kalofer was founded in the 16th century (1533). from the very beginning it enjoyed privileges as a city, which allowed it to preserve its typical bulgarian character. in the time when traditional customs were booming about 1200 devices for producing traditional colored bulgarian wollen threads (gaitan) were operating in the town. traditional bulgarian holidays have always been observed in kalofer. the town has been burnt down at least three times. due to forestation the marks from the damage has been covered, but they can still be found here and there. with the passage of time, residents of kalofer have created their own methods of survival and have cultivated a strength of character, which has remained their typical personality trait until today. each time when the town was burnt, the people of kalofer built it all over again, carrying stones from their own farming land, working through the night. usually reconstruction activities started with re-building the church or the monastery.