6 Caves to Explore in Occitanie
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Caves to Explore in Occitanie
Aven ArmandThe Aven Armand cave, discovered in 1897 by Louis Armand, Martel's second-in-command, has a forest of over 400 stalagmites in its immense underground chamber. It is not exactly a cave: the latter is a horizontal underground cavity, more or less deep, comprising at least one accessible part. It has been open to the public since 1927 after a man-made tunnel and walkway paths were created to permit easier viewing of the Grand Salle.
Cave of NiauxThe famous Niaux Cave is located in the northern foothills of the Pyrenees just south of the French town of Foix. It is one of Europe's most impressive Palaeolithic rock art galleries of cave paintings. There are more than two kilometres of galleries, with a hundred or more superb paintings from Magdalenian times, most of which are in the famous 'Salon Noir', 800 metres from the entrance.
Grotte des DemoisellesThese limestone caves are host to a wide variety of unique mineral formations and a perfect year-round place for all ages to visit. At various times in history, the cave has also served as a hiding place and refuge. At the time, visiting the cave was quite perilous, but in 1931 a funicular, concrete stairs and walkways with sturdy railings and extensive electric lighting were installed to make it accessible to the general public.
Grotte du Mas d'AzilThe Grotte du Mas d'Azil is a cavity crossed by a road and by the Arize river which hollowed it out. This cavity of imposing dimensions opens into the Plantaurel massif, the commune of Mas-d'Azil, department of Ariège. It was occupied at different prehistoric and historical periods and gave its name to a prehistoric culture, the Azilian.
Le GouffreThe Gouffre de Padirac is one of the largest chasms in Europe. Discovered by the famous French cave explorer Edouard Martel, it was opened to the public in 1899. visitors gaze down into the enormous 75 metre chasm into the earth, 33 metres wide. It then leads into a cave system, created by millennia of subterranean underground water erosion which has carved out spectacular caverns in the limestone.
Pech MerlePech Merle is one of the most striking cave art sites which was open to the public. A large cave with over two kilometers of underground tunnels and caverns which was decorated with prehistoric paintings. The walls of seven of the chambers at Pech Merle have fresh, lifelike images of a woolly mammoth, spotted horses, bovids, reindeer, handprints, and some human figures. One of the nice location which is famous in this area.