The town of Kalofer (3991 inhabitants, 600 metres above sea-level) is beautifully situated along both banks of Tundga River, in a small valley in the eastern foot of the Strazhata Hill (The Sentry) (a natural connection between the Balkan and the Sredna Gora Mountains. Above it, spreading its mighty shoulders stands the highest peak in the Balkan Range - Mt. Botev. The town is located 17 km east of Karlovo, 158 km east of the capital city - Sofia, 38 km west of Kazanluk, 75 km north of Plovdiv. It is the birthplace of the great Bulgarian poet and revolutionary Hristo Botev. History: Its name can not be found in the ancient or the medieval history of our lands. On this place there were once thick, impassable and desolate woods. To the west, in the valley of Byala Reka River (White River), was the old town Zvanigrad, from which there is not a trace left today. Due to the strong resistance, the Turks wiped out the town, but the proud and sturdy defenders remained unconquered. A group of 40 heroes, led by Kalifer Voivoda ("voivoda" meaning leader of a group of armed revolutionaries), roamed for long throughout the area, defending their fellow Bulgarians and arousing terror in the Ottomans. The Turks were powerless to deal with the detachment and so the Sultan gave the voivoda permission to settle in the woods along with his men, giving them privileges to establish a settlement with the statute of derventdzhii (special guards of the roads and passes in the mountains, appointed by the Turks). The haidouti (armed revolutionaries, volunteers, members of a detachment) kidnapped maids from Sopot, which was famous for its beauties, and that is how the town of Kalofer originated. History It is not by chance that the history of the town during the long Turkish yoke is full of names of famous revolutionaries, haidouts and rebels - from Kalifer Voivoda, Old Man Mlachko, Chono Chorbadzhi, Dobri Voivoda and Gulub Voivoda to the great poet and revolutionary Hristo Botev. Twice the kurdzhalii (Turkish brigands) ruined the town - in 1799 and 1804, but it quickly recovered and grew wealthy. During the first half of the 19th century Kalofer, like all our towns south of the Balkan Range, reached its zenith. Travellers notice that in it there are more than 1000 loom sites for woollen braids, a lot of mills for processing wool and dye-houses. The craftsmen and merchants of Kalofer traded with Constantinople, Vienna, Odessa, Braila. They did not call the town Altun Kalofer (Golden Kalofer) for nothing. In 1845 a big new school was built, and in 1871 a school for girls was built, too. All kinds of educational societies were formed. A lot of renowned writers and public figures are natives of Kalofer - Ekzarh Yossif I, Dimitur Mutev, Elena Muteva (the first Bulgarian poetess), Hristo Tupchileshtov, Ivan Shopov (a student of folklore and the first Bulgarian bibliographer) and others. Many people of Kalofer enrolled in the detachments of Panayot Hitov, Phillip Totyo, Hadgi Dimitur and Stefan Karadzha, Bacho Kiro. At the end of the Turkish rule there were as much as 15 haidout detachments roaming in Kalofer's vicinity. Over 500 natives of Kalofer were members of haidout detachments and groups. During the War of Liberation (1877 - 1878) Kalofer shared Karlovo and Sopot's fate - it was plundered and set on fire by the bashibozouks. Almost nothing is left of the pre-liberation Kalofer. Landmarks: First of all, there is the Hristo Botev House-Museum (downtown). It's not his native house, which burned to ashes when the town was ruined. In 1942 the house where Hristo Botev's father - the teacher Botyo Petkov had lived later, was restored. A new museum building in folk-style was added in the yard. There is a marble bust of the poet and a sculpture of his mother. Close to the centre, in its upper part, the restored building of the school of the teacher Botyo Petkov can be found. On its lower floor, an art gallery has been arranged, featuring pictures, dedicated to Kalofer and Hristo Botev, and the second floor hosts a museum of education. In front of the building is preserved the stone, on which young Botev makes his fiery speech against the Turkish rule on 24 May 1867, after which he is forced to leave Bulgaria. Next to the building a bust-monument of the teacher Botyo Petkov was erected. Further in this direction is the old revival Holy Virgin Church. In its yard was the simple church cell that gave shelter to Botyo Petkov, when he came to teach in the little town. Hristo Botev was born in it. Now there is only a memorial plate there. Monumental stairs lead from downtown to the Memorial Complex in the foot of the mountains, in the centre of which stands a granite statue of the Bulgarian genius, who has outspoken the prophetic words "One, who falls fighting for Freedom, doesn't die" and confirmed them himself. In the north-west end, a glorious monument of Kalifer Voivoda stands. Other interesting sites in the town are: the stone bridges from the revival period over Tundga River, some of the old houses, The Maiden Monastery, built in 1738, St. Atanas Church, the rose-distillery, the beautiful park called Botev's meadow, etc. Transport: The main road Sofia - Karlovo - Bourgas passes through the town. There are busses to Karlovo, Plovdiv and other smaller villages in the area. The bus station is downtown. The railway station (2,5 km south-east of the town, a bus line connects it to the town) is on the Sofia - Karlovo - Bourgas line and all train stop there. Surrounding areas: 6 km north of Kalofer, along both banks of Tundga River, the Panitsite Resort is situated. It has a lot of recreational facilities, mostly for children. It is a starting point for the Kalofer Mountain (see Stara Planina related chapter). During the summer, twice daily, there is a bus from the town. The Kalofer Maiden Monastery can be found on the right bank of Byala Reka River (White River), at about 6 km north-west of the town. Founded in 1640, it was set on fire twice (in 1799 and 1804) by kurdzhalii (Turkinsh brigands), rebuilt in 1819, with a big monastery church. During the War of Liberation it was again plundered and burnt to ashes. Today's church was built in 1880 on the foundations of the old one. The rest of the buildings are newer. One can stay for the night in the monastery against minimal payment. However, there is no regular transport to it. Surrounding Areas The Byala Reka Inn is located by the bridge across the river Byala Reka (White River), with a small summer resort near it. It's a few kilometres west of Kalofer and all buses between Karlovo and Kalofer stop there. The upper part of Byala Reka has cut through the Balkan the fantastic South Dzhendem Canyon, declared a Nature Reserve. It is accessible only with mountaineer equipment. Near the Alpine Rai Chalet (Paradise) is the highest waterfall in Bulgaria - Raiskoto Praskalo (The Heavens' Sprayer) (124 m), whose waters fall down the stony walls of Mt. Botev (2376 m) - the highest peak in the Balkan Range. One can get to this true paradise only on foot - about 4 hours from the Panitsite Resort. Besides for the Central Balkan Range (see Stara Planina related chapter), Kalofer is also a starting point for the Surnena Sredna Gora Mountain. From the railway station, along a marked tourist track, one can get to Svezhen Chalet in about 5 hours. The chalet is above the village of the same name, where Colonel Serafimov - a hero of the Balkan War, was born. One can also reach the village by bus from Karlovo. From Svezhen Chalet one can continue eastward along the ridge of Surnena Sredna Gora, to the Bratan Chalet and Kavakliika Chalet.
