Two hours south of Sofia stands Bulgaria’s most important tourist attraction: the Monastery of Saint Ivan of Rila, or the Rila Monastery. Throughout the centuries, Rila Monastery has remained the spiritual, educational and cultural heart of Bulgaria and as my partner, Panos, noted upon our arrival, the most important Orthodox monastery outside the monasteries of Mount Athos in Greece.

Set in the recesses of Rila Mountain, Rila was founded in the first half of the 10th century by the hermit Ivan Rilski, also known as St. John of Rila and later named Bulgaria’s patron saint. The Ottomans destroyed the monastery, a center of Bulgarian nationality and culture during the Byzantine period, in the 15th century. Much of the monastery today is a product of the 18th and 19th centuries, considered the country’s National Revival period.

As we approached, a mystical fog hovered around the surrounding mountains in the heart of the Rila Massif. We were nearly alone on this brisk autumn day, giving us the space and silence to reflect and wander.

Hrelio’s Tower, the oldest building in the holy cloister, was built in the 14th century and served as the monastery’s fortress. The tower overlooks the photogenic five domes of the main church, Nativity of the Virgin, which houses an array of brightly colored frescoes, some the work of masters such as Bansko and Samokov. The gold-plated iconostasis at the altar, a woodcarving masterpiece, took five years to complete.

We also visited a library housing 250 manuscripts, among other printed material, and a museum containing a collection of unique pieces of art including a wooden cross on which the monk Rafail worked for 12 years before losing his sight.

The four-winged residential area houses more than 300 monk cells which are also decorated with paintings and wood carvings. There are more than 30 guestrooms for overnight visitors. Though we had rented a car and spent an entire day at Rila, buses also make the trip from Sofia.