Aladzha Monastery opening hours, tickets and how to get there (2026)

Aladzha Monastery is a medieval rock monastery carved into a limestone cliff in Golden Sands Nature Park, about 17 km north of Varna and 3 km west of Golden Sands. Tickets cost €5 for adults and €3 for students (under-7s free), and in November 2026 it opens 10:00–17:00 except Mondays and Tuesdays (Varna museum). From 1 December to 28 February it is closed, so November is your last chance until March. The last open day of 2026 should be Sunday 29 November, as 30 November is a Monday.

When is Aladzha Monastery open?

The site is run by the Regional History Museum Varna. Its hours, checked on the museum website on 26 October 2026:

Period	Hours	Days off
May–October	09:00–17:00	none
November	10:00–17:00	Monday, Tuesday
1 December–28 February	closed	–
March–April	10:00–17:00	Monday, Tuesday

Tickets are sold only at the ticket desk on site: the museum does not sell online and warns about unofficial offers on other platforms. On days set by the Ministry of Culture or Varna Municipality, entry is free.

What will you see?

The cells and chapels are cut on two levels into a cliff almost 40 m high (Visit Varna). The lower level holds the monastery church, monks’ cells, a refectory and kitchen, a small cemetery church and a crypt. The upper level is a natural recess with a chapel at its eastern end, where faint remains of murals survive. Hermit monks lived here in the 13th and 14th centuries; the monastery declined after the Ottoman conquest and was probably abandoned by the 15th–16th century. Its Christian name is unknown: “aladzha” means “motley” or “colourful”, probably after its painted walls.

About 600–700 m west are the Catacombs, a group of caves used in the early Christian period (5th–6th centuries) (Visit Varna). A small museum near the entrance tells the monastery’s story and sells books and souvenirs. Plan one to two hours for both.

How do you get there?

• Bus: line 29 runs from the railway station through the centre and Vinitsa to the Aladzha Manastir stop, but only twice a day (morning and evening), so check live times on Varna Traffic. Lines 109 and 409 stop at Chaika, lower down the hill.
• Car or taxi: OpenStreetMap shows two small car parks next to the Aladzha Manastir bus stop at the entrance. We found no official parking tariff (as of 2026-10).
• On foot from Golden Sands: follow the marked trails below. This is the nicest way to arrive on a dry autumn day.

Which trails start at the monastery?

The monastery is a hub of the Golden Sands Nature Park trail network (times from Visit Varna):

• Blue: to Golden Sands resort, about 80 min, along an old paved alley with views from the “1300 Years Bulgaria” fountain.
• Yellow: to Golden Sands via Aladzha hut and a sea viewpoint, about 90 min.
• Green: to the Panorama stop of bus 9 back to Varna, about 150 min.
• Orange: to the Akademik hut, about 40 min.
• Red: the longest, from Vinitsa (end of bus 31) past the monastery to Kranevo, about 270 min.

Tips for your visit

Wear shoes with grip for the rock-cut steps and the forest paths, which get muddy after rain. Ignore anyone selling tickets online: the only valid tickets come from the desk at the entrance. Combine the visit with a walk down to Golden Sands, or add Pobiti Kamani for another half-day out of Varna. For more ideas, see the top 10 sights in Varna and when to visit Varna.