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Grotte de Niaux
The Niaux cave, in the Ariège, near Tarascon-sur-Ariège, is one of the great decorated caves of European prehistory, renowned for the quality and conservation of its Magdalenian paintings, some 13,000 years old. It is neither developed nor fixedly lit: the visit is made with portable lamps, for conservation reasons.
The guided route of about 1 h 45 leads, over about 800 metres, to the Salon Noir. This vast hall gathers more than eighty black line paintings, mostly depicting bison, horses, ibex and deer, with geometric signs. The ground is uneven, the interior temperature is around 12 °C.
Groups are limited and booking is compulsory; the visit is not accessible to people with reduced mobility and is not recommended for children under six. Photographs and bags are forbidden in the cave. A special visit, "Niaux interdit", is offered on certain days in galleries usually closed.
