St. Stephan church is an important part of the Balkan Peninsula's cultural heritage as a whole.

Church of St. Stephen

Visiting the Church of St. Stephen is like stepping back into the 16th century. Go through the door and it almost feels like you’re in a gallery surrounded by the authentic spirit of medieval Orthodox art.

The interior of the church looks almost exactly as it did in the 16th century—with its original paintings. There are 258 murals and more than 1000 figures, including scenes from the Miracles of Christ according to the Gospel legends.

Although the church was elongated and renovated in the 16th century, it was originally built between the 11th and 13th centuries. At first it was dedicated to the Holy Mother and you’ll notice that the wall paintings represent scenes from the story of her life. In the 18th century, scenes from the Last Judgement were painted here. There is also still a wood-carved throne and a pulpit from that period.

Today, the Church of St. Stephen operates as a museum and is one of the most important monuments of Bulgarian cultural heritage.

Visit

Church of St. Stephen

Hours

In 2018, the opening hours are as follows:
From 1 April to 27 April, it is open from 10:30 – 17:00.
From 28 April to 31 May, it is open from 9:00 – 18:00.
From 1 June to 8 July, it is open from 9:00 – 19:00.
From 9 July to 26 August, it is open from 9:00 – 20:00.
From 27 August to 24 September, it is open from 9:00 – 19:00.
From 25 September to 31 October, it is open from 9:00 – 18:00.
From 1 November to 31 March, it is open only by request.

Pricing

Adults: 6 lv
Children: 3 lv

There are also the following combination tickets available.

The Archaeological Museum and the Ethnographic Museum: 8 lv (4 lv for children)
The Church of St Stephen and the Church of St Spas: 8 lv (4 lv for children)
The Archaeological Museum and the Church of St Stephen: 10 lv (5 lv for children)
The Archaeological Museum, the Church of St Stephen and one of the following – the Church of St Spas, the Church of Christ Pantokrator, the Church of St. Paraskeva, the Church of St John the Baptist, or the Ethnographic Museum: 12 lv (6 lv for children)
The Archaeological Museum, the Church of St Stephen, the Church of St Spas, the Ethnographic Museum and the Church of Christ Pantokrator: 15 lv (8 lv for children)
The Church of St Stephen, the Church of St Spas, the Church of Christ Pantokrator, the Church of St Paraskeva and the Church of St John the Baptist: 15 lv (8 lv for children)
The Archaeological Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, the Church of St Stephen, the Church of St Spas, the Church of Christ Pantokrator, the Church of St Paraskeva and the Church of St John the Baptist: 20 lv (10 lv for children)