Photo : Wikimedia Commons
Phosphatières du Cloup d'Aural
The phosphatières du Cloup d'Aural, at Bach, in the Lot, are former phosphate-of-lime workings, dug into the karst pockets of the Quercy causse. This working, active in the nineteenth century, brought to light abundant fossils of Tertiary vertebrates, between the end of the Eocene and the end of the Oligocene. The site is the only one open to the public among more than two hundred palaeontological sites of the Quercy.
The guided visit of about an hour goes down more than twenty metres underground, into a set of cavities and open-air caves where vegetation with an almost tropical atmosphere takes hold, between light and darkness. A self-guided route along themed paths completes the discovery.
It is advisable to bring a long-sleeved garment for the bottom, where the temperature is 12 to 15 °C, and non-slip shoes. Booking is necessary for the guided visit.
