The Padirac Chasm (

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

: ''Gouffre de Padirac'') is a

cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

located near

Gramat Gramat () is a commune in the Lot department in south-western France. Gramat station has rail connections to Brive-la-Gaillarde, Figeac and Rodez. Population See also *Communes of the Lot department The following is a list of the 313 communes ...

, in the

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region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

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Features

The chasm itself is deep, with a diameter of approximately . Visitors descend 75 m via a lift or a staircase before entering into the cave system. The cave contains a subterranean river system that is partly negotiable by boat, and it is regarded as "one of the most extraordinary natural phenomena of the

Massif Central The (; oc, Massís Central, ; literally ''"Central Massif"'') is a highland region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaus. It covers about 15% of mainland France. Subject to volcanism that has subsided in the last 10,00 ...

Formation

The chasm was created at an undetermined point in time when the roof collapsed into a large internal cavern. It is known that the cavern existed in the 3rd century, and was inhabited during the 15th and 16th centuries, when

potassium nitrate Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . This alkali metal nitrate salt is also known as Indian saltpetre (large deposits of which were historically mined in India). It is an ionic salt of potassium ions K+ and nitrat ...

was excavated from the area.

Tourism

The first tourists visited the cave on 1 November 1898; however, the site was officially opened for tourism on 10 April 1899 by

Georges Leygues Georges Leygues (; 29 October 1856 – 2 September 1933) was a French politician of the Third Republic. During his time as Minister of Marine he worked with the navy's chief of staff Henri Salaun in unsuccessful attempts to gain naval re-arma ...

, the 87th prime minister of France (then called ''président du conseil''). Today, although the chasm system is made up of more than of galleries, only 2 km have been opened for tourism. Since the 1930s, visitors can access the cave system by descending 75 m by lift or stairs, and then exploring the chasm system on foot and by boat. Padirac is the most frequently visited underground tourism facility in France, with more than 350,000 visitors annually, and a record of 460,000 in 1991.

Exploration

The chasm was first explored, in 1889, by

Édouard-Alfred Martel Édouard-Alfred Martel (1 July 1859, Pontoise, Val-d'Oise – 3 June 1938, Montbrison), the 'father of modern speleology', was a world pioneer of cave exploration, study, and documentation. Martel explored thousands of caves in his native Franc ...

. Much of the credit for opening the cave system is owed to Guy de Lavaur (1903–1986), who came to

Padirac Padirac () is a commune in the Lot department in south-western France. Population Notable people * Armand Bouat (1873—1929), politician and merchant See also *Padirac Cave *Communes of the Lot department The following is a list of the ...

in 1938 and managed to penetrate of the passages.

References

External links

Le Gouffre de Padirac official website
{{Authority control Show caves in France Limestone caves Tourist attractions in Lot (department) Caves of Lot (department)