Breathtaking… The expression sums up the experience at the Aven d’Orgnac, the only cave to be designated a Grand Site de France. Located just a stone’s throw from the Gorges de l’Ardèche, the Aven d’Orgnac has been thrilling visitors ever since it was discovered by Robert de Joly in 1935.

Testifying to a geological history that began 100 million years ago, its gigantic halls are home to thousands of fragile and magnificent concretions with evocative names: pine cones, stacks of plates, organ buffets, ochre-coloured draperies, giant palm trees, translucent fistulas, eccentrics, candlesticks, clay fir trees… all coiled up in balance under ceilings that can be up to 55 metres high. 121 metres underground, in the last of the three converted rooms, the sound and light show magnifies the scenery shaped by water and rock… before the lift back up!

On the same site you’ll find the Cité de la Préhistoire, a fun, modern museographic space that retraces 350,000 years of human adventure through authentic objects that once belonged to our ancestors. Dig like a real archaeologist on our tactile tables, challenge the cave hyena with your eyes and, depending on the season, watch a prehistoric fire, flint knapping or dart firing animation!

And whether you’re a sports fan, a nature lover or a wine enthusiast, Aven d’Orgnac offers a wide range of events throughout the year: prehistory activities, speleological activities, temporary exhibitions and wine tours in the underground wine library – there’s a thousand and one ways to discover the site in a different way!

Events and online diary: www.orgnac.com and social networks