Our Blog - Cascade de la Beaume

Our morning walk for Lucy was to the Cascade de la Beaume, which is a waterfall located about 900 meters above sea level. The word "Beaume" comes from the low Latin word "Balma" which means "cave". There are caves in this area that have been occupied since prehistoric times.

There is a local legend which says that in the time of the lords, the daughter of the lords of La Beaume lingered in the forest. While crossing the Beaume River, she saw the image of the demon in the water. She was a little crazy and wanted to throw herself into the deep gorges of the Loire River valley. Now, the devil that she THOUGHT she saw was really just a little goat herder from the castle that her parents had sent to find her. The goat herder took a liking to the little girl and the two children became inseparable. One evening, her father mentioned that pouring lots of cold water on the heads of madmen could cure them. The next day, the little goat herder led the young girl to the top of the waterfall and to convince her to jump, said to her: “I see the image of the Blessed Virgin at the bottom of the water. Oh, come see how beautiful she is!" When she leaned down to see, the boy grabbed her and jumped with her from the top of the cliff. The Virgin Mary slowed down their fall. When the they regained consciousness, the young girl was no longer crazy. They got married and this is how the little goat herder became Lord of the Beaume.

After missing the carpark the first time, we easily found the sign and headed up the path towards the waterfall.

Here is Lucy with the top of the waterfall just behind her head.

And now the waterfall....

Here, you can listen at the sound of the waterfall ....