Besarbovo Rock Monastery

The Besarbovo Monastery is situated in the valley of river Roussenski Lom, near the village of Basarbovo, Rousse District. The legend tell us that after hid death St. Dimitar Basarabovski, a monk in the monastery, appeared in a blind girl’s dream. Later she showed the place where the swollen river has dragged his body. Local people brought him to the village church and miracles started to happen there ever since. After the first Russian-Turkish War his remains were taken to Romania. Nowadays they are in the cathedral St. St. Constantin and Elena in Bukureshti. The monastery is the only functioning rock monastery in Bulgaria. During the Hesychast period the nearly 300 halls in the rocks were inhabited by hermits, looking for solitude, self-concentration through prayers, away from any settlement. Forty eight steps lead to the rock church in which liturgies are regularly performed. In the yard of the monastery you can find a well and according to a superstition the water from it is medicinal.