Exploring a lake located in a cave underneath the Swiss mountains is not something you would do every day, but on a Sunday in May a group of 40 Les Roches students did exactly that.
We travelled by bus to a little village called Saint-Léonard, located between Sierre and Sion, along the Rhone valley and right in the middle of a vineyard. Also known for its wine production, the village sits on top of a subterranean lake with a length of around 300 meters and is considered the largest natural underground lake in Europe. It was first discovered around 1943 and in 1946 an earthquake caused the water level to drop, after which the cave became accessible and was opened to the public in 1949.
Perched in small boats, we explored the underground lake while our guide explained all sorts of fascinating details about its origin and history. He was young Swiss student with a good sense of humor – while pushing the boat out onto the water, he said, “Have fun, I hope everyone can swim!” Apparently the cave has great acoustics and hosts monthly concerts during the summer season. Nobody of our group dared to sing though.
After our underground visit we took a little tour through the village and enjoyed the great weather and amazing view before making our way back to Bluche. Next time we might include some wine tastings to this outing, since there are many good producers in the area that are worth discovering.
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Tom Van der Meij
Sports & Events Coordinator
Les Roches International School of Hotel Management
