Throughout the Touraine there are worked out underground limestone quarries, many abandoned, but many repurposed as cellars, mushroom growing facilities, domestic dwellings or storage. In French they are known as
caves trogloditiques, or more often, just
caves or
troglos. Note that in French, a natural cave will be referred to as a
caverne. The importance of these caves from a wildlife point of view is principally that they provide hibernation sites for most of the local bat species.
They maintain a constant 12°C and around 85% Rh, which is perfect for keeping wine and hibernating bats in good condition. These caves are scattered all over the Touraine, in the limestone cliffs along the many river valleys, small and large.
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| Stalagmites forming on the floor of a cave in Preuilly sur Claise. |
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