Fontaines Pétrifiantes de Saint Nectaire

Useful Information

Location:	1 Avenue du Docteur Roux, 63710 Saint-Nectaire. (45.582986, 2.992608)
Open:	JUL to AUG daily 9:30-19. SEP to JUN 9:30-12, 14-17:30. [2025]
Fee:	Adults EUR 10, Children (7-15) EUR 6, Children (0-6) free. [2025]
Classification:	Tufa Deposits Karst Spring
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Fontaines Pétrifiantes de Saint Nectaire, 1 Avenue du Docteur Roux, 63710 Saint-Nectaire, Tel: +33-4-73-88-50-80.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

Description

The Fontaines Pétrifiantes de Saint Nectaire (Saint Nectaire Petrifying Fountains) is a karst cave with a thermal spring located in the heart of the Sancy Massif, amid the Auvergne volcanoes. The volcanism is obviosuly the source of the heat. Hot water dissolves a lot of minerals, and as soon as it reaches the surface and cools down its starts to redeposit or precipitate those minerals. The site is neither a cave site nor a spring, it’s actually a shop for artworks. The reason is simple, the owner discovered how to cover all kinds of objects with a crust of limestone. And so the tour includes the stroll through a small cave