Savonnières caves
The two caves of Savonnières (Grottes de Savonnières) are located in the French commune of Savonnières directly on the RD 47, 15 kilometers west of Tours in France , one kilometer from Villandry Castle .
history
Bernard Palissy had already discovered the first grotto in 1547 and the cave explorer M. Gilles came across the second in 1947. But it was known much earlier, as evidenced by an inscription with the year 1203. In addition, were Gallo-Roman tombs found. As early as the 16th century, the tufa , which is typical of the region, was mined here and the subterranean stream that is visible today was cut.
Tourist exploitation
The Savonnières caves have been show caves since 1966. The watercourse, the sinter cascades and borders and stalactites emerge through appropriate lighting . The highly calcareous water is used to gradually cover matrices with a layer of lime. The figures obtained in this way and relief plates made of sintered lime based on lithographic templates from the 19th century are offered for sale in the souvenir shop in front of the cave.
The naturally created forms are obviously no longer sufficient as an attraction these days. For example, dinosaur figures were set up at prominent points in the cave system . The tour ends with a kind of cave bar in the largest room, where a glass of the local rosé wine is served.
Web links
Coordinates: 47 ° 20 ′ 45 ″ N , 0 ° 31 ′ 52 ″ E