Grottes de Saint-Cézaire

La Grotte Dozol

Useful Information

Location:	St Cézaire sur Siagne, 15 km west of Grasse, northwest of Cannes. From the west use A8 exit Les Adrets, follow D37 north, D562 to Val-du-Tignet, D11 to Spéracédes, D13 towards St-Cézaire, turn right to the cave. From the east, Nice, A8 exit Cannes, N85 to Grasse turn left towards Draguinan onto D2562, after a few km turn right towards St-Cézaire onto D13, after Spéracédes turn right to the cave.
Open:	JAN to 14-FEB Sun 14:30-17. 15-FEB to MAY daily 14:30-17. JUN daily 10:30-12, 14-18. JUL to AUG daily 10:30-18:30. SEP to 14-NOV daily 14:30-17. 15-NOV to DEC Sun 14:30-17. [2009]
Fee:	Adults EUR 6, Children (6-12) EUR 3. Groups (20+): special discouts if prebooked. [2009]
Classification:	Karst cave
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:	T=14 °C.
Guided tours:	D=45 min., L=200 m, VR=40 m.
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:	Frannck Ricordel (1990): Saint-Cezaire-Sur-Siagne, Un Village et des Oliviers centennaires, des grottes Millenaires. Imprimerie de Tanit, 06160 Juan-Les-Pins, March 1990. ISBN 2-9504606-0-7
Address:	Grottes de Saint-Cézaire, Rte des Grottes, F-06780 St Cézaire sur Siagne. Tel: +33-4-93602235, Fax: +33-4-97050916.
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

1890	dicovered on his property by the farmer Léon Dozol.
1926	electric light.

Description

The cave of Saint-Cézaire is a nice cave with various speleothems, like stalactites, stalagmites, and draperies. Most notable are two chambers, the Salle des Draperies, with some draperies at the ceiling, and the Chambre de la Fée, where most of the speleothems are concentrated. The tour follows the main passage, which leads continually downwards. The path goes down 123 steps to a balcony above the pot called Gouffre Beant. At the foot of this shaft flows a cave river, and the water filled passages are explored for a short dstance, until the passage ends at a siphon.

The cave was disocvered in June 1890 by Léon Dozol. The farmer was diging his field to plant vine, when he tried to remove a rock with his pickaxe. When the rock was turned over it revealed the entrance to a cave. The deep pit was pretty big and so it came handy to dump all kind of farming rubbish like rocks, dirt, and so on. But after he visited the pit for three years to dump things, he finally decided to explore it. He collected a group of men, which prepared with shovels, ropes and candles. They first had to remove the debris he had thrown in, then discovered a cave behind, which was much bigger than they expected. It was named Dozol Cave after the owner.

The development of the cave was done by the Dozol Family, with the help of friends and voluntary workers. They spent years of work to allow tours, first lit by candles and later by acetylene lamps. The first guided tours were made in winter, between November and February when there was less work on the farm. This fitted well with the spectators, which were primarly aristocrats spending the winter on the French Riviera. The cave is located only 30 kilometers from Cannes and made a good day trip destination.

There is no official opening date given, probably because the cave was shown since its discovery, with continually increasing developments. So actually the cave was developed while it was already open. The entrance building was erected in the early years, and in 1925 the house got electric light, one year later the cave had electric light. After World War II more significant improvements were made, the entrance area was widened, to make the access easier.