Home > Tourism France > Tourism Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes > Tourism Ardèche > Tourism Saint-Marcel d'Ardèche > Grottes de Saint Marcel d'Ardèche

Caves Saint-Marcel d'Ardèche, although in the territory of the commune of Can, owned by the Saint-Marcel, following the donation of land that was made in 1228 by Dame of Baladun Vierne, to lords of the city, their knights and their men. Discovered in 1838, entering natural-shaped rock shelter, a few dozen meters from the river Ardèche, includes ancient prehistoric sites. This cavity is closed since 26 June 1934 and is located in the protected area as "inscribed" from January 15, 1943.
By 1870 the community held, after a basic equipment, tours for tourists, but fans of the underworld, given the difficulties of approach and difficult path, the number of visitors has always been limited.
In contrast, the cavers of Saint-Marcel, in the region, in France and abroad have gradually revealed, through their exploration of the site in its various networks, the extent and complexity of the cave, it has at the beginning twenty-first century more than 40 km of galleries listed and this is one of the largest in France.
Very significant improvements were made in 1988 on part of the course, by the municipality, with an artificial access very close to the Tourist Road of the Gorges de l'Ardèche (RTGA), near the "Grand Belvedere." On May 27, 1989 visit to the cave was reopened to the public, it has been every year tens of thousands of visitors, taking its success to the immensity of the rooms, the importance and beauty of the concretions, the vast extent of his "gours" (river) festooned with calcite, unique in Europe, all underlined by a sound and light quality.

Guided tour: 1 hour (sound and light show)
Guided tour in English on Monday and Tuesday at 10 h 30.
Possibility of a tour in English or German on request.
Last visit an hour before closing time.