Grotte Célestine, Underground cave system in Rauzan, France.
Grotte Célestine is an underground cave system with limestone passages containing stalactites, stalagmites, and mineral deposits throughout. An underground river flows through the passages and creates a wet environment with varied geological formations at different levels.
A seed merchant discovered the cave in 1845 while digging a well and uncovered the underground river system. Water had carved this passage through limestone over thousands of years before the discovery.
The cave bears the name of a saint and draws visitors who walk through narrow passages decorated with shimmering crystal formations. The site offers people a direct way to understand how water shapes stone over countless years beneath the surface.
Visitors receive helmets, rubber boots, and headlamps for a guided tour lasting about one hour through the passages. It is wise to book ahead as places are limited and the temperature underground stays cool year-round.
This is the only fully developed underground river system in the Gironde region, allowing visitors to walk along a path roughly 13 meters beneath the surface. The river flows through the passage and creates an environment quite different from above-ground river landscapes.
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