Great Hall
100 m long.
Petr1888 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pierreschwartz — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Petr1888 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Petr1888 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Nicolas Fressengeas — CC BY-SA 4.0
Aven Armand is a limestone cave in the Cévennes National Park in the Lozère department of southern France, between Meyrueis and Sainte-Enimie, about 26 km northeast of Millau in a straight line. It is known for the tallest known stalagmite, about 30 metres high. The French explorers Louis Armand and Édouard-Alfred Martel first explored it scientifically in 1897. The cave begins as a narrow pit dropping 75 metres, then opens into an enormous vaulted chamber called the Great Hall, about 100 metres long and 55 metres wide. It opened to the public in 1927, after a tunnel and walkways were built to give easier views of the Great Hall. The floor of the Great Hall is covered with a forest of fragile limestone formations in countless shapes and sizes, built up by water dripping slowly through the rock over thousands of years, some reaching close to 30 metres. The lighting brings out their gold and white tones, so they look like the columns of a giant temple. Visitors go down through the tunnel and follow the walkways among the stalagmites. The cave stays cool all year, so bring a light jacket; it is close to the Tarn and Jonte gorges, so it is easy to combine with them.
100 m long.
Countless shapes.
Visitors' entrance.
Between Meyrueis and Sainte-Enimie, Lozère, France
A light jacket.
The Tarn and Jonte gorges.