Grottes de la Falouse

The Falouse caves are near the village of Belleray, in the Meuse, about 800 metres from the town. The name comes from "falaise" (cliff): it designates a long limestone wall, about 400 metres across, which the Meuse once ran alongside and in which it carved natural cavities. About fifteen underground galleries now pierce this wall.

The site was occupied by humans almost continuously from the Neolithic to the modern era. From the twelfth century, the rock was quarried there, first at the surface then in galleries; the blocks, easy to transport by the Meuse, were used to build or fortify local buildings, including Verdun cathedral. During the First World War, the caves served as billets for troops behind the front and as a hospital for wounded horses. The place is now frequented by walkers.

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