Grotte des Demoiselles

The Grotte des Demoiselles is a karst cave in the municipal area of ​​the French town of Saint- Bauzille -de- Putois in the department of Hérault.

Geography

The entrance to the cave is found at the Plateau de Thaurac in the southern Cévennes, a mountainous region in southern France and the foothills of the Massif Central. Located near the valley of Montoulieu and the gorges of the Hérault, the cave thus also borders directly to the National Park of the Cevennes. It is found in rugged rock formations at an altitude of about 300 meters.

The Grotto of Demoisselles is about five kilometers south of Ganges and 38 kilometers north of Montpellier.

Description

The natural entrance to the cave system consists of a deep shaft, which is, however, no longer used today. Inside there is a constant temperature of about 14 degrees Celsius.

The Grotto of Demoisselles consists of a network of rooms and corridors, which mainly grouped around a large central space. This so-called Cathédrale Souterraine extends over a length of 120 meters and a width of 80 meters and a height of 52 meters. Among the countless formations of stalagmites and stalactites found in the great hall, a stalagmite, which is reminiscent of the figure of a Madonna with the Child Jesus.

In the Cathédrale Souterraine cultural events take place again and again.

History

The cave was first mentioned in 1770 and explored multiple scientifically in the sequence.

In times of war and turmoil during the French Revolution, the caves served as a refuge and hiding place for persecuted people.

In 1926 the construction of the 160 meter long tunnel funicular which goes to the visitors' entrance with a maximum gradient of 36 percent began.