Azé Caves (Grottes d’Azé)
Two caves in the Mâconnais hills: an underground river and a prehistoric cave of bears and lions.
- Nature and viewpoint
- 1 h 06 from Beaune
- Allow 1.5 to 2 hours
- Azé
€235one way from Beaune with a private driver
At a glance
- Nearby
- Viré-Clessé
- Official website
- grottes-aze71.fr
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 1 h 06 by road (85 km), €235 one way for the whole car.
Or add it to our full-day wine tour plus two hours, €700.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About the place
At Azé, in the hills of the Mâconnais, guided tours lead through two caves. One has been carved by an underground river; the other is a prehistoric cave where cave bears and cave lions left their bones, and where people lived very early. Inside, the temperature stays at about 12 degrees all year.
What you will see
The guided walk leads along the gallery of the underground river, where water has sculpted the rock and left formations in surprising colours. In the prehistoric cave, reconstructed skeletons and bones show the animals that lived here. Audio guides in English, German and Dutch are available. In July and August a special tour links geology with a tasting of three local wines.
History
The prehistoric cave, known as the Balme de Rochebin, bears witness to one of the oldest human occupations in Saône-et-Loire. Excavations from the 1950s onwards uncovered flint tools and great numbers of animal bones, above all of cave bears, which came deep into the cave to hibernate. Remains of cave lions were found too, as well as traces from the Bronze Age, the Gallo-Roman period and the Middle Ages.
A local association, the Société des grottes d'Azé, opened the caves to visitors and ran them from 1963 to 2001, while continuing to explore. The caves and their surroundings, more than four hectares planted with large trees, have been a protected site since 1933. A new visitor building opened in 2020, with an interpretation area on the geology and the finds.
Planning your visit
Tips for your visit
The caves open every day from early April to early November and close in winter. Visits are guided only, last about an hour and a half and must be booked; arrive at the reception at least 15 minutes before your tour. Bring a warm layer, even in summer. The site also has a campsite and a swimming pool. Azé lies a short drive from Cluny and the vineyards of Viré-Clessé; check the official website for opening times.
Around here
What to combine with Azé Caves on the same day, nearest first.
Viré-Clessé
6 km awayPouilly-Fuissé
18 km awaySaint-Véran
21 km away
- Wine festival
Chardonnay Day à Chardonnay
A Thursday in May, from late afternoon into the eveningChardonnay
Questions
Azé Caves is about 1 h 06 from Beaune by road (85 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €235 for the whole car, up to 4 guests.
Did you know? Together with the chasm of Blanot, a few kilometres to the north, the Grottes d'Azé are among the very few caves in Saône-et-Loire open to visitors.
Sources
Azé Caves with a private driver
€235 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests