The Lombrives Cave, the largest cave in Europe...

Lombrives is a fascinating cave, where legends, protohistory and history have left their imprint...

"When we enter Lombrives, an ancient, surprising and powerful world opens up before us. A parenthesis out of time, a unique, moving, introspective experience, beyond what we can imagine. " according to Catherine Blasco, site manager.

Shelter for the Magdalenians, burial place for the Bronze Age man, sacred Cathar place, Protestant refuge, hiding place... Lombrives has always fascinated Man, who left thousands of enigmatic signatures and symbols there.

Cross the Carina, walk along the fault line, take the Passage of Crime and you will find yourself in the grandiose Amphitheatre, a sacred cathedral, conducive to meditation but also to cultural events.

After the grand staircase, the upper level opens onto the gallery of the great cemetery. You then cross galleries decorated with curious concretions. Here you are in front of the tomb of Princess Pyrene, the origin of the Pyreneans, according to Greek mythology.

Then further on, the Lake, with its mysterious undulations.

 

And even Henry IV came...

The cavity is decorated with thousands of esoteric signatures and signs. Some date from the 12th century. An inscription bearing the date 1578 mentions King Henry IV, then King of Navarre. This signature, cross-checked with a text extracted from a manuscript held by the departmental archives of Ariège, attests to a visit by the monarch.

The first to reveal the 1578 graffiti attributed to the King of Navarre, located a few metres before the narrow gut of the Pas du Crime, is certainly Jean-François Rambaud, former curator of the library of the town of Foix and inspector of the historical monuments of Ariège, who wrote in the years 1821-1822: "(...) Lombrives has been visited at different times by famous people. Henri IV is one of them. This great prince disdained to trace his name on a plain rock".

 

Unusual visits...

In the Grotto of Lombrives, many visits are proposed.

Guided tours of 2 hours but also meditative and contemplative visits to recharge your batteries in the heart of the earth. An intimate visit of the cave, in privileged conditions, in the evening, when the hikers of the day have left the cave.

"You enter silently into this fascinating natural cavity. You cross the Carina. A break is offered to you in order to open yourself to the feeling of the vital flow of the cave. You walk on the fault, some see it as an opportunity to recharge your energy, others contemplate the beauty of this unique place.

You take the narrow Passage of Crime. You find yourself in the grandiose Amphitheatre, a sacred cathedral conducive to introspection and taking a step back or pure relaxation.

After the grand staircase, you reach galleries decorated with curious concretions. Here you are in front of the tomb of Pyrene.

Then further on, the Lake of Mysterious Ripples. An ideal moment for an invitation to experience absolute darkness: The sounds of the cave are then naturally amplified and you escape even more from the outside world.

The silent and contemplative walk continues until you leave the cave".

The visit/concert offers a moment like no other. A one-hour visit followed by a concert in the famous cathedral of Lombrives with its exceptional acoustics.

The visit "on the steps of the... "is dedicated more specifically to children and lasts about 1h30. Equipped with a headgear and helmet, you will visit the parts inaccessible to the public, discover the bones and various traces of human occupation from the Neolithic period.

 

To find out more about the visits... a short tour of the site...

 

Cave of Lombrives

National Road 20

09400 Ussat-les-Bains

Phone : 06.49.44.45.00

 

catherine@grottedelombrives.com

 

https://www.grottedelombrives.com/

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