Grotte de la Bonne-Femme

Grotte de la Bonne-Femme is a small rock shelter listed as a historic monument on the northern flank of Mont de Cordon, in the commune of Murs-et-Gélignieux, in the Ain department. It draws visitors for two reasons at once: a quiet countryside walk beneath limestone cliffs, and evidence of very early human presence tucked into the rock itself.

Where exactly is it?

The entrance sits near the hamlet of Cuchet, above what used to be the Lac de Pluvis. The valley floor below the shelter changed shape in 1981, when a diversion canal for the Brégnier-Cordon hydroelectric plant was built through it. Despite the name, this isn't a deep cave system with galleries to explore — it's a shallow, open recess in the limestone cliff, the kind of spot that has sheltered people from wind and rain for millennia, long before it became a walking destination.

What was found here?

The site owes its protected status to archaeologist Joseph Tournier, who excavated it twice, in 1884 and again in 1910. His digs uncovered two hearths just 40 centimetres apart, along with a substantial haul of more than a thousand worked flint pieces. Among the tools were narrow backed bladelets, Gravette points, and a Teyjat point — artefacts tied to the late Upper Palaeolithic and the Magdalenian culture, meaning the shelter was in use many thousands of years ago. Most of what Tournier recovered is now kept at the Grand Séminaire in Belley rather than on site. It was the scale and quality of this find that earned the shelter its listing as a protected historic monument, reference PA00116349.

How do you get there?

A footpath starting at the Pont de la Bruyère loops around Mont de Cordon and passes the shelter. It's an easy walk along well-marked trails at the base of the cliffs rather than a technical hike, and it strings together several sites in sequence: the Grotte de la Bonne-Femme first, then an unnamed cave, and finally the nearby Grotte de Liévrin, which is also prehistoric. A popular loop linking these two named caves from Cordon covers roughly 8 kilometres and takes just over two hours. A longer variant starting from La Bruyère and circling the whole of Mont de Cordon runs about 7.4 kilometres with 255 metres of elevation gain, a moderate outing that takes close to three hours.

Who is this walk for?

It suits anyone who likes pairing a bit of outdoor exercise with a dose of local history, without the crowds that gather at better-known caves in the region. The views over the old Lac de Pluvis valley and the limestone faces of Mont de Cordon are a reward in themselves, whether or not the archaeology is the main draw.

Frequently asked questions

Can you visit the cave on your own, without a guide? Yes. It's reached freely on foot via the marked trail — this is a rock shelter, not a cave system requiring caving equipment.

Are the archaeological finds displayed at the site? No. Most of what was excavated by Joseph Tournier is now held at the Grand Séminaire in Belley, not inside the shelter itself.

How long does it take to reach the cave? It depends on the route: the loop from Cordon to the Grotte de Liévrin takes about 2 hours 20 minutes, while the full circuit of Mont de Cordon from La Bruyère takes close to 3 hours.

What makes this site historically significant? The discovery of more than a thousand worked flint tools and two ancient hearths, evidence of Stone Age human activity in this part of the Rhône valley thousands of years ago.