Dve Mogili: Cultural History and Orlova Chuka

Dve Mogili can be explored through specific cultural and historical sites and the town’s location. The Filip Totyu House Museum and the Holy Trinity Church each focus on different aspects. The wider Dve Mogili destination also includes Orlova Chuka Cave and other archaeological and cultural topics.

Filip Totyu and the town’s history

At the Filip Totyu House Museum, visitors can learn more about the last ten years of the voivode Filip Totyu’s life. Topics include his correspondence, weapons, and personal belongings. The museum thus focuses both on his life and on the personal items preserved from it.

The house museum is open year-round for historical and tourist visits. If you would like to learn more about Filip Totyu’s history, it offers a specific introduction to the town’s history; the Holy Trinity Church complements this with its own religious and historical connection.

The Holy Trinity Church and the town’s location

The Holy Trinity Church houses a copy of the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir. Filip Totyu’s grave is beside the church. The icon and the grave give a visit to the church its own connection to Filip Totyu, while the house museum focuses on the last ten years of his life, his correspondence, weapons, and personal belongings.

The town’s location is also clearly described: Dve Mogili lies on both sides of the Ruse–Gorna Oryahovitsa railway line. Its position on both sides of the railway line is a geographical reference point for the town.

Activities in the Orlova Chuka area

In the nearby Orlova Chuka area, the activities on offer include rock climbing, orienteering, and activities on eco-trails. A mountain hut is located next to the cave area. This brings together different themes: climbing on rocks, navigating the terrain, and walking the trails around the cave.

Operating conditions may change. So check the current conditions for the activities you are interested in before visiting.

In the wider Dve Mogili destination

Orlova Chuka Cave is in the wider Dve Mogili destination, 11 kilometers east of Dve Mogili and three kilometers north of Pepelina, in the rocky gorge of the Cherni Lom River. It has more than 13,500 meters of passages and is Bulgaria’s second-longest cave after Duchlata Cave. Its scale makes it a special point of interest for travelers interested in karst landscapes and caves.

Around 10,000 bats of various species live in Orlova Chuka; all are protected. Their numbers may vary seasonally. Since 1978, the cave has been designated an archaeological monument of national cultural and historical significance. The landscape, wildlife, and monument status are distinct aspects of this cave area.

Shirokovsko Kale is also part of the wider Dve Mogili destination. The archaeological site lies on the edge of the village of the same name, on a naturally protected rocky promontory at the confluence of the Baniski Lom and Cherni Lom rivers. Archaeological excavations uncovered a metallurgical workshop that operated from the late sixth to the early seventh century. The excavation site remains under investigation; access conditions may change. Check the current conditions before visiting.

The “Living Water” folklore festival is part of the wider destination’s cultural calendar. It takes place every June in the area of the St. Marina Monastery; the exact dates vary. The monastery church near Karan Varbovka was built in 1890. So, if you are planning your trip around the festival, bear in mind that it takes place in June and check the specific event dates.

Discover more destinations: Mogilino, Pepelina.

Go to the main destination overview: Dve Mogili.