gouffre geant de cabrespine

An amazing underground cavern with one of the tallest caves in Europe.Especially worthwhile when the Aude temperatures soar.The hiking accessed from behind the Gouff is world class with walks ranging from an hour, Roc D'Angle to whole days along the GR36 Roman road up to Pradelles and beyond.

The journey up to these caves is just beautiful, through the Black Mountains, passing olive trees and grape vines.The caves are amazing, Mother nature at her best. Definitely worth a visit, if your in the area.

We have seen a lot of caves in our time. I have to saw that this one was the most amazing yet. The sheer size alone is just staggering. It is very easy to walk around and there are so many different things to see. I am so glad we made the time to go. We spent an hour walking around and even the kids were amazed by it all. Please make sure you make a visit.

The light and sound show was an unexpected addition to what I thought was just going to be a cave-type experience. It was amazing and totally different to anything I've seen before. I took numerous photos and the colours and shapes are wonderful of the stalagtites and stalagmites and the sheer size and depth of place. It reminded me of a kids programme when I was little - Journey to the Centre of the Earth! A dinosaur popping it's head round the corner wouldn't have looked out of place here!!! It was 30oC outside so the coolness of the cave was welcome. This place is definitely worth seeing. There is the usual gift shop etc which is nothing to write home about but it serves its purpose. The cave itself was really a 'wow'!

There is nothing I can say about this place that would do it justice. It is mind blowing. You just have to visit to appreciate it grandeur and beauty. But be aware, like most things in France, they close from 12:30pm to 2:00pm

we went there with our friend. It was low season, only two cars on the car park. We had to wait 20 min to enter as the entry is organised with a guide. Next to the ticket desk you will find shop and bar with quite good caffe, something little to nibble and of course wine degustation corner. Not only wine. It is very good way to wait :) we didn't mind.As we entered the cave thru short and windy tunnel we landed o the balcony with breathtaking view. The guide highlight the most important and very interesting formations. After the tour we had time free to enjoy the cave as it is huge hall and you cannot get lost. In some places interactive screen are placed. It gives more informations and more pictures in plenty of languages.It is an educative and very interesting attraction for everyone. Easy access. You wont loose your little ones. It is safe. It is fun. I cannot wait to discover more caves in the region. Before going there go online. Website is customer friendly and gives you all informations about this cave and associated in few languages.

A Tourist Information office recommended this attraction to us and suggested that it was better than the caves at Limousis. We didn't compare them but certainly really enjoyed our visit here, it was impressive in size and geological interest. The guide only spoke French but the idea is that you walk around with him (although that is not compulsory) and use the 'language stations' at various points. They were very well done and informative. At the end there was a short light show to classical music which added to the experience. Well worth going.

Very impressive cave of incredible dimensions. It is said that the Eiffel tower would fit in it! We did our own, unguided, tour, facilitated by stations where you can get explanations in six languages..

Our family loved this cave and Limousis as well. The audio tour was in English and you could really take your time and linger over the sights, sounds and lights. The light show is hilarious. We loved this diversion.

Gouffre translates into English as 'abyss', so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. As soon as I entered the huge cave, my jaw dropped and my camera didn't stop clicking!Firstly, check the visiting times for the different times seasons if you're planning to have a look - http://www.english.gouffre-cabrespine.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17&Itemid=12 - . This site also gives the prices and other useful information.The staff are very friendly and helpful, but the guided tours are only in French. (Make sure you have a few coins in your pocket to tip the guide at the end of the tour!) There are booklets for sale in the little shop in front of the cave, but make sure you buy one in your language! We thought we'd bought an English version because it had 'Giant Hole' written on the front cover. Turns out that it's in German!Please don't be too put-off by people warning about heights. The road up to the attraction is a little steep, but is wide enough for two vehicles and well-paved. The walkway round the cave itself is about 2/3 of the way up the chasm, but is concrete, wide and sturdy, with a very solid rail and only a few steps round it.The stalagmites and stalactites are truly amazing and the way they have been lit is just spectacular. A lot of time, thought and energy has been put into this project to make it an unforgettable and thought-provoking experience for young and old alike! Don't miss it!P.S. The souvenirs and nick-knacks in the boutique at the front of the cave are very tasteful and the hot chocolate is delicious!

This is truly spectacular place to visit. The drive up to the parking is great - through a lovely picturesque gorge. The facilities are clean and modern, and the staff and friendly and helpful.The 'chasm' has to be seen to be believed. It's awesome in the proper sense of the word. Our guide only spoke French, but there are audio guides at specific points around the site which provide commentary in a number of languages, and are really very good. The cave is accessible by wheelchair users which is great bonus.The drop down is about 250m. If you are afraid of heights then be aware that this is a very long way down indeed. For most of the visit it's possible to stay towards the back of the walkway to avoid having to look down, but there is a narrower walkway which I found really unpleasant. The crystals and geological formations are beautiful, and the sound and light displays are impressive without being too cheesy. Finally, the guide didn't hang around for tips.Personally, I preferred the Grotte de Limousis which is more 'cave-like' and is more varied, but the Gouffre is a real natural marvel, well worth seeing.

We live near Carcassonne and the Gouffre de Caberespine is one of our favorite places to take family and friends. It really is something you have to see to appreciate how large it is: 250 meters( 820 ft) tall by 80 meters (262 ft) across. There is a fairly large parking lot at the top of a very steep drive with space for RV parking. Inside is a gift shop and small cafe which is nice if you have to wait for the next tour. They offer guided tours in French every 30 mins or so and although I speak French, there are so many geology-specific terms that I had trouble processing everything before we moved on to the next station. I found it easier to wander on my own taking advantage of the numerous kiosks through out the cavern. You select your language of choice (English, French, Spanish, German, Italian and Dutch I believe), and the area in front of you is illuminated by powerful floodlights while you listen to the narrative. It's all contained in a single room but you can easily spend an hour just wandering the well-lit concrete walkways. Those afraid of heights should stay to the rear of the main walkway, then you can climb a few stairs into the back of the cavern for more 'tame' geological scenery. We were lucky enough during a recent visit to watch a group of experienced spelunkers ascend from the very bottom of the cavern. It took about 20 mins for them to climb the various ladders and stairways to the main platform. They emerged absolutely filthy and soaked with sweat and water and looked exhausted. They were young and appeared to be very fit—testament to the difficulties of exploring the river and cave channels at the bottom of the cavern. The temperature inside the Gouffre stays at about 60°F (13°C) year round so it's a nice place to be in the heat of summer.PHOTO TIP: It is possible to take well-exposed, properly lit photos of the cavern without a large camera and tripod. The photos below were taken with a mid-range point-and-shoot camera on a pocket tripod. When you enter the Gouffre, on the left is a chest high stone wall with a large flat top. Place your camera and small tripod on this wall, set it to auto or semi-auto, turn off the flash and set the self timer for the maximum (10-30 sec depending on the camera). Click the shutter release and wait patiently. You can also use one of the clamping-type tripods (Joby Gorillapod) to clamp it to the railing of the walkway.

This is a huge and impressive hole which is well worth the visit. If you're scared of heights and driving in the mountains then be warned the final road up to the entrance of the caves is steep (>>> on the map). I suggest you visit the grotte de Limousis first and THEN this place to get the build up in the right order. There is a reduction on the second ticket when you visit both sights. Although the grotte de Limousis is not accessible for people in wheelchairs or pushchairs it IS possible to access the Grotte de Cabrespine as the main part of the visit is on a flat concrete platform which you can get to without any steps. The hole itself might scare some people who are afraid of heights. It is possible to organise a trip to go DOWN the hole and visit the caves and river at the bottom. I couldn't even dream of doing it but I'm sure it's amazing if you've got some guts.There is a sound and light show and there is a waiting area with a shop full of souvenirs and the possibility to tast the wine that is matured in the cave. Well worth a visit!

Near the entrance from the ‘ Balcons du Diable’ you can view the gouffre a vast cavern deep enough to contain the Eifel tower you can see beautiful crystallization of aragonite, the walk though the cave is quite easy and takes about 45 mins.

This is a crazy abyss in the middle of a mountain. It's like something out of Lord of the Rings. To show the full scale of the hole, they have placed a manikin, but it's still hard to get a sense of perspective because it's huge.They've got some pretty classic cave elements so you can see the difference between stalagmites and stalactites and all that. I think it's a really impressive place. Like a sort of cathedral in the earth. That said, I'm pretty nerdy. It's not like most people will think that's so amazing. :DIt's pretty cool inside so maybe bring an extra layer in case you get the chills (not something you'd intuitively do in the heat of summer). I try to picnic in the mountains around here when I bring friends.