Patriarch Daniil will visit Mount Athos for the first time from 21 to 24 October, the Bulgarian Patriarchate said. He is going at the invitation of the brotherhood of the Zograf Monastery of St George the Victorious. The head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church – Bulgarian Patriarchate will also visit other holy monasteries.

The patriarch will also meet the Holy Community (Kinotis), the highest body of the monastic community on Mount Athos, which has administrative, legislative, executive and judicial powers. Karyes is the main town and administrative centre of the monastic republic.

Patriarch Daniil will lead the all-night vigil for the feast of the 26 Zograf martyrs, who died in 1274, burned by the Latins for their Orthodox faith. The programme also includes a talk with the monastery's brotherhood and prayers at the shrines of the Slavic-Bulgarian monastery.

Zograf is one of the Orthodox monasteries on Mount Athos, a group of monasteries on the UNESCO World Heritage list as a shared cultural monument of global importance.

On 4 February, the caretaker government approved 1,500,000 euros for 2026 for capital spending, to continue repairs on the road from the port to the monastery of St George the Zograf, the government press office said. The Council of Ministers said the road will become easier and safer for the many pilgrims from Bulgaria and abroad.