Klisura Monastery of St Petka is located a few kilometres north-west of Bankya and has a wonderful elevated view over Sofia’s countryside and Vitosha Mountain.

Likely as not, the monastery came into being sometime during the Ottoman period as a modest dwelling of unknown monks.

The monastery’s rise started in 1954 when one of the hidden religious pearls of Sofia Holy Mount, Mother Maria (Dohtorova), arrived to settle there. A new small church was erected.

The 1990s saw the contemporary expansion and improvement of the monastery which in recent years has experienced a new spiritual upsurge.