Aven d'Orgnac, Show cave in Ardèche, France
Aven d'Orgnac is a limestone cave system in the village of Orgnac-l'Aven in southern France. Three stacked chambers reach a combined depth of 121 meters (397 feet) and contain formations ranging from slender columns to broad curtains of flowstone.
The explorer Robert de Joly discovered the entrance in 1935 after lowering himself on a rope. The first prehistoric tools were found in the 1950s during excavations near the cave opening.
The name comes from the Provençal word for sinkhole, because shepherds used to lose animals in these natural openings. The attached museum displays finds from the entire Ardèche river gorge, which people have lived in since the Stone Age.
Visitors walk down 700 steps during the hour-long tour and take an elevator back to the surface. Sturdy shoes and a light jacket make sense because the path can be slippery and it feels much cooler inside than outside.
The temperature inside stays at 12 degrees Celsius (54 degrees Fahrenheit) all year, no matter the weather outside. The site generates part of its electricity through more than 300 solar panels installed on the roofs of the buildings.
Location: Ardèche
Location: Orgnac-l'Aven
Address: 2240 Route de, L'Aven, 07150 Orgnac-l'Aven, France
Opening Hours: Monday-Sunday 09:45-19:00
Phone: +33475386510
Website: http://orgnac.com
GPS coordinates: 44.31992,4.41197
Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:31
The Ardèche combines natural formations with centuries of human settlement. This southeastern French département stretches from the volcanic heights of the Cévennes to deeply carved limestone gorges along the river of the same name. The Pont d'Arc, a 197-foot (60-meter) natural stone arch, marks the entrance to the Gorges de l'Ardèche, while the Grotte Chauvet preserves cave paintings created 36,000 years ago. The landscape alternates between forested plateaus like the Bois de Païolive, where weathered limestone takes unusual shapes, and river valleys that have supported communities for centuries. Several villages including Balazuc, Vogüé, and Labeaume cling to cliffsides above the water, their narrow lanes leading past castle ruins and Romanesque churches. The Cascade du Ray-Pic drops 197 feet (60 meters) over a basalt wall, while Mont Gerbier de Jonc holds the source of the Loire River. Beneath the surface, extensive cave systems include the Grotte de la Madeleine and the Aven d'Orgnac with its underground chambers. The Château de Crussol stands on a rocky outcrop above the Rhône valley, while the Château d'Aubenas dominates the town below. Between these natural and historical sites, the Train du Vivarais and the Vélorail des Gorges du Doux connect visitors to the region in practical ways.
Gorges de l'Ardèche
6.4 km
Château des Roure
3.7 km
Réserve naturelle nationale des gorges de l'Ardèche
5.9 km
Grotte de la Madeleine
6.2 km
Donjon de Barjac
5.4 km
Goule de Foussoubie
4.8 km
Cité de la Préhistoire
1.1 km
Château de Ferreyroles
5.7 km
Baume d'Oullins
4.4 km
Parc animalier des Gorges de l'Ardèche
6.3 km
Dolmens de Barjac
2.6 km
Borne milliaire de Vagnas
5.1 km
Parc animalier des Gorges de l'Ardèche
6.1 km
Dolmens du Chanet
6.3 km
Chanet dolmen
5.4 km
Église de Barjac
5.3 km
Baume de Ronze
633 m
Église de l'Assomption de Vagnas
4.6 km
Église de Saint-Privat-de-Champclos
5 km
Église de l'Orgnac-l'Aven
2.4 km
Église de Le Garn
5 km
Aven de l'Arquet
1.4 km
Chapelle du couvent des Capucins de Barjac
5.4 km
Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours de Malataverne
5.1 km
Dolmen des Œillantes A
2.6 km
Dolmen des Œillantes C
2.7 km
Dolmen des Œillantes D
2.6 km
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