Gouffre de Padirac

The "Gouffre de Padirac" ("Padirac Abyss") was created by an underground river, about a hundred meters deep in the karst limestone plateau of "Causses de Gramat".

The roof of a high dome-like hollow of this river cave broke in and created a circular hole with vertical walls, about 35 m in diameter and nearly 100 m deep.

The shaft was already known in the medieval times and many legends were told about it, the first scientific exploration started in the second half of the 19th century.

Tourists arrived since the early 20th century. Many of the buildings here date from the late 1920, as in the 1930s a lift was installed that made it very easy for the visitors to enter the cave system.