mountain pass
Shipka Pass
A historic 1,150m Balkan Mountains pass crowned by the Freedom Monument commemorating the 1877 battle.
32 km · about 35 min drive
EuropeBulgariaPlovdiv
Kalofer
Plovdiv, Bulgaria · Europe
About Kalofer
Kalofer sits on the route: 30 minutes from Karlovo, 32km from Shipka Pass.
Kalofer is in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, with about 3,200 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Karlovo, about 15 km away.
Kalofer (Bulgarian: Калофер pronounced:[kɐˈɫɔfɛr]) is a town in central Bulgaria, located on the banks of the Tundzha between the Balkan Mountains to the north and the Sredna Gora to the south. Kalofer is part of Plovdiv Province and the Karlovo municipality. It is best known as the birthplace of Bulgarian poet andRead more
revolutionary Hristo Botev.
The modern settlement of Kalofer emerged in the 16th century, managing to preserve its Bulgarian character in the Ottoman Empire and to develop as a centre of craftsmanship, primarily cord production. The Kalofer monastery has been in operation since 1640 and the convent since 1700. During the Bulgarian National Revival the town became a centre of revolutionary activity, being the birthplace of figures such as Hristo Botev, Exarch Joseph, Dimitar Panichkov, and Nikola Ivanov. Today, it is best known for the imposing Hristo Botev Monument (one of many in the country).
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Kalofer?
Within an hour or so of Kalofer: Shipka Pass (32 km), Buzludzha Monument (36 km), Troyan Pass (Beklemeto) (36 km), Etar Architectural-Ethnographic Complex (37 km).
Are there any good drives near Kalofer?
The nearest famous roads are Shipka Pass, Troyan Pass (Beklemeto) and Trigrad Gorge.
Where is Kalofer?
Kalofer is in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, about 15 km from Karlovo.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 3,248
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Bulgaria
- Region
- Plovdiv
- Timezone
- Europe/Sofia
- Coordinates
- 42.6167, 24.9833
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Bulgaria
Vignette required for all roads outside towns.
Full driving guide for BulgariaTags
Worth the detour from Kalofer
7 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Buzludzha Monument
A colossal flying-saucer-shaped Communist monument abandoned on a 1,432m Balkan peak.
36 km · about 40 min drive
mountain pass
Troyan Pass (Beklemeto)
At 1,525 m the highest paved pass over the Balkan Mountains, following an old Roman road between Troyan and Karnare with hairpins, panoramic ridgeline views and the Arch of Freedom monument.
36 km · about 40 min drive
museum
Etar Architectural-Ethnographic Complex
An open-air museum village near Gabrovo where water-driven workshops from the Bulgarian Revival still operate: craftsmen forge, weave and carve along a lane of 50 reconstructed houses powered by the Sivek river.
37 km · about 40 min drive
landmark
Koprivshtitsa
Bulgaria's only town-museum: a Sredna Gora valley of cobbled lanes and brightly painted National Revival mansions where the 1876 April Uprising began. Six house-museums preserve the interiors of merchants and revolutionaries.
52 km · about 60 min drive
landmark
Plovdiv Old Town
One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe, with colorful Revival-period houses perched on ancient hills above Roman ruins.
56 km · about 65 min drive
ancient ruins
Plovdiv Roman Theatre
A remarkably well-preserved 2nd-century Roman amphitheatre seating 6,000 spectators, still hosting performances today.
56 km · about 65 min drive
Driving roads near Kalofer
4 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 150km.
- 32 kmShipka PassA historic 1,150m Balkan Mountains pass crowned by the Freedom Monument commemorating the 1877 battle.
- 36 kmTroyan Pass (Beklemeto)At 1,525 m the highest paved pass over the Balkan Mountains, following an old Roman road between Troyan and Karnare with hairpins, panoramic ridgeline views and the Arch of Freedom monument.
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