Gouffre de Padirac
The Padirac Chasm & underground river
Explore this amazing chasm hollowed out beneath the surface of the Gramat Causse by a subterranean river. Discovered by the great speleologist Édouard Martel in 1892, the Gouffre offers the visitor a fantastic experience! This involves getting into a boat and discovering a magical underground world.
Home of the Devil?
The visitor descends 338 ft/103m by escalator and steps to reach the bottom of this chasm. As a matter of fact, locals used to believe that this was the home of the devil!
After walking along the Galerie de la Source for 550 yds/500 metres visitors take an enchanting journey by boat along the clear waters of the Rivière Plane.
At the end of the trip the Grande Pendeloque, (Great Pendant), of the Lac de Pluie, (Rainfall Lake), awaits. Finally, visitors pass through the Pas du Crocodile leading to the Salle des Grands Gours. From here Lac Supérieur and the Salle du Grande Dôme, the largest of the caverns with its 308ft/94m high ceiling, can be viewed from a special platform.