10 Famous Caves in Europe
The caves in Europe are some of the largest, deepest, and most unique caves in the world. So if you love to go caving to see the wonders that lie beneath, we’ve compiled a list of the most famous caves in Europe.
1. Lascaux Caves
The Lascaux cave system was discovered in 1940 in southern France. Lascaux is famous for its cave paintings. The cave was closed to the public in 1963 due to deterioration in the paintings from the excess carbon dioxide produced by the visitors. You can now only see a virtual tour of the many rooms and cave paintings.
2. Dan yr Ogof
Dan yr Ogof cave was discovered in 1912 in South Wales. It is 10 miles long and was named the greatest natural wonder in Britain. It is the feature of the largest show cave center in Europe. Inside you find four lakes. You can tour the cave from April through October.
3. Blue Grotto
The Blue Grotto is a sea cave found on the island of Capri, Italy. You can swim into the cave or take a tiny boat tour during calm seas. The Blue Grotto is 4 miles long and almost 2 miles wide with the highest point at 1,930 feet above sea level.
4. Eisriesenwelt
Eisriesenwelt in Austria is the largest ice cave in the world at 42 km long. The cave is open to the public from May through October and almost 200,000 people visit each year. The tour takes you through Hymir’s Castle, Frigga’s Veil, and the Ice Palace and takes about two hours roundtrip.
5. Pierre Saint Martin
The Pierre Saint Martin cave is in France and Spain and is famous for its incredible depth of 4,400 feet. It is one of the world’s largest caves.
6. Altamira
The cave of Altamira was discovered in 1879 in Northern Spain. Inside they found a skeleton of a cave bear and a giant deer’s bones. On the walls are 12,000 year old paintings of all types of wild animals.
7. Grotte des Demoiselles
The Grotte des Demoiselles cave is found in Southern France and was discovered in 1889. In 1931 a staircase and lighting was added to the cave to make it accessible to the public.
8. Ochtinska Aragonite Cave
The Ochtinska Aragonite Cave was discovered in 1954 in Slovakia. It is open to the public for tours and almost 35,000 people visit every year. Aragonite is a string-like calcium mineral that pervades the cave. Ochtinska is the only cave of its kind in Europe.
9. Hölloch Caverns
The largest cave in Europe and second largest in the world, Holloch Caverns is 190 km long and found in Switzerland. Guided tours are available June through September and take about an hour to see the lit section of the caves. If you’re really adventurous you can take a two day expedition into the depths of the cave.
10. Cuevas del Drach
One of the largest and most popular caves in Europe is the Cuevas del Drach, situated in Majorca, Spain. These caves are 2,400 meters long and 25 meters below the surface. Inside the caves is one of the largest subterranean lakes in the world, called Martel Lake. Classical music concerts are held daily near the lake. The caves are lit and make for a spectacular tour.
If you liked this post subscribe to our feed to get regular updates.
