Grotte des Chamois, Underground limestone cave in Castellet-lès-Sausses and Méailles, France.
Grotte des Chamois is a cave system that extends through limestone layers with multiple chambers, stalactites, and an underground river carving through the rock. The various passages showcase different geological formations created by water movement and mineral deposits over millennia.
Shepherds used the cave as shelter long ago, and it gained wider attention in the early 20th century when a water pipeline project for Nice triggered exploration of the site. That infrastructure work led to the first systematic mapping of the cave system.
Since 2009, the cave has become a gathering point for international speleology camps, bringing together explorers from Central and Eastern Europe.
Accessing the cave requires a lengthy hike with proper hiking gear and physical preparation. Exploring deeper sections calls for specialized caving equipment and professional training or guidance.
The Coulomp River flowing inside the cave is one of France's largest subterranean waterways that can be visited without diving gear. This rare combination of scale and accessibility makes the site noteworthy among similar cave systems.
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