Discovered in 1953, the cave is open to the public since 2010. The gigantic room of La Verna is the largest in the world designed to be visited – it is ten times the size of Notre Dame de Paris.
Several packages of sightseeing and adventure tours are available, as well as tailor-made services
La Verna Discovery MINIMUM AGE : 5 YEARS : Discovery of La Verna cave room during a guided tour with commentary, following a safe 800-metre circuit. (one-way). Accessible for people with reduced mobility.
La Verna River Exploration MINIMUM AGE: 7 YEARS : After visiting the platforms in La Verna cave room, you climb a long staircase cut into the rock and the rubble. This leads you to the place where the underground river enters La Verna. From here, walking in the footsteps of the first explorers, one has spectacular views of the caveroom.
La Verna Sport Exploration MINIMUM AGE: 10 YEARS : Discover the incredible human adventure that led to the discovery of La Verna, its geology, the water cycle in limestone, cave-dwelling fauna and hydroelectricity during a two hour hike through the cave-room. There are various possibilities for the destination of the hike, depending on the wishes and level of the participants.
La Verna “Chevalier” MINIMUM AGE: 12 YEARS : Follow in the footsteps of the first explorers, accompanied by a qualified caving guide and ardent enthusiast of the La Pierre Saint-Martin cave system. Starting from La Verna, this visit is a good introduction to caving. The narrow passages – where crawling would be required – can be avoided, but the terrain is rough, without paths. The visit takes you upstream of the hydro-electric water intake, all the way to another big cave room: Chevalier.
La Verna “Adélie” MINIMUM AGE: 14 YEARS : Follow in the footsteps of the first explorers, accompanied by a qualified caving guide and ardent enthusiast of the La Pierre Saint-Martin cave system. Starting from La Verna, the rough hike takes you upstream of the hydro-electric water intake, through Chevalier cavern all the way to Adélie cavern.
La Verna “Aranzadi” MINIMUM AGE: 14 YEARS : A technical, sporty visit. After traversing La Verna, an 80-metre climb leads to the Aranzadi gallery, which is then explored. The climb has been equipped with fixed ropes. Climbing and securing techniques are explained and surveyed by the guide. The difficulty of the climb is a level 4 on the rock-climbing scale, comparable to the standard route up the “Pic du Midi d’Ossau”. You’ll benefit of breathtaking views of La Verna !
La Verna “The Great Chambers” MINIMUM AGE: 16 YEARS : A very sporty expedition through the great chambers, all the way to the base of the Lépineux cave-pit (the historic entrance to the cave-system), or a mix of the Chevalier and Aranzadi visits in one day. A good physical condition is required.
Underground river
Geological
Limestone - Shale
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Car park
shop
Picnic area
Toilets