Orlova Chuka (Орлова Чука in Cyrillic) is situated 45 km from Ruse and about 86 km from Veliko Tarnovo. It is one of the most interesting caves in Bulgaria. It was accidentally discovered by a shepherd named Stoyan Dimitrov in 1941.
The cave is formed by Cretaceous limestones deposited on the bottom of the ancient Sarmatian Sea. The cave galleries are formed much later as a result of karst processes occurred during the Quaternary.
Reportedly, skeletons of bears, spearheads, flint scrapers, axes, pieces of pottery have been unearthed, some dating back to the Eneolithic (Copper Age) and suggesting that the cave was inhabited by humans.
The total length of the galleries is established to be over 13,000 m, of which 8,000 m are mapped. These figures show that the cave is the second longest in Bulgaria.
The cave galleries present sights as if belonging to a magical faery. Beautiful stalactites, stalagmites and stalactones are the main pillars of this unworldly architecture. Upon tapping on the Singing Stalactone one hear sounds as if they were produced by a musical instrument. In the Grand Gallery, in between beautiful stalactites in the form of curtains and draperies, one can see the Big Stalactone that stands 3.5 meters tall. A number of beautiful formations have been named and bear monikers like Ten Stone Soldiers, Leafless Forest, The Family, The Saw, The Geyser, The Glacier, The Waterfalls.
The Small Spring, a karst water spring, is told to be the best place in the Orlova Chuka. There is a belief that those who drink water from it may expect one grand wish of theirs to come true. Stalagmites near the spring are milky white and beautiful.
