Sveti Sedmochislenitsi Church

Lonely Planet review

Set in a leafy garden just off the main road, the Sveti Sedmochislenitsi Church, or Church of the Seven Saints, as it's known in its more tongue-friendly translation, is dedicated to Sts Cyril and Methodius and their five disciples. Originally built as a mosque in 1528, it had already fallen into disuse by the time the Russians came along in 1878 and turned it into an arms depot.

After a brief spell as a prison, the structure was restored and remodelled in a style termed Bulgarian National Romanticism, and consecrated as a church in 1903. Inside, the walls are covered in traditional murals of saints, while an image of the Trinity decorates the huge central dome. The gilded iconostasis includes icons painted by Anton Mitov and Stefan Ivanov.

The church is perhaps best known for its links with the choral group The Seven Saints Choir. CDs of their music are available at the little counter inside.