• A “DIFFERENT” PLACE!

    Another world, where the floor looks like the ceiling; where one minute you are a giant and tiny the next. More than just another tour, your journey through the caves is a voyage through time surrounded by limestone statues and natural mirrors.

    About the Caves

  • WANDER ALONG AN UNDERGROUND RIVER

    The River runs beside you throughout your visit. By turns calm and turbulent, the Orbe follows its underground course before bursting from the rocks. A natural spectacle of beauty and sound.

    Topography

  • AND THERE’S TREASURE TOO…

    Four circular chambers cut from the living rock offer a unique setting for the carefully preserved “Fairy Treasure”. Marvel at the shapes and colours of this collection of 250 rare mineral specimens from across the world.

    How to come?

The Vallorbe Caves

A river, a treasure, a cathedral...

It's hard not to be deeply affected by the majesty of the great natural cathedral.
The "Son et Lumiere" display is an emotional and beautiful moment to conclude your visit to the caves.

THE "FAIRY TREASURE"

250 mineral specimens from across the globe.

Inside these alveolar spaces – among the most beautiful in Europe – is the home of an exhibition of mineral speciments – the “Fairy Treasure”, bringing together a collection of more than 250 minerals from across the world, in four “cupolas” carved from the living rock.

TOPOGRAPHY

A mysterious river…

For many years there was the “Upper Orbe” and the “Lower Orbe”. The Upper Orbe springs from the Les Rousses lake, in France. The river then winds its leisurely way (“orb” = curve, circle, bend) before emptying itself into the Joux lake. The Joux Valley is, in fact, one of Central Europe’s most beautiful “closed basins” (i.e. there is no visible outlet for the water).

Find out more

History

The story is punctuated with discoveries and surprises.

7 million years ago…

...the sea finally retreated from the region, as enormous tectonic forces raised the immense continental shelves.

In 1893…

- the diver Pfund, wearing an old-fashioned, lead-weighted diving suit went down into the "source" and reached a depth of 11 metres. He could only establish that a spacious "gallery" extended even deeper.

12th September 1964…

…Charles Giurumello discovers the caves 60M above the “Lake of Silence”, then the adventure continued, accompanied by B. Santandrea, R. Gamba and J-F Morel.

In 1974

- after some adventures which were as much sport as technical, the Vallorbe Caves are open to the public, for all to enjoy.

From 1992…

- the company plans an alveolar space to house a permanent exhibition of mineral specimens - the "Fairy Treasure". They assemble a collection of more than 250 minerals from across the world, in four "cupolas" carved from the living rock.

20th May 2011…

...Les Grottes de Vallorbe SA invests CHf 650,000 to enable your access to the new "Cathedral" chamber, with its "Son et Lumiere" display.

May 2014…

…opening of a “cheese cellar” inside the cave system, where the cheese maker Steve Berger matures the new “Valgrotte” cheese for 4 to 6 months.