastery holiday is on 7th of January - Sv. Joan's Day.
The monastery can be reached by car on the way from Montana to Chiprovtsi. You should follow the road to the village of Georgi Damyanovo. After the village, in close vicinity of the road is the cloister.
The Lopushanski monastery has 16 guest rooms and a restaurant - cook-house.
On a hill over the village of Gavril Genovo, among an oak forest there is an inn with a restaurant that offers transportation and tours in the area.
Sources: http://svetimesta.com/, http://www.bulgariamonasteries.com/, http://www.lopushanski-monastery.domino.bg/, http://bulgariatravel.org/
Photos: http://www.manastir359.com/, http://div4ovshtini-2.blogspot.com/
The reserve is one of the largest biosphere reserves in Bulgaria. It is established in 1973 to preserve the northern coniferous forests of Bulgaria. In 1977 it was included in the list of biosphere reserves under the program "Man and Biosphere".
See on the mapWater Holes Cave is located in Apriltsi Municipality, within the Central Balkan National Park on the northern slope of the massif of Botev Mount.
See on the mapAlbotin monastery is an inactive Medieval rock monastery included in Vidin diocese.
See on the mapUzana - the heart of the Balkans. In its embrace, the mountains has kept this extraordinary place where you can fully take charge with power and hours to enjoy its grandeur and beauty of nature.Far from the urban vanity you will find abundance of colors and shades, serenity and peace of mind. Here the warbling of the birds and the whisper of wild grasslands will put a spell on you forever.
The natural phenomenon Chervenitsa is a molded boulder, rising more than 150 m above the terrace of the river Iskar in village of Kunino. It is located about 46 km east of Vratsa and approximately 120 km northeast of Sofia.
See on the mapA unique museum in the whole Eastern Europe dedicated to the production of salt by solar evaporation of sea water, Pomorie
See on the mapNatural Reserve Taukliman typical landslide with length of about 4 km, formed between the edge of the Dobrudzhansko plateau and the coast.
The Early Christian basilica Sveta Sofia is an active Orthodox church in the center of Sofia city. The church was probably built in the early VI century on the ruins of early Christian tombs from II - IV century and the ruins of two earlier churches from IV-V century. It is located among the necropolis of the ancient Serdica.
See on the map"Monyak" fortress is one of the largest and high located fortresses in the Rhodopes near the village of Shiroko pole, Kardzhali Region
See on the mapVakarelski monastery "St Petka" was found in XX century and now it is working occasionally. It was functioning as nunnery.
See on the mapA unique Thracian temple near the village of Nenkovo, Kardzhali Region
See on the mapThe megalithic complex "Gluhite kamani" is one of the largest Thracian sanctuaries since BC, whose strength continues to act today to anyone who visits it.
See on the mapA medieval fortress located on a picturesque cliff above Arda River near the village of Bashevo, Kardzhali Region
See on the mapThe monastery of Lazdha or Ivaylovrad monastery "St. Konstantin and Elena" is situated close to Ladzha quarter in the town of Ivaylovgrad
See on the mapRakovitsa monastery Sveta Troitsa was was found in X-XI century and during the Middle Ages was an important literary and cultural center in Bdin area.
See on the mapThe Hisar tomb is a late Roman family tomb built in the second half of the IV-th century.
See on the mapElenska basilica is early Christian temple that is preserved to nowadays and is situated in proximity to the town of Pirdop
See on the mapA unique monument of culture with extremely precious frescoes and icons included in UNESCO's list with the World Cultural Heritage, village of Dobarsko, Blagoevgrad Region
See on the mapOne of the oldest fortresses in Bulgaria located on a high mountain plateau above the town of Provadiya
See on the mapLate ancient and medieval fortress in the Pirin mountain part of Mesta River in the settlement of the village of Kremen
See on the map