First founded in the 10th century,, its present-day appearance dating from the mid-19th century.

The most famous monument of Bulgarian architecture and culture from the National Revival period (the early Renaissance). The greatest Bulgarian monastery with exquisite architecture, fantastic wall paintings, brilliant iconostasis, a rich collection of icons and old manuscripts and a magnificent masterpiece of the Renaissance - a wooden cross with 140 microscopic Biblical scenes featuring more than 1500 figures, the largest of them not bigger than a grain of rice.

Located 120 km southwest of Sofia in the heart of the Rila Mountains.