The Underworld of the Pays de Falaise in Normandy
At the Carreau du Livet, in Saint-Germain-le-Vasson (15 mins from Caen, 10 mins from Falaise).
A perfectly preserved testimony to the old iron mines of Soumont, the last mines of the West, the Carreau du Livet is the only site still accessible to the public.
There are presented the large machines on wheels and on rails brought up from the bottom and the miner's hand equipment. There is also the last hanged room in the region, the bath-showers and the lamp room in their original configuration, as well as the road descent which led the staff 650 meters underground.
Since 2003, a new scenography entitled "The underground worlds of Calvados" offers the visitor a real dive into the bowels of our basement. In an educational and fun way, this exhibition offers the public a presentation of the department's geological resources, an evocation of their exploitation in mines and quarries, an opening on speleology and a virtual descent into mining sites located at least 475 meters.
Surrounded by communal forest paths, the Carreau du Livet is finally an ideal place for walking, but also for relaxing and picnicking with the river and the shaded areas it offers.
