Grottes des Tunnels

Grotte de la Forge

Useful Information

The entrance of the cave is in a pub. Some people say, the pub is in the entrance of the cave!

Location:	A7, exit Montélimar or Bollène, up the Ardeche valley to Vallon-Pont d'Arc. Near Vallon Pont d'Arc, 2.5 km east at the Ardeche valley road. (44.38914399046023, 4.4077673315352435)
Open:	APR to SEP daily 8-21. Restaurant: MAY to SEP Tue-Sun, Hol [2006]
Fee:	Cave: Adults EUR 3.35. Restaurant: A la carte: EUR 9 to 14.90. [2006]
Classification:	Karst cave
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Grotte des Tunnels, Route des Gorges, Mezelet 07150, Vallon Pont d'Arc (Ardeche), Tel: +33-475-880373. Restaurant de la grotte des des Tunnels, Route des Gorges, 07150 Vallon-Pont-d'Arc, Tel: +33-475-887081.
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

1937	discovered.
1953	opened to the public.

Description

The Grottes des Tunnels is located at the Ardeche Valley Road, close to the famous Cave Pont d'Arc.

This road winds along the Ardèche valley, sometimes at the banks of the river, sometimes above the valley on the plateau. Here, near the Pont d'Arc the road is very close to the river. But the valley narrows and the river flows through the Pont d'Arc, leaving no other possibility than a tunnel to build the road. This road tunnel gave the cave its name.

The Grotte des Tunnel has two entrances right at the road, only 30 m east of the eastern entrance of the tunnel. The first entrance, a bit farer from the tunnel, is of great palaeontological and archaeological interest. It has been closed to the public by a massive iron bar gate, but its easily possible to have a look from the road through the iron gates.

The second entrance is bigger, and was used to build a pub inside. Here are the cave tickets sold, and then the cave is entered through the cellar of the pub. A steep iron stair leads down to the main level of the cave. The characteristics of this cave are enourmous amounts of clay, numerous patches of helictites and other nice speleothems, and a rather wild development. Its save to visit the cave, but the paths are often dirty or the rails are misssing. We suppose, appropriate clothes and shoes are a very good idea.

The cave is visited self guided. Visitors get a sheet of paper with some explanations and are then free to explore the cave in their own way. This is probably not everyone's thing, but our reviewers enjoyed to spend as much time as they liked to study the speleothems and take some pictures.

Grottes des Tunnels Gallery