Thessaloniki to Bucharest
Prohodna cave
Prohodna is a karst cave in north central Bulgaria, located in the Iskar Gorge near the village of Karlukovo. The cave is known for the two eye-like holes in its ceiling, known as God's eyes. The cave has two entrances which lie opposite one another, known respectively as the Small Entrance and the Big Entrance. The size of the Big Entrance of Prohodna makes it suitable for the rock climbers or bungee jumping.
Rock-hewn churches of Ivanovo
The caves in the region had been inhabited by monks from the 1220s, when it was founded by the future Patriarch of Bulgaria Joachim I, 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. While most are not preserved today, the surviving churches are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the artistry of their medieval murals.
Basarbovo monastery
Basarbovo Monastery– the Monastery of Saint Dimitar Basarbowski – is a Bulgarian-orthodox cave monastery near the city of Ruse in north-eastern Bulgaria. It has the same name as the nearby village of Basarbovo and lies about 35 metres above the river Rusenski Lom, south of the Danube. The monastery became famous in the 17th century after the death of St. Dimitar Basarbovski, whom St Paìsiy Hilendàrski talks about in the book "Istoriya Slavyanobolgarskaya ". St. Dimitar Basarbovski was a shepherd and led an ascetic life in the rocks of the monastery.
Sveta Troitsa Church
Built in 1632 below ground level – according to the Turkish stipulation that churches should be as unobtrusive as possible – Sveta Troitsa has a fine gilt wood iconostasis and wooden pillars painted to look like marble, as well as some well-preserved icons. The cathedral's 5-bell tower strands 19 metres tall, and was constructed in a hexagonal shape from stones taken from the ruined wall of Ruschushkata fortress. Today, the cathedral boasts a museum exhibition featuring a collection of paintings and murals as well as a number of religious articles including clothing and an original Gospel from the 16th century.
Comana Monastery
In 1461, the original Comana Monastery was founded and built by Vlad Țepeș (Vlad the Impaler) as a monastery-fortress. The place where the monastery was built was once an island in the middle of the swamps and the access was done through a door located in the north of the precinct, after crossing a wooden bridge easy to fire in case of danger. During archeological work performed in the 1970s, a headless body, which may be that of Vlad Tepes, known as Vlad the Impaler, was discovered on the grounds of the current monastery. Historian Constantin Rezachevici and others believe that he may have been buried here, near the battlefield where he was killed.
Churches of Ivanovo