Padirac Cave, Natural cave system in Lot, France
Padirac Cave is a natural cave system in the Lot department of southwestern France, reached through a vertical shaft 75 meters deep. The underground river flows through galleries and wide halls decorated with limestone formations and stalactites.
Edouard-Alfred Martel descended into the shaft for the first time in 1889 and mapped the underground river network. Priest Joseph de Laroussilhe helped build the first pathways and boat landings for visitors.
A Christianised legend tells that Saint Peter (or Saint Martin), riding his mule on the Roman road from Autoire to Montvalent, was challenged by Satan, who struck the ground with his heel and opened the chasm; the mule cleared it in one leap, and hoof marks remain on a slab tilted toward the pit. Another legend holds that at the end of the Hundred Years' War the English buried a treasure sewn into a calfskin here, and when Édouard-Alfred Martel bought the land the former owners demanded a clause reserving them a share of any find.
The temperature stays around 13 degrees Celsius year-round, so bring warm clothing. The descent and ascent by stairs requires moderate fitness, and non-slip shoes are recommended.
The Grande Pendeloque above Rain Lake is a hanging stalactite formation that grew downward over thousands of years. The ceiling of the Grand Dome chamber reaches 94 meters high and forms one of the tallest underground spaces in Europe.
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