Basarbovo Monastery, the Cave Monastery above the Rusenski Lom
Basarbovo Monastery, officially the Monastery of St Dimitar Basarbovski, is an Orthodox cave monastery in the valley of the Rusenski Lom, about 10 km from the city of Ruse in north-eastern Bulgaria. Its chapels are cut into a rocky cliff some 35 metres above the river, and monks still live here. It is an easy, quiet detour for anyone exploring Bulgaria's hidden gems around Ruse.
The shepherd-hermit who lived in these rocks died in 1685, yet his relics now rest in Bucharest: legend says that when they arrived in the city, a plague stopped killing people.
The history of Basarbovo Monastery
The monastery lies in the valley of the Rusenski Lom, which flows north towards the Danube, and its cave chapels sit around 35 metres above the water. It is generally said to have been founded during the Second Bulgarian Empire, in the twelfth to fourteenth centuries, but the oldest written evidence comes later. An Ottoman tax register of 1431 lists a property called “Besaraba” with 14 households, and the same register describes it as the timar of “the great voivode”, understood to mean Ivanko Besarab, father-in-law of Tsar Ivan Alexander.
Another tradition says that the monastery was first dedicated to Saint Theodore Tiron and Saint Theodore Stratelates. Its founder is named as Queen Theodora Basarab, the first wife of Ivan Alexander and daughter of the Wallachian voivode Ivanko Basarab, after whom the nearby village of Basarbovo is also named. These accounts come from tradition and cannot be checked against surviving records.
The monastery became widely known in the seventeenth century through Saint Dimitar Basarbovski. He was a shepherd who chose an ascetic life among the rocks of the monastery and died in 1685. Paisiy Hilendarski, the eighteenth-century author of the “Istoriya Slavyanobolgarskaya”, speaks of him. He was first buried in the village church, which is why the name of the place became tied to his memory for centuries.
During the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774, General Pyotr Saltykov agreed to carry the saint’s relics to Russia. The route led through Romania, where a plague epidemic was raging at the time. According to the legend, as soon as the relics entered Bucharest, people stopped dying, and the townspeople asked the general to leave the saint’s body with them. The relics were placed in Bucharest on 13 July 1774 and remain there today, in the Church of Saints Constantine and Helena.
In 1937 a monk, Father Hrisant, settled at the cave monastery and began to restore it. Today it is active and, according to Wikipedia, was declared a historical landmark in 1978. In 2016 a new, larger church dedicated to the Transfiguration was consecrated in the monastery, and its interior has been painted in full. The monastery celebrates its patron saint in late October, on the day of St Dimitar Basarbovski. It also appears among the “100 national tourist sites” list compiled by the Bulgarian Tourist Union.
Curious facts about Basarbovo Monastery
- The patron saint began life as a shepherd, and his relics have lain in Bucharest since 1774, not in Bulgaria.
- According to the legend, a plague epidemic in Bucharest stopped when the saint’s relics entered the city.
- The monastery is mentioned in the tax register of 1431 under the name “Besaraba”, with 14 households.
- Both the village and the monastery are linked by tradition to the Basarab family of Wallachian rulers, through the voivode Ivanko Basarab.
- Wikipedia presents Basarbovo as the only active cave monastery of modern Bulgarian history; the Bulgarian Wikipedia says it is one of two, together with the Razboishki monastery.
- The monastery is one of the sites on the “100 national tourist sites” list of the Bulgarian Tourist Union.
Tours near Basarbovo Monastery
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting Basarbovo Monastery: what to expect
- The monastery is active, so visit quietly and dress modestly; check the current opening hours and visiting rules before you go.
- Look for the rock chapels cut into the cliff above the river, and for the new, fully painted church of the Transfiguration consecrated in 2016.
- The setting is the green valley of the Rusenski Lom, a good place for a short walk and for photography.
- The monastery is about 10 km from Ruse, which makes it an easy half-day trip from the city.
- Nearby places on this guide include the Rousse TV Tower, the Monument of Liberty and the fortress of Cherven.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Basarbovo Monastery is
Photos of Basarbovo Monastery
Questions
What is Basarbovo Monastery?
Basarbovo Monastery, or the Monastery of St Dimitar Basarbovski, is a Bulgarian Orthodox cave monastery in the Rusenski Lom valley near Ruse. Monks still live and worship here.
Where is Basarbovo Monastery and how far is it from Ruse?
It stands beside the village of Basarbovo, about 10 km from the city of Ruse in north-eastern Bulgaria. The chapels are carved into a cliff about 35 metres above the river.
Who was St Dimitar Basarbovski?
He was a shepherd who lived as an ascetic among the rocks of the monastery and died in 1685. His relics were taken to Bucharest in 1774, where they remain today.
How old is Basarbovo Monastery?
It is said to date from the Second Bulgarian Empire, in the twelfth to fourteenth centuries. The oldest written mention is in an Ottoman tax register of 1431.
Is Basarbovo Monastery still used by monks?
Yes, it is an active monastery. A monk, Father Hrisant, revived it in 1937, and a new church was consecrated in 2016.
What else is worth seeing near Basarbovo Monastery?
The Rousse TV Tower and the Monument of Liberty are close by, and the fortress of Cherven lies about 17 km away.
Also nearby
Ruse TV Tower
Ruse · 204 m concrete tower, Bulgaria's tallest TV mast
6.5 km away
Monument of Liberty
Ruse · pyramid of freedom with lions, chains and a sword
9 km away
Cherven
Ruse · medieval hill town with a fully preserved tower
17 km away
Belenski most
Byala · 14-arch stone bridge born of a daring bet
38 km away