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Nine daily buses head east from Troyan up the Cherni Osam valley, through the straggling village of ORESHAK , to Bulgaria's third-largest monastery. Perched on the west bank of the Cherni Osam river and shaded by trees, the Troyan Monastery ( Troyanski manastir ; daily dawn to dusk; free) was founded in the early fifteenth century, though its church, Sveta Bogoroditsa, wasn't built until 400 years later. It is the church, however, that is of most interest, principally because of its interior and exterior frescos by Zahari Zograf, Bulgaria's most outstanding exponent of nineteenth-century religious art. The highlight of his work is outside the church porch, a vivid series of scenes depicting the Last Judgement , including a suitably macabre figure of Death bundling unfortunates into the gaping mouth of hell. The theme is continued in slightly faded scenes along the west side of the church's outer wall, with St Peter admitting the virtuous to the walled garden of paradise, and a wonderfully vulgar scene revealing what the Orthodox Church really thought of rural Bulgaria's vrachka (wise woman), whose herbal remedies are being deposited in her hand by a demon, squatting on her head. Elsewhere, sinners of various kinds are being prodded and poked, and a group of turbaned Turks are being pulled down into the flames of Hell. More of Zahari's work appears in the vestibule, where the archway leading into the nave is framed by pictures of horse-riding Russian warrior-Saints Gleb and Boris, and the artist even took the liberty of including a self-portrait (visible in a window niche on the north side of the nave), next to a picture of Hadzhi Filotei, the abbot who commissioned the work. Zahari's brother Dimitar painted the icons which feature in the exquisite, Tryavna-produced iconostasis , with its intricately wrought walnut pillars topped by exotic birds of prey, each holding a snake in its beak. The only other object of note inside the church is the icon of the " three-handed Virgin " (who appears to be embracing the infant Jesus with more than two arms), which devoted pilgrims believe has the power to cure ailments and grant wishes. Outside the church, on the third floor of the monastery living quarters, is a small " hiding-place museum " (officially daily dawn-dusk; US$1.30), set up when the ubiquitous Vasil Levski encouraged the monks to start a branch of the revolutionary underground at Troyan. The table and food bowl used by the itinerant patriot stand beside the wooden cupboard in which he supposedly hid whenever agents of the sultan came calling. An adjacent room displays icons, archiepiscopal robes and church regalia, including the surviving doors of an eighteenth-century iconostasis from the previous monastery church. A popular side-trip from the monastery is to walk to the much smaller (and rarely manned) Monastery of Sveti Nikolai , 30 minutes uphill on the other side of the valley. Cross the footbridge opposite Troyan Monastery's gate and bear right, picking up a track to the left when you see a small graveyard. From here a stony path zigzags uphill, offering a challengingly steep - but well-shaded - climb. There's nothing to see at the tumbledown monastery itself, but its fragrant woodland setting makes the walk worthwhile. Accommodation is available in the Troyan monastery from an office just inside the main gate, which offers dorm beds for around $10 per person - note there's a 10pm curfew. Things get busy during the days leading up to the monastery's main holy day, the Feast of the Assumption ( Golyama Bogoroditsa ) on August 15, but outside of this time you should have no problem getting a bed, though if you want to make absolutely sure, phone ahead (tel 06952/2866). There's an ample supply of private rooms (US$9-18) in Oreshak, the southern end of which begins just outside the monastery gates, which are best booked through the tourist office in Troyan, and a couple of hotels , the best of which is the three-star Sveta Gora (tel 06952/3160; US$9-18). Food and drink is available from the stalls in the parking lot outside the monastery, or the Manastirska Bara restaurant opposite, which has a wooden verandah overlooking the river. Alternatively, Oreshak has a couple of restaurants on or near its main street: the Kaiser , roughly halfway through the village, does a good barbecue in its courtyard, and the Dobrudzhanska Sreshta , signed off to the left if coming from the Troyan direction, offers good Bulgarian food in traditionally furnished rooms. It's also worth noting that Oreshak's Fair of Arts and Crafts (Tues-Sun 9am-5pm), along the main street, sells pottery and textiles from all over Bulgaria of much better quality than those on sale at the touristy souvenir stalls outside the monastery itself.
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