Hidden between the capes of St. Anastasia and Atia lies St. Anastasia island. The biggest island on Bulgarian territory is situated only 6.5 km away from the coastal city of Bourgas. Its area is 8.5 decares and the height is 12 m. St. Anastasia appeared as a result of a volcanic eruption.

The island has intriguing history. Numerous legends have been told about it.

Objects from the 5th and 4th centuries AD found there show that human activity on the island started long time ago.

A monastery functions there, as well. According to historians, the monastery was set up as far back in time as 1553.

Apart from travelers, St. Anastasia attracted pirates. Legends of hidden treasures still tickle the curiosity of visitors today.

In 1924, the island was turned into a prison and the thick monastery walls started hosting a detention center for political prisoners. In 1944, the prison was closed down and the building became a museum. St. Anastasia changed its name to Bolshevik island and some elderly Bourgas residents still call it that way. When democratic changes took place in 1990, the island gained back its old name.

Today, the monastery functions as a hotel. The only ‘luxuries’ to be enjoyed include electricity and running water.

The old lighthouse of St. Anastasia appeared in 1889. The lighthouse was installed on a metal pillar, rising 40 m above the water level. During fair weather, its light could be seen from a distance of 10 miles. In 1912, the construction of a new lighthouse began in the northern part of the island. It still functions.

Since 2001, St. Anastasia has been recognized as a nature and archaeological preserve. If its landmarks are preserved and developed, the island has the potential to turn into one unusual tourist destination.

If you want to visit St. Anastasia, you need to find a boat or ship owner willing to take you there. Such trips are organized in Bourgas, Nessebar, Pomorie and Sozopol.

The Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo (Bulgarian: Ивановски скални църкви, Ivanovski skalni tsarkvi) are a group of monolithic churches, chapels and monasteries hewn out of solid rock and completely different from other monastery complexes in Bulgaria, located near the village of Ivanovo, 20 km south of Rousse, on the high rocky banks of the Rusenski Lom, 32 m above the river. The complex is noted for its beautiful and well-preserved medieval frescoes.

The caves in the region had been inhabited by monks from the 1220s, when it was founded by the future Patriarch of Bulgaria Joachim, to the 17th century, where they hewed cells, churches and chapels out of solid rock. At the peak of the monastery complex, the number of churches was about 40, while the other premises were around 300, most of which are not preserved today.

Second Bulgarian Empire rulers such as Ivan Alexander and Ivan Asen II frequently made donations to the complex, as evidenced by donor portraits in some of the churches. Other patrons included nobles from the capital Tarnovo, with which the monastery complex had strong ties in the 13th and 14th century. It was a centre of hesychasm in the Bulgarian lands in the 14th century and continued to exist in the early centuries of the Ottoman rule of Bulgaria, but gradually decayed.

The monastery complex owes much of its fame to 13th- and 14th-century frescoes, preserved in 5 of the churches, which are thought of as wonderful examples of Bulgarian mediaeval art. The rock premises used by the monks include the St Archangel Michael Chapel (”The Buried Church”), the Baptistery, the Gospodev Dol Chapel, the St Theodore Church (”The Demolished Church”) and the main Holy Mother of God Church, with the 14th-century murals in the latter one being arguably the most famous of all in Ivanovo and noted as some of the most representative examples of Palaeologan art. Many century-old inscriptions have also been preserved in the monastical premises, including the famous indented inscription of the monk Ivo Gramatik from 1308-1309.

The Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979.

Yablanitsa is a small town picturesquely scattered in between the average size massifs of Dragoitsa and Lissets, spurs of Stara Planina Mountain. It is situated at a distance of 80 km from the Capital-Sofia.

This area was populated even during the Old Stone, Stone-Copper and Bronze Ages. There are numerous Thracian mounds scattered around the town, part of them being thoroughly explored. The monastery Sveti Georgi Pobedonosets(10 km away from Yablanitsa)is perched on a rock ridge in the massive Lisets and it resembles medieval fortress.
The cave Saeva Dupka is 14km south of Yablanitsa. The cave is around 3.5 million years old. It is called the underground pearl, because it is one of the most beautiful caves in Bulgaria.

The town of Teteven (400 meters above sea level) is situated on the northwest slopes of the Balkan range, on the two banks of the Beli Vit River. The population is about 12 000 people. It’s situated 115 km away from Sofia and 60 km away from Troyan.
A Thracian tribe with a rich culture inhabited the area as far back as the 7th-6th century BC. The discovered tombs and artifacts prove the existance of a Roman village in the same location. The first name of the village was Tetevian. During the Bulgarian national revival, the village flourished and was called Altin (Golden) Teteven. In 1801, the city was totally destroyed and burnt down by the Ottoman invaders.
Only 3 more than 180 year- old houses have been preserved up to the present day. These are the Bobevska, Yorgova and Hadji Ivanova houses.
Among the attractions in the town is the City Historical Museum with a big exposition of transcripts, books, crafts, etc. There is a church called St. Svetih. Very close to the city are also the “St. Prophet Elijah” Monastery of Teteven, built in the 14th century and “St. George” Monastery of Glojen from the 13th century.
The city is a starting point for many tourist routes in the Balkan range. The Ribaritsa resort with its houses, family hotels and relaxation spots, is situated 12 km to the southeast. From there, tourists can reach the summit of Vejen very quickly, the “Eho”, “George Benkovski” and “Vejen” chalets.
The city and its outskirts are included in the Central Balkan National Park. The “Buatin”, “Kosiastena” and “Carichina’ natural reserves are a part of the tourist routes.
Very close to the city is the secluded area called the Chernia (the Black) route, this is a favorite place of ornithologists. The rocks near Teteven offer excellent conditions for the fans of rock climbing and albinism.
The Saeva dupka cave is located 25 km northwest of Teteven.
Places of interest: Glozhene Monastery, Saeva dupka Cave, Troyan Monastery

Source: visitbg.net