Gouffre de Padirac

We also visited another cave, a very different kind of cave, the Gouffre de Padirac (Padirac Chasm), located near Gramat.

The chasm was created when the roof collapsed into a large internal cavern. Apparently the cavern existed in the 3rd century and was inhabited during the 15th and 16th centuries. The cavern contains a subterranean river that is partly navigable by gondola. (The cavern system is made up of more than 25 miles of galleries but only a bit over a mile is open to visitors.)

You access the underground cavern by descending 75 yards by elevator (which seems as old as the cavern itself) or stairs. We took the stairs, on both the way down and back up. Pretending you can keep up with your kids helps to keep you young. You then explore the first part of the cave on foot and eventually get on a small boat that's handled by one of the guides, who takes you on a short trip over the river.

It felt a bit like a Disneyland ride, and I was expecting to hear "It's a Small World After All" at any moment. But the views down there are unique. The water is crystal clear and there are stalactites and stalagmites everywhere as well as various rock formations, including the one they call the Pile of Dishes, shown here.