Visit Lascaux caves, Dordogne to see the world famous ...

Visit Lascaux caves ... These internationally renowned caves are situated about 30km north of Sarlat close to Montignac. We have lived in striking distance of ... SidebarMenu×MainMenuRegionsDordognemapHotelsInfoWeatherWhentovisitTownsVillagesAttractionsCavesGardensCastlesVisitLascauxcaves,DordognetoseetheworldfamousprehistoricpaintingsDordogneguide/Caves/LascauxcavesSearchMontignachotelsVisitLascauxcavesTheseinternationallyrenownedcavesaresituatedabout30kmnorthofSarlatclosetoMontignac.WehavelivedinstrikingdistanceofLascauxcavesforsomeyearsnowwithoutevergoingtovisit.Somehowpre-historicpaintingsandthefactthatyoucanonlyvisitareplicasiteputmeoff.HoweverIhavefinallybeenandcan'trecommenditenough.Thereplicationismeticulousandthepaintingsareabsolutelygorgeousandhavealevelofsophisticationmakingithardtobelievetheywerepaintedbypre-historicman.Thecoloursofthewallsareabsolutelygorgeous,deepred,richochreandblackbeingthedominanttints.Thepicturesarebeautifullypaintedandshowasenseofperspectiveandmovement.SomeoftheMysteriesoftheLascauxCavesTherearemanymysteriesinthecaves,andalotofsignsandsymbolsinthecaveswhichwedonotknowthemeaningof.Thepaintingsarealmostallofanimals.InLascauxtherearehundredsofanimalsbutonlyoneman.Therearenopaintingsofflowers,treesorcountryside.Atthistime(about17,000)yearsagothepredominantfoodwasreindeer,butwhilsttherearevariousdeeronthewallstherearenoreindeeramongstthem.ThenearbyRouffignaccave,withdrawingsfromasimilareraisbestknownforthelargenumberofwoollymammothsonthewallsandyetthereisnotasingleoneonthewallsofLascaux(thereisawoollyrhinoceros).AdvertisementTheLascauxcaveswereneverusedasahabitationoraburialsiteandsowhydidtheytakethetroubletocomedownwithgreaselampsandscaffolding(yestheybuiltscaffolding!)topaintthesewalls?ThemainfeaturesoftheLascauxcavesThevisittotheLascauxcavesisaguidedvisitandtheguidesareveryknowledgeableandinteresting.Thefirstpartofthevisitisintoasortofminimuseuminthe'rock'andinheretheguidedescribesthelocationandhistoryofthecaves,themethodsandpigmentsusedbypre-historicmantopaintthecavesandthemethodsusedbymodernmantorecreatethem.Inthere-creationeachrippleoftherockhasbeenreproducedinordertofullyappreciatethebeautyandskillofthepaintingsandengravings.Thenaturalshapesoftherockhasoftenbeenusedaspartofthepictures.Thecaveswerediscoveredin1940byMarcelRavidatandhisdog,Robo.Afterdiscoveringtheentranceheandthreefriends(GeorgesAgniel,SimonCoencasandJacquesMarsal)forcedtheirwayintothecavesanddiscoveredthetreasuresofLascaux.Theytoldtheirteacher,whobecamethecavesfirstcurator,andsoonafterFatherHenriBreuil,apre-historyexpert,arrivedonthescene.ThecaveswereopenedtothepublicaftertheSecondWorldWarin1948,withMarcelRavidatasoneoftheguides.Thecavewasclosedin1963asexposuretoairandenormousnumbersofviewersledtofirstariskfromagreenmouldandlatertoariskfromcalciumdepositscoveringthepaintings.CavePaintingsatLascauxIn1980thebullschamber,themainchamberintheLascauxcaveswasmeticulouslyre-createdanditisthisthatisnowopentothepublic.AmongsttheanimalsthatcanbeseenonthewallsofLascauxarebulls,'auroch'(anowextinctearlyrelativeoftheoxitisthoughtthattheAurochwasworshipedasasacredbeastinprehistorictimes),deer,horses,cows,awoolleyrhinoceros,bisonandoneman.Altogetherthereare2200imagespaintedonthewallsoftheLascauxcaves.Over900oftheseareanimalswithvarioustypesofdeerbeingthemajorityofthesefollowedbypaintingsofbullsandcattle.Alsorepresentedarecats,abird,arhinocerousandabear.ThefourlargeblackbullsintheHallofBullschamberarethemostfamousofallthepaintingsandthelargestoftheseisover5meterslong!Thisisthelargestanimalpaintinginprehistoriccavepaintingsanywhereintheworld.VisitingtheLascauxCavesAddress:LascauxII,24290MontignacTicketscanbeobtainedfromtheticketofficeinthecentreofthevillageofMontignacwhichisclosetothecavesinJulyandAugustBoothno.1isforvisitsonthesamedayandboothno.2istoreserveticketsforthenext1-4days.Ticketscanalsobeboughtatthecavesinlowseason.Youcannowbookonline.LascauxCaveOpeningTimesJanuary,February,March:everyday09.00-19.00April,May,June:everyday09.00-20.00July,August:everyday08.30-22.00September:everyday09.30-20.00October,November,December:everyday10.00-19.00thelastvisitis2hoursbeforeclosingtime.Adults16eurosand6-12s10.40€NighttimevisitsLascauxcavesusedtodospecialnighttimevisitsinJulyandAugustonFridaynightsat21.00pmbutnowitstaysopento10pmeverynightinJulyandAugust.NighttimevisitsarebecomingincreasinglypopularandaswellasLascauxcavesyoucanvisittheJardinsd'Eyrignac,theGrotteduGrandeRocandtheprehistoricrockshelterofLaugerieBasonMondaynights;ChateaudeBirononTuesdaynights;theCloitredeCadouinandtheChateaudeHautefortonWednesdaynights;theJardinsdeMarqueyssaconThursdaynightsandtheChateaudeBourdeillesonFridaynights.IfyouarelookingforsomethingalittlemoreadventurousthenthereisnighttimecanoeingatMussidanonWednesdaynightsandnighttimeaccrobrancheatParcenCiel(treeadventurepark)inLacapelleBirononsomenights.PlacesNearbyThenearbytownofMontignacischarmingandhaslotstosee.Aswellasbeingveryattractivewithalovelyriversidelocationithaslotsofcafesandrestaurantsifyouarelookingforsomewheretoeatorpauseforacoffee.LesJardinsdel'ImaginationatTerrassonisasuperbmoderngardenwithgreatviewsoverthetownofTerrasson.TheChateauduLossealsohassmallbutcharminggardensandyoucanvisitthechateautoo.TwoofthevillagesclosetoLascauxareclassifiedas'mostbeautifulvillagesofFrance'.BothSaint-Amand-de-ColyandSaint-Leon-sur-Vezerearewellworthavisit.Seealso: HotelsinandnearMontignacPhotosofLascauxcavesClickanypicturetostartthegalleryMapofLascauxcavesandplacestovisit Advertisement LascauxcavesplacestovisitMontignacMontignacisalovelyriversidevillageandhometotheLascauxcaves.MontignacguideLeThotTheLe-ThotisamuseumofprehistoryandhasreproductionsofcavepaintingsfromLascaux.LeThotguideChateaudeLosseARenaissancecastlebuiltinsidemedievalwallsandwithacharminggarden.ChateaudeLosseguideFanlacFanlacisaprettyvillageandsettingoftheJacquouleCroquantnovelandfilm.FanlacguideSaintAmanddeColySaintAmanddeColyisoneofthemostbeautifulvillagesofFrance.SaintAmanddeColyguideSaint-Leon-sur-VezereSaintLeonsurVezereisoneofthemostbeautifulvillagesofFrance.Saint-Leon-sur-Vezereguide Advertisement Advertisementorusegooglesitesearch...NorthoftheDordogne::copyright2006-2022Contact,cookies,copyrightandprivacy