Tsutsovata Family House

Home description

There aren't many old houses left in Kalofer, and those left from the time of the Turkish slavery are less.

Cucovata Guest House is a real home, where during winter smoke is curlying out of the chimneys and where during summer hosts and guests sit toghether at one table and drink the famous "Otlezhasala rakiya" ( a Bulgarian alcohol drink), leaving unforgettable memories for good.

You better knock on the door of the Cucovi family and enjoy your stay.

The old house is situated in Kalofer centre,where it has been standing since 3 centuries.

There is a local heating during the winter. The hotel accepts guests at any time of the year. It's situated in the very center of the city, surrounded by 2 meters brick wall. The house was been renovated in 1990 and offers all comforts of the ordinary home.

Brick fireplaces, built in cupboards, wooden attics, couches, and authentic metal beds will make you feel one different atmosphere. One of the biggest treasures is the garden. In the summer you can see blooming roses, pelargonium and all other kinds ot flowers. The greening box-tree is on the same age as the house. The cornel-tree is also that old and its fruits are 3 times bigger than the ordinary.

All guests, who want try as chefs, can use the fireplace, the grill and the barbecue, where they can cook everything from chicken to lambs. You can make your favorite meals and surprise the hosts with them. Hosts themselves can surely surprise you with the homemade wine and the mulled Kalofer rakiya.

The town of Kalofer, where "Cucovata Family House" is situated, is beautiful in all seasons. During the winter there is a lot of snow, during the summer you can see the meadow of "Cafarica", the abyss of "Djendema", the beauty of river Tundja, the vivid mountain forests and tops, the gorgeous river valleys.

The town is an important center for organized backpack tourism. You can make trips to the national park "Central Balkan" towards cabin "Rai", "Botev" mountain top and many more. In favor of the tourists there are professional high-mountain guides as well as professional equipment.

One-day trips:

1. At the "Haidushko sborishte"
Kalofer - Panicite - "The two oaks" - Kalofer - 6 hours, approximately 30 km. long, reaching 1400m. above sea level.

2. The path to "Tiha obitel"
Kalofer - Panicite - Pokrov "St. Bogorodica" - males’ monastery - Kalofer - 6 hours.

3. "King's road" way

Kalofer - Panicite - Paradjika - Kalofer - 6 hours.

4. Climb to Botev top.

Duration - 6-8 hours.The trip is 80 km long reaching 2376m. above sea level.

5. Taja place - Kademliisko praskalo

Duration - 6-8 hours. The trip is 80 km long.

TWO-DAY TRIPS:

1. Trip to Heavan
Kalofer - Panicite - Rai hut - Botev peak - Kalofer

2. Day trip - "Rai" Hut-(1540 m above sea level) - "Raisko praskalo" (1703m above sea level) - "Rai" hut - Kalofer. Climbing trough "Tarzanova" pathway You will reach the upper part of the waterfall.

The Trips will include visits to the cultural monument of the founder of the city - Kalofer voivoda, horseback riding towards "The two oaks" area and "Haidushko Sborishte" area.

Visit in the accessible part of the "South Djendem" reserve. There will be visits to the local sheep milk farm and many more places of interest.

The town of Kalofer is established by voivode Kalofer. Though a small town, it has rich historical, cultural and spiritual life.The deep religious feeling burried inside the citizens of the town can only explain the creation and preservation of many churches and chapels. On the area where Kalofer is located there are 3 big churches built over a small wodden ones.

Approximatly six kilometers from the city at the begining of the "Central Balkan" national park is located the "St Rojdestva Bogorodichno" monastery built in 1606.

Other sites that are a must to see are the native home-museum of Hristo Botev -one of the greatest Bulgarian writers and some of the first schools in Bulgaria founded by his father Teacher Botio Petkov.

Tourists can visit the knitting work shops while encountering the world famous Kalofer lace and the traditional carpets and you see how they are made. The hand made souvenirs, copper attributes, wooden barrels, kegs and knifes, as well as the home cooked meals will remain forever in the memory to everyone who tries them.

Most of the native people, as well as the hosts from "Cucovi house", grow the world famous oil-yielding rose. In the beginning of July the visitors are offered to help gather the roses, welcoming the rose festival, a stroll in the place where the roses are boiled and they are offered to try "jam of roses" even "rose rakiya". This experience is already a tradition in the town of Kalofer.

Cucovata Family House is open all year round. It offers five guest rooms.

Location

The small and lovely town Kalofer is situated at the southern foothills the Central Balkan Mountain Range. The name of the town is connected with the legend about heroes, whose spirit is still alive among the native citizens.

You can reach Kalofer driving down the main route called “Podbalkanska linia”. It is 158 km east of Sofia between Karlovo and Kazanlak. The town is a starting point to many tourist routes in the natural reserve “Central Balkan”. Today there are tourists climbing the paths to Raiskoto Praskalo waterfall and Botev peak, where the rebels of Kalofer the hero were roaming a long tine ago. The legend tells that he robbed the Turkish caravans passing through the mountain. The Sultan sent his army many times, but the clever leader was elusive. At last the Sultan gave him permission to build a town, where Turks could not enter with weapons, and Kalifer the Hero stopped robbing the caravans. The story happened in 16 century and nowadays Kalofer welcomes many tourists. Although the town is small it offers many interesting attractions to its guests.

Right in the heart of the town, next to the Tunzha River cosy mehanas offering traditional cuisine are situated, where you can relax after a long day, to meet with friends before a walk in the Balkan or to render yourself to a lavish feast, if you spend the night in town.

For my great regret I couldn’t stay for the night and I even didn’t have time enough to try some of these mehanas, but just the aroma, that was floating in the air suggested me what I was missing. From the central square I headed through the stone bridges over the river and started towards memorial complex “Hristo Botev”. Kalofer is the birth town of the great poet and revolutionary and everything here talks and reminds of him. The complex is rising above the town and a marvelous view is reviled from it. It is an impressive statue of Hristo Botev and numerous scenes from the national liberation movement are presented right next to it. The central square of the town could be seen at the foot of the monument. To the left is the school of Daskal Botio (teacher), and to the right is the church “St Mary”. Further down is the birth house of Hristo Botev and right next to it is the museum building. Later I learned that the house is a real copy, as during the Russian – Turkish war it was demolished. In the building of the Daskal Botio School are situated the art gallery and the museum of education. Here Hristo Botev pronounced an ardent speech against the Turkish authority, afterwards he was forced to immigrate.

I wanted to go up in the mountain, after I finished with the towns’ sightseeing, to reach the Raisko Praskalo (Paradise spray) – the highest waterfall in Bulgaria. However for my regret the spray came to me and it wasn’t “paradise” at all. Heavy rainfall reached me and there was no chance to stop soon. Thus I was forced to change my plans and leave Kalofer, may be some other day I will go to the Raisko Praskalo and Botev peak and will tell you more about them. However you should all know that it is best to go there on your own as, I am sure that there are no words which can describe these marvelous sites.