The Osselle Cave

The Osselle Cave has been a designated historic site since 1912

Nearby, nestled in a bend of the Doubs River, lies Lake Osselle and its beach, the recreational hub of the Greater Besançon area. You can reach it from Besançon or Dole via sustainable transportation, using the EuroVelo 6 route.

The Jurassic period, with the deposition of numerous limestone layers, led to the formation of this exceptional site. With the combination of its dry gallery (which remains one of the most remarkable geological phenomena) and its underground river, this site offers a complete overview of the subterranean world

A cave with a history

Discovered in the 13th century, the cave is among the longest caves developed for visitors, having been open since 1504 with 1,200 meters accessible from the Doubs to the Jura.

The site has inspired numerous legends and tales (the legend of the abandoned gold mine, the construction of a bridge over the underground river and the widening of the passages in the 18th century, hosting banquets and concerts, etc.). It also served as a place of refuge, particularly for refractory priests during the Revolution.

Cave Bears and Pipistrelles

Internationally renowned for the variety of its mineral formations and colors (resulting from a subsoil rich in iron, copper, and manganese salts), it ranks among the premier sites in paleontology. Indeed, the discovery in 1828 by the English geologist Auckland of the first cave bear skeleton (now on display at the British Museum in London) was reported by Voltaire and later by Cuvier, the founder of paleontology. The discovery of about fifteen other skeletons in 1970 makes the cave the world’s largest cave bear necropolis (between 2,000 and 3,000 in total).