Cirque de Baume

Trail description

The walk starts at the car park by the abbey in Baume-les-Messieurs, follows the path along the valley floor south into the cirque and climbs the steps beside the Cascade des Tufs to end at the entrance of the Grottes de Baume. The cascade is a fan of tufa laid down by the limestone-rich water of the Dard, which springs from the cliff at the head of the reculée; its flow is strongest in spring and can shrink to a trickle in summer. The Grottes de Baume are a paid show cave, open only for guided visits from April to September, so the walk stops at the entrance. According to tradition, it was from the abbey at the start of the walk that Abbot Bernon set out with six of its monks to found the abbey of Cluny. The walk is about 2.5 km one way, level along the valley floor until the steps beside the cascade.

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