Boyana Church Museum is a small and charming church located in Sofia, Bulgaria. It consists of three parts that were built over the centuries, with the earliest part dating back to the 9th century. This UNESCO World Heritage site is known for its beautiful frescoes that adorn the interior walls of the church. However, visitors are not allowed to take pictures inside.
Access to the church is limited, with only 10 people allowed inside at a time for a 10-minute visit. Despite this, tickets are reasonably priced and there is usually no queue. The surrounding area is residential, peaceful, and hilly, providing a serene atmosphere for visitors.
The church's historical significance is evident, as it has been well-preserved and meticulously maintained. It is particularly renowned for its frescoes dating back to 1259, which are considered to be some of the most impressive in Sofia. Visitors can enhance their experience by opting for a guided tour, where they can learn more about the history and details of the Boyana Church that may not be included in guidebooks.
While photography is not permitted inside the church, visitors are still able to appreciate the beauty and historical value of the site. The church's unique spirit and its immense contribution to Bulgarian heritage make it a must-visit destination. To fully understand and appreciate the significance of the place, it is recommended to enter with a guide. Arranging a tour through reputable platforms such as TripAdvisor can ensure a more enriching experience.
However, some visitors have reported negative experiences with the ticket office staff, citing arrogance and rudeness. Notably, one reviewer expressed their disappointment with the impolite manner in which they were denied access to a guided tour. Despite this, the overall impression of the church remains positive, with visitors being in awe of its incredible preservation and stunning religious artwork.
To make the most of a visit to Boyana Church Museum, it is advisable to make a reservation in advance, as the site tends to attract many visitors. Although some individuals have reported issues with receiving a response after booking online, the wait times for entrance are generally short. The church is conveniently accessible by public transport, with buses available to transport visitors to the church's location on the slope of Mount Vitosha.
Overall, Boyana Church Museum offers a unique and spiritually significant experience for those interested in Bulgarian heritage. Its well-preserved architecture, stunning frescoes, and peaceful surroundings make it a must-see attraction in Sofia.
Comment
23.05.23
Louise
Small church, built in 3 parts over the centuries, the earliest part is from the 9th century. Its very small and they only allow 10 people in at a time, for 10 minutes. The frescos inside are beautiful but you are not allowed to take pictures.
28.04.23
Sahar
UNESCO world heritage site, very small church and they give you only 10 minutes slot to stay inside. Tickets are very reasonable and there was no queue. The nearby area is residential, peaceful and hilly.
20.04.23
Joanna
In 1979, the church was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Orthodox temple with beautiful frescoes. It is small but perfectly groomed. By the way, you can go for a walk in the mountains.
06.04.23
Val
One of the most impressive sites in Sofia. Small, but with great frescoes dating back to the year 1259. The guide was very kind and shared some details, that were not included in the book about the Boyana church.
16.03.23
Vishesh
Beautiful place with a lot of history. We went here through an organized tour. You are allowed to remain inside for only 10 mins.
23.01.23
Hadar
It is a place with unique spirit and an enourmous significance for the Bulgarian heritage.
It is recommended to enter the church with a guide to understand the nice history of the place. We took a tour from TripAdvisor
23.11.22
yt
No photo inside. It still maintain well. Nice !
WC only open for ticket holder.
10.11.22
Zornitsa
It is a place with unique spirit and an enourmous significance for the Bulgarian heritage. I come back from time to time to enjoy the energy :)
It is recommended to make a reservation in advance to enter the church with a guide. You can freely access.. Read more » the garden.
The reason I assign 3 stars is the attitude of the woman at the ticket office - she was arrogant and rude proclaimig there is no order and how we cannot take part in the guided tour in a very impolite manner. It was an embarrassing situation in front of a friend from abroad. I would recommend a more polite attitude to the visitors.
10.11.22
Tania
Absolutely incredibly preserved church. The religious scened walls are beautiful art works. Just wow! A must see
14.08.22
Piotr
The place, of course, is worth visiting. Also, the immediate surroundings are attractive. Their website recommends booking the entrance in advance due to many visitors. I did it online, but I didn't get any response. I was there before noon on a.. Read more » weekday in August '22 and waited for the entrance for 10 minutes. Traffic was negligible ;). The access is convenient by public transport, despite the church already being on the slope of Mount Vitosha. From the last bus 64 you have to go up a little, and from 107 go down.
12.08.22
Nikolai
When you visit the national museum of Bulgaria in Sofia/Vitosha, upon purchasing tickets you will be asked if you also want to obtain a ticket for the Boyana church. The church is easily reachable by bus (just a couple of stops). Some tourists prefer.. Read more » to go by foot and watch the surroundings. It is quite a walk though, steep and reasonably challenging especially in the hot summer sun. The church itself is tiny and embedded into a wonderful redwood garden. The tourists are allowed to enter in small groups only and spend about 10-15 min inside (3 tiny rooms). Taking pictures is not allowed and only small bags are permitted. Among other old frescoes/paintings is the picture of the juvenile Christ, which i am told to be unique. A heritage site worth being visited!
07.08.22
Savina
A place I love! Ancient, full of wisdom and tranquility! Want to find peace and depth amongst a busy day? Just spend an hour and you will leave different.
11.07.22
Artem
Price 5€uro for 10 minutes inside the church. Don't waste your time :)
02.07.22
Tony
Pretty medieval Bulgarian Orthodox church in lush surroundings and with amazing and well-preserved murals painted inside.
12.06.22
Angela
Loved this unique church! The original frescos are very well-maintained, and the employees staffing the church are more than happy to answer any questions you may have. The one qualm I have about this place is the 10-minute cap on visits. It's a.. Read more » crowd-control measure so I understand why the policy is in place, but I wish I had more time to admire these gorgeous works of art.
07.06.22
Alexander
Interesting small place with an old church from 10th century. Worth seeing when you are around, but definitely not a must see.
30.04.22
Brian
Tiny church but packed with history. Guide was there to explain everything. Was surprised to see huge redwood trees!
26.04.22
Kseniya
Very lovely garden with sequoias. The church has great murals of 11,13 centuries. I saw a bit similar murals in Cappadocia, so I wasn't extremely impressed. However it worth visiting. Not far from Sofia. The surroundings are very nice and there .. Read more »is a spectacular view of Sofia. The overall time for being inside is 10 minutes, 8 people are allowed for one time. So you should have spare time. We waited for 40 min in the garden to enter the church.
17.03.22
Tudor
There is more hype than value to this attraction. It is a unesco heritage site but the ticket is expensive for Bulgarian standards and you don't get much information. You just enter an Christian orthodox church which has been rebuilt. If you jus.. Read more »t want to cross stuff off your list you should go but don't expect to get much out of the experience. I recommend just taking the bus and seeing the church from outside, saves time and money and the ride through Sofia should be interesting.
04.03.22
Petya
Fascinating heritage! Definitely a place that must be seen. The ticket for non-students is 10 leva, while for students it is 2 lv. In the garden there are several sequoia trees, one if them which is planted by king Ferdinand. Unfortunately, it was no.. Read more »t possible to take pictures from the inside.
06.09.21
Caroline
Even though with new Covid restrictions, it means once you buy your ticket (10 Lev) and wait to be let into the church, it's for 10 minutes max ( there's a timer) We were lucky to have made the most of that time thanks to the knowledge and .. Read more »expertise of the guide inside. He was a lovely gentleman and explained the relevance of certain murals which definitely added to the experience.
13.08.21
Annabel
small, surrounded by a beautiful garden, full of history, well preserved affrescos - simply fascinating tiny jewel just on the outside of Sofia
01.08.21
Katiana
Really well preserved. Although the guided visit doesn't offer a lot of info about it. Time slot is only 10 mins.
06.07.21
Ryan
Not a bad idea to visit this UNESCO heritage. It’s a bit tiny but the guide explained the paintings and their history very well. Interesting place.
29.06.21
Stefan
I don't recommend getting out of your way especially for the church. It is small and the paintings are not so special! The tour guide lady inside of the church was nice tho, that's why I am giving it an extra star.
20.06.21
Valentin
Experience a 1000 years old church that was amazing very nice picture ahd history inside,not picture allow inside
02.06.21
Rheanna
Lovely place to visit when in sofia and visiting the vitosha Mountain. The entrance fee is 10 Lev and comes with a guided tour of both outside and inside the church. The guides were very informative.
22.05.21
Jerome
Nice small church, with old paintings.
Unfortunately, Upstairs were closed when we came visiting.
And like everything in bulgaria, you need to pay.
16.05.21
Eram
Must visit....!
One of the oldest and best maintained churches in the Balkans. Some of the icons painted in 11th century are unique. Sorry, no photography allowed inside.
20.03.21
Elie
Perfect! Fast, good once a week it's perfect !
Little plus for the ob1 quinoabi ??
09.03.21
Lex
This church, located a bit further from the city, ended up even on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Why, you may ask when you see this building from the outside. Well, outside is not what matters here. The inside harbors one of the most valuable treas.. Read more »ures of all of Bulgaria. The frescoes covering the inner walls of this church date back to the 10th century and are almost universally preserved to this day. The entrance fee is 10 BGN and you can stay inside maximum 10 minutes. Photography is not allowed.
20.01.21
Mladen
Unique, remarkable Renaissance fresco of human faces from 13 c.
19.01.21
Славяна
Expensive tickets for limited time visit. Guide was nice. Its beautiful inside.
03.11.20
Michal
An amazing place, worth to go there and have a look.
27.09.20
Charlotte
This is a lovely hidden gem in the outskirts of sofia. Definitely worth the visit. The lady who gives the tour inside speaks very good English, and was very welcoming and informative.
A very peaceful church and surroundings with a fascinating histor.. Read more »y.
There is parking. Note - you buy your ticket to go into the church just inside the graveyard entrance :). Only groups of 5 at a time inside the church, although you can book before. It's also very relaxing sitting outside the church while you wait.
Highly recommend!
22.09.20
André
The outside-look is deceiving, you may think that it's nothing special. However, inside you have hundreds of years old paintings that are incredible, made with a special technique that manages to stay rather well preserved even nowadays and our .. Read more »guide, from Traventuria, explained us everything really well. So, don't be fooled by its façade. You can't take pictures indoors and we didn't see any shop selling postcards with photos in them.
15.09.20
Kiril
The chruch dates from the XI century and on the right hand side you can see the images of Bulgarian tsar Constantine I Tikh and Eirene of Nicaea. 11th–12th-13th century frescoes!! The fact that it's in the UNESCO world heritage list says e.. Read more »nough.. Normally you would have just 10mins...Which is not great, but kinda makes you want to visit it again.
28.08.20
jey
Must visit when in sofia, really good visit
23.08.20
Vinh
The Boyana Church (Bulgarian: Боянска църква, Boyanska tsărkva) is a medieval Bulgarian Orthodox church situated on the outskirts of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, in the Boyana quarter. In 1979, the building was added to the UNESCO World Heritage L.. Read more »ist.
The east wing of the two-storey church was originally constructed in the late 10th or early 11th century, then the central wing was added in the 13th century under the Second Bulgarian Empire, the whole building being finished with a further expansion to the west in the middle of the 19th century. A total of 89 scenes with 240 human images are depicted on the walls of the church.
The Boyana Church was built in three stages: in the late 10th to early 11th, the mid-13th, and the mid-19th centuries. The oldest section (the eastern church) is a small one-apse cross-vaulted church with inbuilt cruciform supports. It was built in the late 10th or the early 11th century.
The second section, which adjoins the eastern church, was commissioned by Sebastocrator Kaloyan and his wife Desislava in the mid-13th century. This building belongs to the two-floor tomb-church type. It consists of a ground-floor family sepulchre with a semi-cylindrical vault and two arcosolia on the north and south walls, and of an upper-floor family chapel identical in design to the eastern church. The exterior is decorated with ceramic ornaments.
The last section was built with donations from the local community in the mid-19th century. The church was closed to the public in 1954 in order to be conserved and restored. It was only partially reopened in 2006.
As a protection measure, air-conditioning was installed to keep the temperature at 17–18 degrees Celsius (62–64 Fahrenheit), with low-heat lighting. Groups of up to 8 visitors are permitted to stay for 10 minutes. The building, placed under the management of the National Historical Museum (Bulgaria), was fully reopened to the public by Culture Minister Stefan Danailov on October 2, 2008.
Excerpt from Wikipedia
22.08.20
Charlotte
Beautiful church and it was free of charge when we went. You have to wait as only 5 people are allowed inside at a time for 10 mins each. Staff is on hand to help and answer any questions. Unfortunately you cannot take pictures of the frescos inside.
16.08.20
enzo
Historical place!
14.08.20
Lora
It think that price is quite overrated.
03.11.19
Eddie
Beautiful well preserved church. It is located in a garden. So peaceful and nice. It’s a must to visit this place when visit Sofia. So deep and rich the history of this church. It is great to spend sometimes to be here to pray and to do some re.. Read more »flection.
4.6 / 87
