The "Gouffre de Padirac" ("Padirac Abyss") was created by an underground river, about a hundred meters deep in the karst limestone plateau of "Causses de Gramat".

The roof of a high dome-like hollow of this river cave broke in and created a circular hole with vertical walls, about 35 m in diameter and nearly 100 m deep.

The shaft was already known in the medieval times and many legends were told about it, the first scientific exploration started in the second half of the 19th century.

In 1889 French speleologist Edouard Alfred Martel was down on the ground and found an opening, that led to the underground river. Today about 40kms of the cave system´s galleries are known. 2kms are open for the public.

In the 1930s lifts were installed, what made it very easy for the visitors to enter the cave system. Many of the buildings, serving the many visitors, date from the late 1920, as in the 1930s. This wonderful kiosk is in the center of a well maintaines picnic area.