That is the Galerie de la Grande Arcade (Great Arcade Gallery), which has not yet been fully explored. A rainy day won’t get you wet on your way down. They generate a small income to me if you choose to use them, at no cost to you.When you travel to France there are many caves to visit. One gives access to the upstream portion of the Rivière Souterraine (Underground River) of Padirac. Two galleries face each other in the depths of the Gouffre. Il y a 180 millions d’années, lors de la période du Jurassique, une mer peu profonde recouvre une grande partie de la France sauf la Bretagne, le Massif Central et la région des Ardennes : c’est la mer jurassique. It is said that one day, the ceiling will cave in, creating another chasm; however, you’ll have to wait a few centuries for that to happen.When you reach the lake you can turn back and take the boat, or continue on. There are English-speaking guides and they explain some of the features of this cave and the Rivière Plane, such as the 60 metre high Grand Pendeloque (Grand Chandelier) which is a formation of calcite (stalactite) that hangs down from the ceiling, like a chandelier. The layers of limestone and the numerous stalactites and stalagmites (which were formed from rain mixing with the limestone) give some indication of how old this place is….millions of years old.During your walk through the cave, you will see water flowing alongside and eventually you’ll reach the source of the subterranean river: puits de la Fontaine. The boat is punted by a guide who can tell you a bit about the formation of the cave system. Renaud Faral – Directeur technique du Gouffre de Padirac. Padirac is the most frequently visited underground tourism facility in France, with more than 350,000 visitors annually, and a record of 460,000 in 1991. I liked it so much that I bought my god-son a children’s book about it. There are boats docked and approximately 10 people take the 0.5 kilometre journey to the next gallery of the cave. Bernard Gauche – Médecin et spéléo-plongeur averti, explorateur du Gouffre de Padirac depuis plus de 25 ans.
The chasm itself is 103 m (338 ft) deep, with a diameter of approximately 33 metres (108 ft). While you can take the elevator, it’s much more interesting to walk down to the start of the cave. Matthieu Jaegle – Géologue, responsable action culturelle au Gouffre de Padirac The formation of the karst landscape of the Gouffre de Padirac can be summed up in four key stages: the formation of limestone, fracturing, hollowing, and formation of speleothems. Aujourd’hui, Le Gouffre du Padirac est considéré comme un monument du tourisme de la vallée de la Dordogne. For the next 10 years he went to work having a staircase installed, boats added, and structures in place so the public could visit. Le gouffre de Padirac ouvrira ses portes au public dès que les autorités sanitaires auront fait part de leur autorisation. It is known that the cavern existed in the 3rd century, and was inhabited during the 15th and 16th centuries during which time The first tourists visited the cave on 1 November 1898; however, the site was officially opened for tourism on 10 April 1899 by Since the 1930s, visitors can access the cave system by descending 75 m by lift or stairs, and then exploring the cave system on foot and by boat. He is considered the father of modern speleology—the study or exploration of caves. No photos are allowed during this part of your visit. On aime : La possibilité, depuis le camping, de programmer le jour et l’heure de la visite afin de limiter notre temps d’attente. Yes, there is a river down there, another 103 metres below the ground. Padirac is the most frequently visited underground tourism facility in France, with more than 350,000 visitors annually, and a record of 460,000 in 1991.
Once in the system you are taken by a boat through the galleries and on to the large cavern.
There are many stairs but when you get to the main entrance to the cave you’ll be amazed by how far you’ve gone.