Orlova Chuka Cave Architectural Reserve

Overview

Orlova Chuka is a cave in the Danube plain, located in the municipality of Dve Mogili, Bulgaria. Remains of prehistoric people and bears have been found in it. The cave is electrified and accessible for visits. It is located on the right slope of the Cherni Lom river valley, 6 km east of Dve Mogili and 2.5 km east of the village of Pepelina, the village of Shirokovo, the village of Ostritsa, 45 km from the town of Ruse. The entrance to the cave is 40 m above the river level, down to the entrance of the cave leads a steep path with built stairs. From the entrance there is a view of the nature park "Rusenski Lom" and the beautiful rock landmarks around. The cave was formed at the end of the Pliocene and the beginning of the Quaternary, when it was a bed of an underground river, carved the local Cretaceous limestones and calcareous sandstones. The cave is a complex system of tunnels and halls. The ceiling of the cave is a relief of smoothed shapes formed by underground vortices. Among the sights of the cave are the Concert Hall, the Great Stalactite (3.5 m high and 0.5 m in diameter), the Small Abyss, the largest hall the Great Scree, which is the end of the landscaped part of the cave. Another landmark of the cave is the sinter pond called "The Spring". Orlova Chuka is the third longest cave in Bulgaria with a total gallery length of 13,437 m. The temperature in the cave is relatively constant throughout the year (14 ° C). In its easily accessible entrances it is ennobled and convenient to visit. The Space Hall and the Rest Hall are unfinished.