Grotte des Demoiselles

Between the Cirque de Navacelles and Pic Saint-Loup, the Mediterranean and the Cévennes, the Grotte des Demoiselles cave invites you to discover the wonders created by Mother Nature over hundreds of thousands of years.

The cave has fuelled many legends, one of which recounts that a shepherd, looking for a lamb that had strayed, adventured into the sinkhole and all the way to the chamber of the Cathedral, into which he fell. Back at the village, he told his story and little more was needed before the people called it the "Bauma de las Fadas, de las Damaiselas" which in the Occitan language means "cave of the fairies and the damsels".

Open to the public since 1931, you go up it in a funicular (built in 1961, the first one in France to operate in a cave) from which you can admire the many chambers and the extraordinary subterranean concretions: 

- the underground Cathedral, 120 metres long and 52 metres high, 

- the Manteau Royal (Royal Coat) chamber - André Breton gave it its name in his novel "Mad Love" 

- the Organ Case with stalagmite flowstones dating from 117,000 to more than 500,000 years ago, 

- the “Virgin and Child”, one of the most famous stalagmites in the world, the madonna of the depths.

- and many other geological formations, draperies, calcite flowstones and stalactites, which a sound and light scenography renders particularly spectacular.

The Grotte des Demoiselles organizes events throughout the year: commented tours, concerts, performances, educational workshops, theme visits, group meals....

At the end of the tour, a brasserie, panoramic terrace, and picnic area await you for a snack or lunch break before continuing your excursions. Nearby, you will find the magnificent site of the Cirque de Navacelles, the gorges of the Vis, the massif of the Aigoual... as wall as botanical and hiking trails, canoeing, rock-climbing...