Some 30m people across the globe tour religious sites making religious tourism an industry that generates revenues to the tune of 18bn US dollars per annum. In the recent years, Bulgaria too has seen a growth in religious trips, however, the country’s potential is still widely unused. 

Religious tourism has got a bright future in this country, experts agree. The problem is that there is not a well-structured vision on how this sector of Bulgaria’s big tourist industry should develop. This is a pity given the large number of churches dating to various historical epochs and the huge number of artifacts related to Bulgaria’s ancient religious heritage. For the time being however, all this remains unknown to potential religious tourists. According to statistics, their share is not more than 1.8 percent of all foreign tourists. The reason is in the lack of proper marketing communications. 

© Photo: Veneta Nikolova

Recently Bulgaria joined the international project Recultivatur aimed to boost religious trips in Southeast Europe. As part of the project a website will be launched in 2013 with a database of the sites of religious tourism in this country. 

The foremost pilgrimage destination locally is Rila Monastery founded in 10 c. It is visited by 780,000 tourists annually. The second most popular destination of pilgrimage is Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church in the Black Sea town of Sozopol which displays part of the relics of St. John the Baptist found in 2010. Last summer alone the church welcomed more than 240,000 pilgrims. 

© Photo: Veneta Nikolova

In the vicinity of the town of Assenovgrad there are about fourty chappels

There are more than 160 monasteries in the territory of Bulgaria keeping priceless icons and church plate. It is possible to draw up various thematic tours including sites from early Christianity, the Middle Ages and the National Revival, explains Hristina Petrova from The Temple Foundation.

“Bulgaria is a place ideal for religious tourism. One example is the region of Melnik, Southwestern Bulgaria, boasting a concentration of many religious sites that attract tens of thousand of pilgrims. The most visited among them include Rozhen Monastery, St. Petka Church in the locality of Rupite, the village of Zlatolist where clairvoyant and healer Stoyna lived etc. Another attractive area is near the southern town of Asenovgrad known as the Little Jerusalem for its 40 chapels. In its vicinity stands Bulgaria’s second largest monastery, Bachkovo Monastery that dates back to 11 c. Another region where religious tourism could prosper is Bulgaria’s medieval capital Veliko Tarnovo with its churches and monasteries and a diversity of evidence about the spiritual growth of Bulgaria during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom (1185-1396)."

© Photo: Veneta Nikolova

One unconventional way to get in touch with Bulgaria’s religious heritage is by joining a cycling tour. This innovative idea has been supported by the campaign with the motto Let us revive the spirit of the Sofia Holy Mountain! The lovers of active recreation are now welcome to follow a cycling tour that easily reaches the forty monasteries in the region of Sofia. Hristina Petrova says that visiting the rock monasteries in Bulgaria is rewarding. The most famous among them are Ivanovo Monastery, Bessarabovo Monatsery (bouth in Northeastern Bulgaria in the valley of the Roussenski Lom River), and Aladja Monatsery not far from the Black Sea port of Varna. 

“Visiting a rock monastery combines in an unusual way the spiritual interest of visitors with an extreme experience linked to harder access to the site. This is very appealing. Currently, the region of Karlukovo is being researched. It has a unique compound of rock monasteries and their beauty is yet to be revealed”, Hristina Petrova from The Temple Foundation concludes.  

Translated by Daniela Konstantinova