Aven du Rousti

Aven du Rousti is a karst sinkhole tucked into the Albion plateau, within the commune of Simiane-la-Rotonde in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It sits on the edge of the Saint-Christol depression, on a broad, flat stretch of the plateau cut through by shallow valleys — classic karst terrain, shaped over millennia as rainwater dissolved the limestone bedrock into shafts, galleries and underground chambers.

Where does the plateau's underground world begin?

The Albion plateau, stretching between Mont Ventoux, the Montagne de Lure and the Grand Luberon, ranks among the largest karst massifs in France, with hundreds of recorded shafts and caves beneath its surface. The deepest, Aven Jean Nouveau, drops 168 metres, giving a sense of scale to the hidden network running under the lavender fields above. Aven du Rousti is not the plateau's deepest pit, but it stands out for its layout and its long exploration history.

How deep does it go, and what does it look like inside?

The shaft reaches a depth of 63 metres, with roughly 300 metres of passages in total. It opens into Bedoulian limestone, rock laid down in a Cretaceous sea tens of millions of years ago and since carved out by water percolating through the plateau. One of the more distinctive features is a fossil gallery 80 metres long and 5 metres wide, where water-rounded pebbles sit alongside thick, multi-layered flowstone deposits. Sediments in this gallery have been studied by geologist Christophe Depambour, who examined how the underground drainage pattern shifted over time.

Who found it, and when?

The first documented descent is credited to Pierre Martel, who entered the cave in 1948 or 1949. Over the following decades, local caving clubs gradually extended what was known about the system, pushing the recorded depth from 40 metres to today's 63 metres as new passages came to light. A turning point came in 2003, when a second entrance was cleared. That opened up a full traverse through the cave, fitted with via ferrata-style protection, which made guiding groups through it considerably more practical.

Can you visit without caving experience?

Yes. Local operators run guided speleology outings into Aven du Rousti, offered as half-day or full-day trips open to children from age 6. Participants are equipped with harnesses, helmets, ropes and the technical gear needed for the descent, with an experienced guide leading the way throughout. It's one of the few caves in the area where a first-time visit is realistic without owning any caving equipment.

What else is worth seeing nearby?

Simiane-la-Rotonde, the village the cave belongs to, is a destination in its own right. Perched at about 650 metres, right on the border with Vaucluse, it sits within the Luberon Regional Nature Park, with views stretching to Mont Ventoux, the Montagne de Lure and the Grand Luberon all at once. The village is known for its castle rotunda with a Romanesque hall and for an early-music festival held there since 1982. The Albion plateau is also central to French lavender-oil production, so an underground visit pairs naturally with a walk through the surrounding lavender fields, plus a stop at the Abbey of Valsaintes garden, about 4 kilometres away.

FAQ

What is Aven du Rousti? A karst sinkhole on the Albion plateau, in the commune of Simiane-la-Rotonde, 63 metres deep with around 300 metres of passages.

Is it hard to visit? Since a second entrance was cleared in 2003 and fitted with via ferrata-style equipment, guided visits are open to beginners, including children from age 6.

What's inside the cave? A notable 80-metre fossil gallery containing water-rounded pebbles and thick flowstone deposits, studied for what it reveals about the site's geological history.

Who first explored it? Pierre Martel made the first known descent in 1948 or 1949; caving clubs later extended the known depth from 40 to 63 metres.