Photo : Gill09 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
The Grotte des Audides, in the Alpes-Maritimes, 40 metres deep, was discovered in 1988 but was probably already occupied in prehistoric times.
The cave is reached by a staircase of 279 steps leading through narrow passages to magnificent chambers: the Fairies' Alcove, the Organ Room, the Drapery Room and the Great Hall.
Discovered in 1890 and lit by electricity from 1926, the Saint-Cézaire caves stand out for their pink and purple formations.
The Baume Obscure cave sinks 60 metres underground. Erosion from flowing water has sculpted magnificent stalactites and stalagmites and other forms coloured red due to the presence of iron oxide in the rock.
The Lazaret cave is in Nice, on the western slope of Mont Boron, opening onto a steep ledge 26 metres above sea level.
It was formed by the action of water charged with carbon dioxide on dolomitic limestone.
A fortress in the 9th century, strengthened by the Counts of Provence in the 12th into an impregnable stronghold on the border of Ventimiglia and Provence.
Carved by the coastal river Loup, these limestone gorges wind through the hinterland of Nice between waterfalls and giant's kettles. The hilltop village of Gourdon, clinging to the cliff, offers one of the most dizzying viewpoints.