Petrifying Grottos of Savonnières, Savonnières
Plan your visit
Savonnières Caves
1 attraction · 1h · transit route
Tickets ~€7.7
Step-by-step route with transport options and cost breakdown
About Petrifying Grottos of Savonnières
The Petrifying Grottos of Savonnières occupy former medieval tuffeau limestone quarries dating to the 11th-12th centuries, where natural formations developed after the quarries were abandoned. Stalactites, stalagmites, drapery formations, underground lakes, and natural cascades fill the cave system. A petrification workshop operates inside, where objects are placed under calcium-carbonate-rich water to develop a natural calcite coating over 1-3 years — a craft practiced here since the mid-1800s.
Petrifying Grottos of Savonnières — Planning Your Visit
Opening Hours
Ticket Prices
Guided Tour
RecommendedGuided tours depart every 30 minutes. Last tour starts 1 hour before closing. Students with valid ID: 6.60€. Disabled adults: 6.40€. Disabled children: 4.50€. Includes complimentary rosé wine tasting.
In day plans, the recommended ticket is pre-selected and included in the total price.
Bernard Palissy, the celebrated French ceramicist and naturalist who pioneered rusticware pottery, documented the mineral properties of these underground waters as early as 1547 — nearly 300 years before anyone thought to use them commercially for petrification.
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