Photo : Patafisik / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Grotte de Thaïs
The Grotte de Thaïs opens at the eastern entrance of Saint-Nazaire-en-Royans, at the foot of the Vercors regional nature park. The underground Thaïs river, which flows into the Bourne as it leaves the cave, has shaped a true labyrinth of passages. Beyond the 530 metres of the entrance network lies a flooded zone explored only by divers.
The cave is also a prehistoric site: at the end of the last Ice Age, groups of hunters lived here, in a cold steppe landscape roamed by reindeer, bears, wolves and ptarmigan. Part of the cave has been fitted out for visitors. Its name is thought to come from "taï", a local word for the badger. A visit is easily combined with the nearby Saint-Nazaire aqueduct and the Royans paddle steamer.
