Church of Rozhdestvo Bogorodichno

Within the monastery's walls, four levels of colourful balconies - with monastic cells, storerooms, a refectory and kitchen - surround the large courtyard, where stands the magnificent Church of Rozhdestvo Bogorodichno, Bulgaria's grandest monastery church. Built between 1834 and 1837, the structure is crowned by three great domes.

Its outside walls are covered with frescoes both vivid and harrowing (or humorous, depending on your disposition), depicting hell, where demons with whips, chains and pitchforks torture sinners in various states of woe and undress. The happier paintings, depicting the virtuous accompanied by angels and saints, indicate the moral lesson that stern church fathers wished to impart. The celebrated Zahari Zograf, most eminent of the many painters involved, signed his work. The gilded and intricately carved wood iconostasis was created by master artisans from Samokov and Bansko. Considering the fierceness of the church's caretaker, it's best to take the prohibitions against skimpy clothing seriously. Long shorts are fine, but more revealing attire is forbidden. Luckily, a few sporting green tunics lie at the ready, helping you conceal whatever amount of nudity you choose to bring onto the premises. Photography, prohibited inside the church itself, is allowed outside, meaning you can snap away at the devilish frescoes and church architecture without fear.