Cave Art in the Dordogne - Lascaux 4 opens June 2016

[Pauline]

First there was Lascaux. More than 17,000 years ago prehistoric people made drawings in a series of caves in the hills near Montignac in the Dordogne. In 1940 three local teenagers found the cave. It was opened to the public in 1948 and closed in 1963 because the cave art was being damaged by the carbon dioxide produced by the breath of visitors.

Then there was Lascaux 2, a replica of Lascaux created in a nearby cave so visitors could get the experience without damaging the cave art. From 1983 until the present, this is what most visitors see. Only a few archaeologists or special guests get to visit the real thing.

Lascaux 3, a portable replica, toured the world starting in 2012.

Now we have Lascaux 4, opening June 2016, a better than Lascaux 2 replica combined with a visitor center outside of Montignac, near Lascaux. The replica is of almost the entire original cave. From the website: "The atmosphere inside is just like in a real cave : dark, damp, with muffled sounds. The purpose is to make sure visitors enjoy paintings splendor in an authentic cave atmosphere, with very reduced interruptions. This area is mainly devoted to contemplation."

Read More:

Slow Europe Day Trips - Lascaux Cave

Slow Travel Tours Blog - Lascaux 4 & Chauvet cave facsimiles – exciting news!

France.fr - Lascaux 4 Is Set to Showcase New, Complete Replica of the Original Painted Caves

Photo © Wikipedia, public domain

 

[artnbarb]

I probably need to make reservations!

 

[Roz]

The cave I really want to see is the Chauvet cave, or the Caverne du Pont d’Arc, in the Ardeche, which is about twice as old as Lascaux. We will be in Provence this fall and plan to visit there -- about 1.5 hours from where we are staying. The part that can be visited is a replica, like Lascaux, but it looks really amazing from what I've read. Here is a BBC article.

There is also a wonderful documentary film, made inside the actual cave. It's available both streaming and DVD on Netflix: Cave of Forgotten Dreams. The listing on Amazon also includes a link to the trailer.

 

[Dana]

The cave I really want to see is the Chauvet cave, or the Caverne du Pont d’Arc, in the Ardeche, which is about twice as old as Lascaux. We will be in Provence this fall and plan to visit there -- about 1.5 hours from where we are staying. The part that can be visited is a replica, like Lascaux, but it looks really amazing from what I've read. Here is a BBC article.

There is also a wonderful documentary film, made inside the actual cave. It's available both streaming and DVD on Netflix: Cave of Forgotten Dreams. The listing on Amazon also includes a link to the trailer.

Hi Roz! Some friends of ours went a few months ago and said the Chauvet replica was superb. Hertzog's Cave of Forgotten Dreams films, as you said, is excellent prep. I think the albino crocodiles at the end of the film are in a park near the cave, too.

 

[artnbarb]

I watched the film, thanks for the info! Chauvet is too far for us, but I'm sure I'll be wowed by all the caves we do see.
BTW, the website now says Lascaux 4 will open in the autumn of 2016....darn, we'll just have to make do with Lascaux 2!

 

[Dana]

The very best one is Font de Gaume in Les Ezyzies :
http://eyzies.monuments-nationaux.fr/en/
Although for some reason over the past few years, they've stopped taking reservations (maybe people weren't showing up?) and you just have to get there as early as possible to get in a queue to put your name on the list, which is seriously in the summer (by there by 7am) and really annoying if like us you live an hour away. But I guess it keeps out the riff raff!

 

[Pauline]

The very best one is Font de Gaume in Les Ezyzies!

I agree!
My favorite is Font-de-Gaume in the Vezere Valley (Day Trip - Font-de-Gaume Cave).
Next favorite was Peche Merle near St Cirq Lapopie in the Lot (Day Trip - Peche Merle Cave).
In third place, and much further away in the southern Midi-Pyrenees, Niaux (Day Trip - Niaux Cave).

For Font-de-Gaume, we were there on a holiday weekend in May and went three times before we got a ticket. Finally we just arrived at 8am. But on weekdays we found we could have arrived during the morning to get a ticket for the afternoon - but this was May and a few years ago.

 

[artnbarb]

Font de Gaume is at the top of our list, followed by Peche Merle, then Lascaux. We'll see Peche Merle during our 4 night stay in Cahors - I think that makes more sense. We're staying 7 nights in St Cyprien, which is about 12 miles east of Sarlat, so we'll visit Lascaux and Font de Gaume from that base.

 

[Pauline]

For Font de Gaume you get your tickets that day - you can't buy them ahead. So pick a weekday to go.
Peche Merle I think I ordered them online before we went.
Lascaux we got them on the day of - but with this new one maybe you need to get them ahead of time.

You are going to love these caves!