Bramabiau's abyss
Straddling Lozère and Gard, the abyss of Bramabiau is located in the Gard commune of Saint-Sauveur Camprieu. It is a cavity from which an underground river emerges. Its name comes from Occitan "ox’s bellowing / brame de boeuf" because of the sound made by the water which gushes out being very similar to a cow rattle. This site is located at an equal distance between the heart of the Tarn river Canyon and Mount Aigoual, at the bottom of a canyon where the Bonheur river flows. It is then divided into various streams on both sides of the department.
Inside Bramabiau’s Abyss
Édouard-Alfred Martel was at the origin of the discovery of Bramabiau’s abyss in September 1884, at the time when he also discovered the famous Dargilan cave and Aven Armand. It was not until 2 years later, accompanied by experienced speleologists that he managed to cross its whole length, over a distance of 1.3 km. In 1983, three speleologists carried out a complete topography of the site on various galleries in labyrinth which they named the "Félix-Mazauric network". Numerous traces proving the existence of the presence of humans and wild animals in the abyss have been found. This is how today we can observe very closely prints of dinosaur steps dating back more than 200 million years. Human remains have also been discovered, but the place remains hidden from the public to avoid looting.
It was in 1925 that the abyss was opened to the public and that Aimé Cazal, a site administrator, launched the first tourist promotion campaigns. The aim was to make it known to local populations and holidaymakers with the aim of promoting heritage. Today, Bramabiau is subject to a DIREN classification with the Occitanie region due to the conservation of the prehistoric network. Absolute control is continuously maintained to avoid any natural or human degradation.
In the heart of the Cévennes National Park, discover this unique nature between rock and water. A guide will accompany you after a descent of one kilometer through the forest to explore this cavity with a thousand discoveries and anecdotes.
