Page 382 - Lonely Planet France’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

mid-May–mid-Sep, 9.30am- into the rear wall of the
12.30pm & 2-5.30pm Sun-Fri overhang using flint
mid-Sep–mid-May) contains tools. Originally the cave
many engravings that would have been open to DOZIER MARC / GETTY IMAGES ©
cleverly use the natural the elements, but it’s now
contours of the rock to housed inside a modern
sculpt the animals’ forms: museum.
look out for mammoths, The Drive » Backtrack to
horses, reindeer and a Les-Eyzies, then follow the D47
mountain lion that seems northwest along the valley,
to leap out from the rock turning right onto the D32 after
face. The cave’s walls are about 11km. The road becomes
also covered with geomet- narrower and travels through
ric symbols and shapes woodland. Follow the signs to
that have so far eluded the ‘Grotte Préhistorique de
interpretation. Six- to Rouffignac’ for another 7km.
eight-person group tours
last about an hour and 5 Grotte de
can be reserved through
the Font de Gaume ticket Rouffignac
office. After staying overnight
in Les-Eyzies, get an early
The Drive » Travel 1km
further east of Combarelles, start at the astonishing
then turn left onto the twisty Grotte de Rouffignac
D48. You’ll travel into a pleasant (%05 53 05 41 71; www.grotte
wooded valley. Continue for derouffignac.fr; Rouffignac-St-
7km, following the road up the Cernin-de-Reilhac; adult/child
hillside towards the Cap Blanc €7.50/4.80; h9-11.30am &
ATLANTIC COAST 35 CAVE ART OF THE VézèRE VALLEY
car park. The museum entrance 2-6pm Jul & Aug, 10-11.30am &
is a short walk downhill along a
rough track. 2-5pm Apr-Jun, Sep & Oct, closed
Nov-Mar), often known
as the ‘Cave of 1000
4 Abri du Cap Blanc Mammoths’ thanks to its
This ancient sculpture plethora of painted pachy-
derms. The paintings are
gallery (%05 53 06 86 00; spread along the walls
www.eyzies.monuments-natio of a subterranean cavern
naux.fr; adult/child €7.50/free; that stretches for 10km –
hguided tours 10am-6pm fortunately, you visit
Sun-Fri mid-May–mid-Sep, aboard a rickety electric
10am-12.30pm & 2-5.30pm train, so there’s no chance
Sun-Fri mid-Sep–mid-May) of getting lost. Along
makes a fascinating the way is an amazing
comparison with Com- frieze of 10 mammoths
barelles. It was used as in procession. You’ll also
a natural shelter 14,000 see many hollows in the
years ago by Cro-Magnon cave floor, scratched out
people, who left behind by long-extinct cave bears.
an amazing 40m-long Tickets are sold at the
frieze of horses and cave entrance; wrap up
bison, carved directly

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