Kremikovtsi Monastery

About

Kremikovtsi was destroyed in 1398 with the Ottoman conquest of the Balkans at the end of the 14th century, but was re-established in 1493 by the Bulgarian boyar Radivoy from Sofia. The monastery church was rebuilt from crushed stone as a single-nave church, which still stands today, next to a newer, larger church dedicated to the Intercession of the Mother of God. The original church may look somewhat austere from the exterior, but the interior walls have been decorated with a magnificent collection of frescoes, some of which are considered to be among the most precious Bulgarian art from the 15th century, with additional frescoes being added in the 17th and 18th centuries. Nestled quietly on a hill just outside the former village of Kremikovtsi, the monastery provides an incredibly well-preserved glimpse into the life that once existed here.