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Souterroscope des Ardoisières
The Souterroscope des Ardoisières is a former underground slate quarry at Caumont-l'Éventé, in the Norman Bocage (Calvados). Working ended in 1891 and the site has welcomed visitors since 1994. The quarry is preserved in the state it was in in the nineteenth century.
The visit lasts about an hour and a half and crosses several rooms: the water table with a film on the water cycle, the Arc en Terre chasm and its water and light show, a room devoted to slate extraction, then the Hall of Marvels, renovated in 2019, which presents large crystals and semi-precious stones.
The temperature underground is about 12 °C: it is best to bring warm clothes. The site lies between Bayeux, Saint-Lô and Caen. It also hosts occasional events, such as a minerals and fossils fair or dance evenings.
