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Caves and Rock Art Sites - Visits

In all cases, users of this page should check with the site authorities for changes to visiting rights and times.

This page is a rough guide only to a very few of the caves and rock art sites.

Alta Fjord

Summer

(2 May-30 September):
2-31 May and 1-30 September
09.00-18.00
(Closed 1 and 17 May)
1 June-31 August
08.00-21.00

Winter

(1 October-30 April):
Monday-Friday
09.00-15.00
Saturday and Sunday
11.00-16.00

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Altamira

Altamira (see Cantabria Region in the table below) and other Spanish Caves:

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Grotte de Bara-Bahau

44°55'N    0°56'E

Text below from http://www.best-of-perigord.tm.fr/sites/prehisto/barabahau/caverne-oursuk.html

24260 Le Bugue sur Vézère
Tel / Fax : 33-553-07-44-58
Email: grotte-bara-bahau@wanadoo.fr

Open all year round except for January.

Guided tours (approx. 35 minutes)
(groups: please contact us beforehand)

Temperature inside the cave: 15°C

Opening times

February to June:
10:00-12:00 a.m. // 02:00 - 05:30 p.m.

July and August:
09:30 a.m. to 07:00 p.m. continuously.

September to December:
10:00-12:00 a.m. // 02:00 to 05:00 p.m.

The last tour starts 30 minutes before closing time.

In 1951, the famous speleologist Norbert Casteret discovered the cave of Bara-Bahau.

There is a double interest in visiting this cave: it takes you on a journey in geology and prehistoric art. The entrance of the cave is huge, it will fascinate both children and adults. In the more than 100 metre long chamber, you can admire many limestone rock faces, embellished with stalagtites. Here and there, you will come across marine strata.

At the end of the gallery, there is the chamber of engravings. On the limestone rock face, the bears' clawmarks testify to the presence of this animal in Bara-Bahau about 35 000 years ago. Prehistoric men hunted the bears, they then came to the cave to leave wonderful treasures in the form of Magdalenean art carved in the rock. Horses, bisons, oxen, deers, bears, but also human hands, phallic and mysterious symbols. These were drawn with flint in a rough but original style approximately 14 000 years ago.

The plain layout of the caves gives this site a natural, authentic and magical atmosphere, in harmony with its past. Coming out of the cave, you'll enjoy a beautiful panorama onto the magnificent Valley of the Vézère river.

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Cap Blanc:

visite 45 minutes/ prix 6€/ tel 05 53 59 21 74/ www.leseyzies.com/cap-blanc

Since 1995 the site has been developed to welcome visitors. Several areas have been created:

• a museum showing the flint and bone tools and necklaces found in the prehistoric site.
• a reception - boutique
• 'Little sculptors work shop': a fun activity available for children (booking required in the summer months)
• a picnic area in the shade of the trees
• a free and shaded car park.

The site is located 6 Km from the town of Les Eyzies and is accessible for disabled guests who are accompanied.

For the guided tour, free translations are provided in English, German, Dutch, Spanish and Italian. The last visit commences three quarters of an hour before the closing time.
Opening dates and times

April, May, June :
10h to 12h - 14h to 18h

July, August :
10h to 19h non-stop

September, October, November :
10h to 12h - 14h to 18h
Open all year round to groups who book ahead.

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Chauvet Cave:

After its discovery, the French government decided to close Chauvet Cave to the public, giving a professional research team the only access.

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Cussac Cave:

The exact location of Cussac Cave is being kept secret, and the cave will never be open to the public.

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Grotte de Font de Gaume:

Visite 1h00/ prix: 6.10€/ sur reservation obligatoire/ tel 05 53 06 86 00/ http://www.leseyzies.com/grottes%2Dornees/

Du 15 mai au 15 septembre/From may 15th to september
9h30 - 17h30

Du 16 septembre au 14 mai/from september 16th to may 14th
9h30 - 12h30 / 14h - 17h30

Sites are open every day except on Saturdays and January 1st, May 1st, November 1st, November 11th, December 25th.

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Grotte les Combarelle:

visite:1h00/ prix6.10€/ tel 05 53 06 86 00/
billet à prendre à la billetterie de la grotte de Font de Gaume.
http://www.leseyzies.com/grottes%2Dornees/

Sites are open every day except on Saturdays and January 1st, May 1st, November 1st, November 11th, December 25th.

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Grotte de Villars:

http://www.quercy.net/ Open all year round to groups who book ahead. Otherwise:

Morning
April/May/June/September
From 10h. to 12h
Last visit 11h.30

Afternoon
From 14h. to 19h.
Last visit 18 h.30

July / August
From 10h. to 19h.30
Last visit 19h.

October
From 14h. to 18h.30
Last visit 18h.

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Lascaux Cave

The most famous cave of all.

The Lascaux cave paintings were discovered on Thursday, September 12, 1940, by four French teenagers. The news of the discovery quickly spread and many villagers came to see it themselves. Soon archaeologists visited the site as well.

Shortly after World War II ended, the entrance to the cave was enlarged and the floor was lowered to enable easier access for visitors. Nearly 1,200 tourists visited the cave every day.

By 1955, it became apparent that the cave's popularity had begun to cause significant damage. A study showed that the primary cause was the high levels of carbon dioxide from the visitors' breath.

A system was implemented to monitor carbon dioxide levels, but soon patches of green algae on the walls and other damage began to appear.

To protect the ancient site from further damage, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs closed the Lascaux cave to the public on April 20, 1963. The original climatic conditions were recreated, and the site is now in the state in which it was discovered in 1940.

A computerized system now monitors a variety of conditions in the cave, including temperature, moisture and carbon dioxide levels.

To compensate for the great loss to the public in closing the cave, a detailed replica was created in 1980. The cave paintings were recreated by projecting images of the originals onto the replica wall. The recreated site, known as "Lascaux II," has been open to the public since 1983.

Lascaux II, the replica, is located a short walk downhill from the real Lascaux cave. The 39m (131-ft.) long reproduction displays some 200 paintings and gives you a good idea of what the closed-off cave looks like inside.

Lascaux II

Location: 2km (1 1/4 miles) from Montignac, off D706
Cost: 8€ adults, 4.50€ children 6-12, free for children under 6
Combination ticket to Le Thot and Lascaux II 9€ adults, 5€ children 6-12
Phone 05-53-51-95-03

Hours July-Aug daily 9am-8pm;
Sept-Oct 3 daily 9:30am-6:30pm;
Oct 4-Nov 11 daily 10am-12:30pm and 2-6pm;
Nov 12-Jan 2 Tue-Sun 10am-12:30pm and 2-5:30pm.
Closed Jan 3-Feb 2.
Feb 3-Apr 3 Tue-Sun 10am-12:30pm and 2-5:30pm.
Apr 4-June daily 9:30am-6:30pm;

Le Thot Museum

Location: Thonac, 7km (4 1/2 miles) southwest of Montignac along D706 (follow the signs pointing to the hamlet of Les Eyzies)
Cost: 5.20€ adults, 3.20€ children 6-12, free for ages 5 and under.
Combination ticket to Le Thot and Lascaux II 9€ adults, 5€ children 6-12
Phone: 05-53-50-70-44

Hours: July-Aug daily 10am-7pm;
Sept-Oct 3 Tue-Sun 10am-6pm;
Oct 4-Nov 11 Tue-Sun 10am-12:30pm and 2-6pm;
Nov 12-Jan 2 Tue-Sun 10am-12:30pm and 2-5:30pm
Closed Jan 3-Feb 2.
Feb 3-Apr 3 Tue-Sun 10am-12:30pm and 2-5:30pm
Apr 4-June Tue-Sun 9:30am-6:30pm;

Try to show up as close to opening time as possible -- the number of visitors per day is limited to 2,000, and tickets usually sell out by 2pm. During the winter, you can buy tickets directly at Lascaux II, but from April to October you must purchase them from a kiosk adjacent to the Montignac tourist office, place Bertran-de-Born.

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Grotte de la Madelaine

Location: A7, exit Montélimar or Bollène, up the Ardèche valley, Ardèche.

Open: April to October daily 10 am to 6 pm

Fee: Adult 37 FF, Children 22 FF.

Classification: Karst cave.

The length of the cave is 500 metres.

Address: Grotte de la Madeleine, F-07700 Saint-Remèze. Tel: +33-475042220, Fax: +33-475043506

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Niaux Cave:

The visits to this famous cave are strictly regulated in order to maintain an even temperature of 12 degrees C and thus preserve the wall drawings of bison, horses and ibex. July through September there are 11 visits per day of up to 20 people with 45 minutes between each group, including a tour in English at 1pm. Three visits per day the rest of the year (no English tours).

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Pech Merle:

The same ticket allows admission to both Cave and Museum (film and exhibits)

Open (2006) : Open every day, even Sunday and public holidays, from Sunday April 9th to Friday November 3rd.

Hours : Tickets are for sale from 9.30AM to 12.00 and from 1.30PM to 5.00PM. Even if you buy the tickets some minutes before the closing time of the ticket's office, you will visit both cave and museum after, except if the 700 visitors limit is reached.

Fees (2006) :

	High season (June 15 - September 15)	Low season
	Euros	Euros
Individuals (18 and over)	7,50	6,00
Individuals (5 to 18)	4,50	3,80
Children below 5	for free	for free
Groups (18 and over)	6,00	4,00
Groups (children below 18)	3,50	3,50

Reservations : To preserve the Cave and the prehistoric paintings, the visitors are limited to a maximum of 700 a day. So it is better, especially in July and August, to reserve by telephone (05 65 31 27 05 from France or +33 5 65 31 27 05 from abroad), at least 24 hours in advance (3 or 4 days in advance in July and August). Tickets must be bought 15 minutes before the time at which the tour is scheduled. Generally, on Saturday and Sunday it's not so busy.

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