Rivière souterraine de Labouiche, Subterranean river in Vernajoul, France.
The underground river extends for 1500 meters through limestone caves, featuring natural rock formations, stalagmites, and stalactites along the water course.
The cave network was first discovered in 1908 by Dr. Dunac and his team, who conducted initial explorations following the Fajal stream to locate the underground river.
Local guides name different rock formations after regional folklore elements, including specific formations called the unicorn and the witch.
The temperature remains at 13 degrees Celsius throughout the year, requiring visitors to wear warm clothing and proper footwear for the 200-step descent.
The water system represents the longest navigable underground river in Europe, reaching depths of 60 meters below ground level.
Location: Vernajoul
Location: Baulou
Location: Ariège
GPS coordinates: 43.00330,1.57278
Latest update: May 24, 2025 21:05
France features a notable variety of protected natural areas, showcasing the country’s geological and ecological richness. From Lake Allos in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence to the underground rivers of Padirac in Dordogne, from the mountain ranges of Savoy to the limestone formations of the Ardèche gorges, each region displays landscapes shaped over millennia of natural evolution. This collection gathers sites where nature is expressed freely: primary forests, karst systems, high-altitude lakes, moving dunes of the Atlantic coast, and rock formations carved by erosion. These areas provide diverse ecosystems, home to species adapted to different environments, from Alpine flora and fauna to dune communities and underground cave biodiversity. Each natural site in this selection serves as an open-air laboratory where geological processes, ecosystem dynamics, and living adaptation to local conditions can be observed. These sites invite discovery of authentic landscapes, removed from human impact, where geological time is evident in every rock formation and glacier valley.
Château de Foix
4.9 km
Abbaye Notre-Dame du Pesquié
4.2 km
Abbatiale Saint-Volusien de Foix
4.9 km
Grotte du Portel
4.1 km
Château de Crampagna
4.2 km
L'Estive
5.6 km
Vernajoul Viaduc
2.9 km
Prefecture hotel of Ariège
4.8 km
Halle aux grains
5.2 km
Viaduc de l'Alses
4.9 km
Les Épines de Lespinet
5 km
Château de Ganac
5.7 km
Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste
3.2 km
Building of the Savings Bank of Foix
5.1 km
Église de l'Assomption de Vernajoul
3.3 km
Piscine de Foix
5.6 km
Église de la Sainte-Trinité de Loubens
5.1 km
Église Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption d'Arabaux
6.1 km
Église de Bénac
6.4 km
Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Ganac
6.3 km
Church of Baulou
3 km
Monument to Joseph Lakanal
5.2 km
Chapelle Notre-Dame de Montgauzy
5.9 km
Fontaine de l'Oie
5 km
Porte d'immeuble
4.9 km
Immeuble dit maison des Cariatides
4.9 km
Foix, abbey church St.Volusien, great organ
4.9 km
Château de Loubières
5.9 kmReviews
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