UNESCO World Heritage SiteUNESCO Heritage
France

Lombrives

Large limestone cave complex in Ariège, France

Location

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Historical Context

About

Grotte de Lombrives or Lombrives Cave is a large natural cavern located in Ornolac-Ussat-les-Bains, at the eastern edge of the Pyrénées Ariégeoises Natural Regional Park, in the Ariège department of Occitanie, in southwestern France. It is still advertised as "the largest cave in Europe" on their website, but in 2017 the cave came under new management and a new website was created which removed the former's fantastically exaggerated statements, including a non-existent Guinness World Record. Those exaggerations persist online on numerous other web pages.

Paleolithic
Mesolithic
Neolithic
Chalcolithic
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Classical Period
Post-Classical Period
Early Modern Period
Industrial Period
Contemporary Period
Temporal Epochs

Historical Timeline

Journey through time and discover key events in this site's history

Cathar gatherings

12th–14th centuries

Legendary hiding of Cathar treasure

1244

Régnault excavations

late 19th century

Bridge across Garrigou pit

1927

Deep Time experiment

2021

Classification

Archaeological Features

Unique architectural and cultural elements found at this historical site

category

Miscellaneous Features

Buried Treasure
category

Burial and Funerary Structures

Graves
category

Domestic and Habitation Structures

Caves
category

Environmental and Natural Features

Modified CavesRock Shelters
category

Transportation and Communication Structures

Bridges
Knowledge Base

Frequently Asked Questions

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Plan Your Visit

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Reference

Details

Country

France

Coordinates

42.82° N, 1.62° E