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Grottes de Bétharram

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Voie d'accès
  
D 152

Phone
  
+33 5 62 41 80 04

Grottes de Bétharram

Location
  
Near Asson, Lestelle-Bétharram, Saint-Pé-de-Bigorre (Region: Aquitaine and Midi-Pyrénées) Massif des Pyrénées,  France

Valley
  
Gave de Pau en aval de Lourdes

Address
  
Leon Ross et des Grottes, 65270 Saint-Pé-de-Bigorre, France

Similar
  
Grottes de Médous, Zoo d'Asson, Pont d'Espagne, Gouffre d'Esparros, Cirque de Gavarnie

Profiles

Grottes de b tharram


The Grottes de Bétharram are a series of French caves located at the border of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Hautes-Pyrénées departments and of the Aquitaine and Midi-Pyrénées regions.

Contents

Located near Asson, Lestelle-Bétharram and Saint-Pé-de-Bigorre, they offer a threeway discovery: by foot, by boat and finally, by train, the key to similar cave formation. The entrance is located in Asson and the exit in Saint-Pé-de-Bigorre.

Grottes de b tharram


Description

A 2,8 km underground walk allows us to visit the three levels of river-dug galeries in the limestone mountain. The largest, upper part, formed by rooms openly accessible to each other, is namely interesting for its spongy ceilings, many of long range. The ancient riverbed that one then follows is a narrow and deep fissure where can be observed curious erosion phenomenons. The lower level corresponds to the present river level that one follows shortly by rowing boat. A 400 m long artificial tunnel brings us back to the surface. At the mountain's exit, the river joins the gave de Pau.

History

Discovered in 1810, it was one of the first caves open to the public. From 1880, English residents from Pau came to venture thanks to the help of miller Losbats de Lestelle-Bétharram. After a few years of labour, Léon Ross, artist-painter and one of the Pyrenees first photographers, opened them to the public in 1903, before equipping them with electricity, while introducing this new convenience (light) to the locals.

References

Grottes de Bétharram Wikipedia