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The monastery "St. Athanasius" was founded in 344 by St. Athanasius the Great, Patriarch of Alexandria. The place where the monastery was founded, was chosen not only because it is close to the strategic road Constantinople-Serdica. It is located at the foot of an important fortress, whose ruins can be seen even today. Close to the monastery also is an ancient Thracian Nymfaia.

According to scientific expedition carried out on January 18, 2004 by Academician Dr. Rossen Milev, this is the first monastery, founded in the Bulgarian lands, and the oldest acting monastery on the European continent.

The monastery is situated above the village of Zlatna livada (Golden Meadow), on the right bank of Stara reka (Old River) and it is one of the cultural and historical landmarks in Bulgaria. Its uniqueness is complemented by local legends about healing water in his well connected with the foundation by its patron St. Athanasius, and the hermitage in the rocks above the monastery, inhabited by the saint and his disciples in the days of fasting, prayer and solitude, in which today pilgrims pass for health and welfare.

Historians believe St. Athanasius founded the monastery after his visit to Serdica, where he went for a church council. On his way back to Egypt he stayed in a Roman fortress in Beroe (Stara Zagora today) and according to his biography, he founded monastery there. The choice of place of the saint is associated with its zealous protection of the purity of Orthodox faith in the fight against widespread at the time Arian heresy. At that time living in Moesia and Thrace Goths and other tribes were under strong pressure from the Arians.

The building of the monastery was ruined and rebuilt. There is strong archaeological evidence for the existence of a monastery in Late Antiquity and in the Middle Ages, and according to legend, Vasil Levski and other revolutionaries were hiding in it during the liberation struggles. One of the valuable benefits of the new monastery is an Egyptian icon of St. Athanasius, given during the visit of Patriarch Petros VII of Alexandria in 2003.

The complex includes a monastery church (restored in 1961), hermitage cave and spring with healing water in the yard below, authentic old buildings from 1840 and new wings of the monastery built in 1979. Above the altar in the church is placed icon of St. Petka.

The monastery "St. Athanasius" was built among very beautiful scenery and offers great opportunities for cultural tourism. Its temple festival is on May 2.