The Saint-Marcel cave

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In the bowels of the earth!

Among the places not to be missed in the Ardèche region, you must visit the Saint-Marcel cave. In the same vein as the cave of Psychro, in Crete, this cave can be visited and is arranged in an intelligent way. During our visit, we were lucky enough not to come across many people, which we greatly appreciated.

The visit starts with an almost interminable descent, via a staircase with an incalculable number of steps (we are too lazy to count them). As we went down we felt the air getting cooler, and the temperature dropping a few degrees (14 degres all year long)

descent steps cave saint-marcel, Ardeche
The access to the cave is by a staircase that seems to lead straight to the center of the Earth

Once inside the cave, our first big room clearly makes us want to eat. Why do we want to eat? Well, because the concretions naturally shaped by the years in a regular way remind us of a famous dessert. Do you recognize it too?

concretion cave saint-marcel shaped tiramisu
The concretions strongly resemble tiramisu

We pass different rooms, each one bigger than the other, to arrive at the cathedral, with its extraordinary dimensions!

cathedral room cave saint-marcel Ardèche
The Cathedral, which houses stalagmites, stalactites, columns, draperies, organ cases and even cauliflowers

The place is really fascinating! As much by the concretions, by the stalactites, the stalagmites, but especially by the lighting which was carried out, and which puts all the more the accent on the size and the beauty of the place.

natural work cave of the saint-marcel, Ardèche
natural work cave of the saint-marcel, Ardèche
Some of the natural works that can be seen in the Saint-Marcel cave

During the visit, our guide brings us in front of a succession of natural basins dug by the water over time (named "gours"). We were already amazed by the beauty of the place at that moment, but our wonder was even more accentuated when the lights of the cave were all turned off, to give way to a lighting of the basins accompanied by a bewitching music.

natural pools saint-marcel cave highlighted
The different natural basins that have been created over time highlighted

To sum up this visit, I would say that it is a place out of time. When you walk through the door, you enter the past, and you feel small. Very small. There is this je ne sais quoi which makes the atmosphere mystical, and which for my part left me a very good memory that I had to tell.

To do without hesitation!

What about you?

Do you wanna share your experience? Do you have any question? Tell us! :)