Published: April 04, 2012
Words: 97,728 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9782746647008

Short description

France's Loire Valley is honeycombed with thousands of caves, a number of which are open to the public. This is your guide to nearly 200 cave lodgings, cave restaurants, cave art galleries, cave museums and many other "troglodyte" attractions. Also includes 22 walks in cave country.

Extended description

It is not common knowledge, even elsewhere in France, that the Loire Valley, that natural dividing line between the north and the south of France, is riddled with caves. Almost all of them are human creations, cavities hollowed out of the earth in the course of the last two millennia or more. Originally some caves were excavated to serve as refuges from marauders, others as stone quarries, others as mines. Once created, a variety of uses could be found for a cave, not least of which was as habitation.

In earlier times, a broad cross-section of social classes lived in cave habitations, but by the 19th century living in this sort of digs had been relegated to the poor. By the mid-20th century only a handful of cave dwellers hung on underground, and to live in a cave was considered something of a disgrace.

There were other uses for the caves, though, once the extraction of the stone had ceased. Wineries quickly come to mind. Caves were used to make and age still wines, of course, but .. (Read more) It is not common knowledge, even elsewhere in France, that the Loire Valley, that natural dividing line between the north and the south of France, is riddled with caves. Almost all of them are human creations, cavities hollowed out of the earth in the course of the last two millennia or more. Originally some caves were excavated to serve as refuges from marauders, others as stone quarries, others as mines. Once created, a variety of uses could be found for a cave, not least of which was as habitation.

In earlier times, a broad cross-section of social classes lived in cave habitations, but by the 19th century living in this sort of digs had been relegated to the poor. By the mid-20th century only a handful of cave dwellers hung on underground, and to live in a cave was considered something of a disgrace.

There were other uses for the caves, though, once the extraction of the stone had ceased. Wineries quickly come to mind. Caves were used to make and age still wines, of course, but the sparkling wine industry, established in the Loire Valley in the early 19th century, put large sections of abandoned caves to use for the aging of its product. Mushroom cultivation, also brought to the Loire Valley in the 19th century, was a major industry in the region until fairly recently. A once-thriving silk industry often used caves to raise silkworms.

At the beginning of the 21st century the wineries are still going strong, but most of the other cave-based industries have either died out or have been reduced considerably. Loire Valley caves are now much more likely to be reborn as tourist sites (restaurants, lodgings, museums) or once again, habitation. New technologies and a newfound respect for caves’ ecological qualities have led to a renaissance of cave living. The troglodyte lifestyle appears to have a bright future.
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Tags

france, guide, caves, guidebook, cave, chateau, loire valley, anjou, troglodyte, troglo, tuffeau, touraine, cave restaurant, cave dwellings, cave hotels

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Reviews

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Review by: Kathleen Peine on June 15, 2012 :
This is an unusual and compelling guidebook in that it is a pleasure to read even if you have no immediate plans to visit the area (I wish that I did, though!). A pleasant writing style guides you through this fascinating part of France, which abounds in a special type of man-made cave. The description of the geology as well as the engineering of the caves is never dry or dull- the writer manages to impart the knowledge in a smooth and enjoyable narrative. Much attention has been placed on the cave art found in other parts of France, but this is a welcome addition to the body of work that describes the unique interaction mankind has with caves (and in this area, humans are the only reason the caves even exist). Thank you for this lovely book!
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Louis Scolari on June 11, 2012 :
Great book. Lots of fascinating information, and not just on caves. Thorough, erudite and witty. Wish I’d had this when I was in the Loire Valley.
(reviewed long after purchase)

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