Thermodynamic and optical properties of new langasites Pr3CrGe3Be2O14 and Pr3AlGe3Be2O14

•No long-range magnetic order was found in Pr3CrGe3Be2O14 langasite down to 0.4 K.•Isolated 1D chains of S = 3/2 Cr3+ are situated perpendicular to 2D Kagomé -layers of Pr3+.•Crystal-field splitting of Pr3+ levels explains Schottky anomaly in specific heat. [Display omitted] We present the results of thermodynamic and optical spectroscopy measurements of the Pr3CrGe3Be2O14 compound - a member of the recently discovered Be-subgroup of the langasite family. Despite the presence of both rare-earth and transition-metal subsystems in Pr3CrGe3Be2O14, no long-range magnetic order has been found down to 0.4 K in terms of both magnetization M and specific heat Cp. These data are compared with those on Pr3AlGe3Be2O14. Both compounds evidence the Schottky anomaly at low temperatures, most pronounced in the case of Pr3CrGe3Be2O14.