Les Grottes de Remouchamps — Attraction in Aywaille

IMPORTANT information for everyone, who wants to visite this cave. The first part is guideless BUT as you need the boat ride back, they have fixed check in times (we were on 15.9. so it could be just for off season). We arrived at 11 and had to wait until 11:45. After asking the guy at the entrance, we got to know that we can go in before the time but have to wait (in our case 12:20) until the boat will be at the pick up point. We still went at 11:30 to reduce the wainting time outside and arrived the boat pick up at 12:05. The cave isnt sth special and a lot of lights weren‘t working. At the boat pick up place was - to our surprise - a boat waiting. The employee came to us and explained that his boat was pretty late because some tourists took their time (so it is possible to wait for the boat ride even IF you go in the cave at the suggested time). We actually didnt mind the delay and were able to ride with this one instead of wainting 15 Min. But the ones already in the boat werent so happy. One women with to small (often crying) children explained that they were already waiting on the missing ones for 20 min! Two more minutes and they finally arrived. And thats when the awesome part began. The boat ride was fantastic. The employee explained a lot about the cave (in Durch (French) and English). The ride itself also was fun, but you really have to watch out for your head, arms, shoulders etc. cause at some points it gets really narrow. The ,downside‘ was two small children crying a lot - it wasnt their fault. I think they should suggest to only go with children up 4-5 years in the cave; it was just to long and stressful for those. The boat ride was around 30 min. In the end we even saw a bat (Junior only 5 weeks old :D) Resumee; Im not sure if the boat ride is worth going through the cave and paying 20€. Especilly since we were lucky and had no waiting time.

Sidenote: the employee at the entrance was really rude. He said, that we had to wait until 11:45 for the visit and we were confused bc it should have been guideless. He said: No! Minutes later we saw a sign: First part guidefree and I asked again, why he said there would be a guide. He got really annoyed and aggressive and only on my pushing on explaining to me, why we had the wait as we would be going on our own, he explained that the boats are timed for the depurture times (11:45 + ca 40 Min = 12:20). Why he didnt just tell us, that we could get in at anytime, but it would be good if it was around 11:45 for not having to wait to long on the boat, I...

This cave system is a hidden gem, that you cannot miss.

I visited without reservations (so I arrived early to secure my spot), as the website was not functioning properly. If you’re proficient in French or Dutch, you can call to make a reservation. Either way I’d recommend booking beforehand.

I paid for my ticket with cash, although card payment is also available. If you choose to pay with card or cash, make sure to set aside 5-10 euros for tipping the boat tour guide; their work is quite strenuous as they have to row all the way back from the end of the cave to the entrance. Also don’t expect all of them to speak English.

Please note that this visit is not wheelchair-friendly or suitable for people with limited mobility. There are narrow passages, stairs, uneven terrain, and numerous steps to climb.

The entire tour can take up to 2 hours. I was the first to enter since I was the only English speaker, so I received instructions and explored on my own. Others in the group received instructions later, likely grouped by language. When I reached the end of the cave, I waited for about 10-15 minutes for the tour guides to arrive on their boats and lead us out of the cave.

The interior is not very dark, but some areas can be a bit slippery, so wear appropriate footwear. The temperature inside stays around 10-15 degrees Celsius (50-59°F) year-round.

The entire tour comprises 12-13 stops with descriptions in Dutch, French, and German. If you speak other languages like Spanish or English, you’ll receive a printed paper at the entrance, but it contains only a limited amount of information compared to the signs inside. This is an area where they could improve.

The cave is truly remarkable and unique, and I couldn’t recommend the visit more. If you’re in the area, make sure to stop by!...

I visited the caves recently and I must say, it was one of the best experiences for me. As someone who admires the beauty of nature, here are some points why I recommend this-

Natural structures formed by a reaction of groundwater & limestone, which have been forming over 700,000 years. You will be in awe to see some fossils of unicellular organisms which inhabited Europe around 360 million years ago. At the end of the first part of your walking tour, you have a guided boat tour along the longest underground river in Europe. Part of this route was formed by exploding dynamites in 1912.

Apart from the caves themselves, the people here were some of the best in the service industry. The guide on our boat was a jolly young man who explained the history in French, Dutch and English. We were also given a separate printed information sheet in English because the info boards inside the caves were only in French and Dutch. The head person was so kind that he walked down the road with us to show an amazing camping ground on a map which he drew by hand himself.

A few extra things good to know- The temperature of the cave is around 11-12 degrees throughout the year. So you might want to dress appropriately. At some places it is a bit slippery and drops of water fall from the ceiling. The total visit takes around 1-1.5 hours depending on how much time you spend...