Going Underground was added to our list just 2 years ago, and it was a direct hit.

The reason it is so popular, is because it combines the best section of “Ode to the Neanderthal” and a section of “The Valley of Caves” to create a fantastic and adventurous 5-7 hour loop.

Going Underground is a fantastic and exciting adventure both above ground and underground. Follow the footsteps of our Prehistoric ancestors along the “Ode to the Neanderthal” trails as we make our way through numerous caves to the “Chamber”. A warren of tunnels used a a safe haven for our Prehistoric ancestors and later the French Resistance.

Going Underground History

This network of underground trails and caverns have been extensively used throughout history, dating back to the time our Neanderthal relatives became prominent in the Vezere Valley.

During the turmoils of the Middle Ages, the caves of the Vezere Valley became a refuge for farmers and families living along the banks of the Vezere River, against invaders coming up the river. Numerous caves were turned into strongholds, where families and livestock would hunker down for sometimes weeks at a time until the invaders moved on.

During World War 2 this underground network became a very important infrastructure for the French Resistance.

The Dordogne French Resistance became a huge problem for the Germans, so much so, that Hitler ordered the quaint “Rouffignac” to be “leveled” – The Germans bombed Rouffignac and where convinced the Resistance was hiding out in the famous Cave of Rouffignac which offers miles and miles of tunnels. This was exactly what the French Resistance wanted, while the Germans spent their time in the Cave of Rouffignac the Resistance were safe in the “Going Underground” network of tunnels.

Going Underground can be done in combination with either “Ode to the Neanderthal” or “In the footsteps of the Mammoth“