The Grotte aux Fées ("Cave of the Fairies") in the cliffs above Saint-Maurice,

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

is a natural limestone solution

show cave A show cave—also called tourist cave, public cave, and, in the United States, commercial cave—is a cave which has been made accessible to the public for guided visits. Definition A show cave is a cave that has been made accessible to ...

, featuring a high underground waterfall, claimed as the world's highest waterfall in a show cave. The cave was the first show cave in Switzerland. The cave was known until the mid 19th century as the ''Trou aux Fayes'' or "Sheep Hole," as it was used as a

sheepfold A pen is an enclosure for holding livestock. It may also perhaps be used as a term for an enclosure for other animals such as pets that are unwanted inside the house. The term describes types of enclosures that may confine one or many animal ...

. The cave was known from Roman times, but was first publicized in 1863 as a tourist attraction, with the present name being used from 1865. The cave was explored in 1831 when a party mapped of passages. From 1863 Professor Chanoine Gard of the Abbey College of Saint-Maurice cleared passageways and conducted tours on behalf of an orphanage that he had founded. From 1865 the cave was operated by the Sisters of Saint-Maurice, who coined the present name. In 1925 additional exploration extended the cave network from the top of the waterfall. The network includes the tourist gallery, the ''Galerie des Morts'' and the Fairies' Cave section, with an elevation difference of . A 2010 exploration linked the Grotte aux Fées to the nearby Grotte de Saint-Martin No.1, totaling in length and in elevation. The guided tour follows a trail, ending at the waterfall. The waterfall is fed by water from the nearby

Dents du Midi The Dents du Midi (French language, French: "teeth of noon") are a three-kilometre-long mountain range in the Chablais Alps in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. Overlooking the Val d'Illiez and the Rhône valley to the south, they face the Lac d ...

peaks. The cave was connected to

Fort du Scex The Fort du Scex is a component of Fortress Saint-Maurice, which is in turn one of the three principal fortified regions of the National Redoubt of Switzerland. The Fort du Scex was built in the Scex cliff face immediately to the west of Saint- ...

, which occupies the same cliff, between 1935 and 1936. The cave in turn was connected to Fort de Cindey between 1941 and 1946, forming part of the fortifications of

Fortress Saint-Maurice Fortress Saint-Maurice is one of the three main fortification complexes comprising the Swiss National Redoubt. The westernmost of the three, Fortress Saint-Maurice complements Fortress Saint Gotthard and Fortress Sargans to secure the central ...

and providing an underground connection between the two fortifications. The cave and both forts may be visited during summer months.

References

External links

Grotte aux Fées
website

at speleo-lausanne.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Grotte aux Fees (Switzerland) Caves of Switzerland Show caves in Switzerland Fortress Saint-Maurice Tourist attractions in Valais Landforms of Valais