The town of Kalofer (3470 inhabitants) is located in South-Central Bulgaria. It is part of Karlovo Munisipality, Plovdiv District. The town is situated at 600 meters above sea-level along both banks of Tundja River, between the Balkan and the Sredna Gora Mountains. Above it stands the highest peak in the Balkan range – Botev peak. Kalofer is located 158 km east of Sofia and 75 km north of Plovdiv.
It is the birthplace of the great Bulgarian poet and revolutionary Hristo Botev - the "Hristo Botev" house-museum is located there. Close to the center the school of the teacher Botyo Petkov can be found.

Quick facts about Town of Kalofer
In Bulgarian Alphabets: Калофер
Location: South-Central Bulgaria
Distance to capital city: 137 km from Sofia
Latitude: 42.617 N
Longitude: 24.983 E
Altitude: 500 - 699 m above sea level
Province: Plovdiv District
Municipality: Karlovo Municipality
Area size of Town of Kalofer: 155.016 sq km
Population of Town of Kalofer: 3470 inhabitants (to 01/01/2007)
Post code (ZIP): 4370
Phone code: 03133 from Bulgaria, 003593133 from outside

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, 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 horror 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 a derventdzhii (special guards of the roads and passes in the mountains, apointed by the Turks). The haidouti (armed revolutionaries, volunteers, members of detachment) kidnapped maids from Sopot, which was famous for its beauties, and that is how the town of Kalofer originated. 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.

Landmarks
First of all, there is the Hristo Botev House-Museum. 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 center, 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 fiery speeches 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 hte foot of the mountain, 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 Toundzha 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.

Surrounding areas
6 km north of Kalofer, along both banks of Toundzha 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. 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 (Turkish 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.
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 betweeen 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. Near the Alpine Rai Chalet (Paradise) is the highest waterfall in Bulgaria - Raiskoto Pruskalo (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, 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.