Illustration : Charles R. Knight / Wikimedia Commons (domaine public)
Grotte de Font-de-Gaume
The Font-de-Gaume cave, at Les Eyzies, in the Dordogne, is the last cave decorated with prehistoric polychrome paintings still open to the public in France. Its walls carry about 200 figures, painted and engraved more than 14,000 years ago: bison, reindeer, horses, mammoths, sometimes mixed with signs. It is part of the prehistoric sites and decorated caves of the Vézère valley, inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage.
To preserve the paintings, visits are limited to small groups and booking is strongly advised, especially in season. The guided visit lasts about an hour and lets you admire works of great fineness. It combines with Les Combarelles and the National Museum of Prehistory, very close.
