Grotte de la Balme

La Balme-de-Sillingy

A cave-shrine where raw rock and religious devotion have mingled for millennia.

The Grotte de la Balme, which gave its name to the commune of La Balme-de-Sillingy ('balme' meaning a rock shelter, from the Latin balma), preserves traces of human occupation dating back to around 3340 BC. Having become a site of Marian devotion in the Middle Ages, the cavity houses a chapel built directly into the rock. The coordinates given correspond to the centre of the village of La Balme-de-Sillingy; the cave itself lies on a nearby rocky escarpment and should be treated as an approximate location.

Getting there : Cave developed for visitors, with a chapel built into the entrance of the cavity; the commune takes its name from the cave ('balme', rock shelter)

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound