The Kalofer Convent Presentation of the Blessed Virgin

If you have chosen a route passing through the picturesque Balkan Mountain town of Kalofer and the holy places reflecting the Revival and militant spirit of its inhabitants, running like a red thread through the centuries, you must visit this cloister and experience the bliss of its calm and quiet. Setting out from the little square in the town centre, cross the bridge over the Tundja river with the fountain, which is a monument to the Kalofer citizens killed in the First World War (1914-18), and you will come to the white-stone building of the town Community Centre. If it is summertime, do not be surprised at the flocks of martins flying above it and warbling cheerfully. Scores of them nest and brood in the bas-reliefs of the pediment. Take the path starting at the foot of the steps leading to the grand monument to the immortal Botev, then a steep little street will take you north to the arched bridge over the swift current of the Tundja, and further up starts the tall convent wall, built-in in the solid mountain rocks. The heavy gate, under the icon of the Mother of God, will open hospitably and invite you to enter into the pretty yard with an ancient wooden draw-well. Walk under the very old clapper, hung up on the trellis vine, listen to the murmur of the two stone fountains – one was built in 1826, the other was donated by Prince Ferdinand in 1889. Then make the sign of the cross and enter with reverent humbleness