Photo : Wikimedia Commons
Aven d'Orgnac
The Aven d'Orgnac lies about 2.3 kilometres north-west of the village of Orgnac-l'Aven, in the Ardèche. It was first explored on 19 August 1935: guided by villagers, five speleologists, including Robert de Joly, went down. The commune voted development funds as early as 1936 and the cave opened to the public in 1939. The known network exceeds five kilometres in length with a vertical range of 187 metres.
The great upper hall, the Salle Joly, measures 122 metres by 74 with a vault about thirty metres high. Varied concretions, stalagmites and stalactites can be seen there. The temperature in the cavity stays constant, around 11 °C all year round: so bring a jacket, even in midsummer.
Nearby, the Cité de la Préhistoire, opened in 2014, presents the history of the region's first inhabitants. It is linked to the archaeological site of Orgnac 3, where traces of human occupation more than 260,000 years old have been found. The whole was awarded the Grand Site de France label in 2004 and receives about 140,000 visitors a year.
