The village of Dobarsko lies several kilometers to the west of Razlog, 80km to the south of Blagoevgrad and 17km away from the mountain resort of Bansko. Its population is just 700 people, inhabiting about 200 houses.
Dobarsko is a typical mountain village, perching at 1,070m above sea level. It is located in the skirts of the Rila mountain and overlooks the endless horizons of the Pirin and Rodopi mountains.
The biggest sight in the village of Dobarsko is the church of St. Theodore Tiron and Theodore Stratilat, built in 1614 but repeatedly restored since. This sanctuary has impressive wall paintings that are relatively well-preserved. The church is half hidden beneath the surface of the ground, after a common fashion of church building during Ottoman rule. The construction of low churches obeyed an order of the Ottoman authorities that Orthodox churches could be built only if these did not rise higher than neighbouring mosques. Moreover, the lower the church, the less likely it was to attract the Ottoman troops’ attention and possibly risk a raid.
The other church of the village, Candlemas, is still functional and open to churchgoers. It was built in 1860 and has a richly decorated iconostasis made by artists from Bansko School. In addition, the beautiful area of Dobarsko is famous for its eight consecrated places with one of them, situated just 500m away from the village, hosting a newly built church dedicated to the Assumption of Our Lady.
