The Dordogne
We’ve compiled the best of the best in The Dordogne - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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6 Recommendations
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1. Grotte de Combarelles
Want an up-close look at Cro-Magnon cave drawings? Those at les Combarelles are considered among the best in the world. Although traces of pigments have been found, the colors have long since vanished, leaving the sinuous graven outlines of woolly mammoths, cave bears, lions, and astonishingly lifelike reindeer. There are well over 600 drawings all told, and seeing them is an almost mystical experience, especially since only 40 people are admitted per day. Hour-long tours are available in English at 11:15 am; guides on other tours may speak English, but it’s the luck of the draw. Just note that this is not a spot for the claustrophobic—the winding 1,000-foot-long cavern is 6½ feet tall and, at most, 3 feet wide.
Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, 24620, France05–53–06–86–00Sight Details
Rate Includes: €11.50, Closed Sat. -
2. Grotte-Font-de-Gaume
Font-de-Gaume is the last French cave with polychrome paintings that remains open to the public. Though discovered in the late 1800s, it wasn't until the early 20th century that the importance of the artwork (dating back to around 17,000 BC) was recognized by archaeologists. Astonishingly graceful animal figures, many at eye level, include woolly mammoths, horses, reindeer, rhinos, and more. The cave's masterpiece is a grouping of five large superimposed bison in vivid color that was uncovered in 1966 during a routine cleaning. Like similar representations in Lascaux, the sophisticated shading techniques used for their bellies and thighs create a stunning impression of dimensionality and movement. Guided tours run every 40 minutes, but only 80 visitors are admitted each day.
Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, 24620, France05–53–06–86–00Sight Details
Rate Includes: €11.50 -
3. Lascaux Cave
In 1940, four schoolchildren looking for their dog discovered hundreds of wall paintings in this cave just south of Montignac; the paintings of horses, cows, black bulls, and unicorns were determined to be thousands of years old, making the cave famous and attracting throngs of visitors to the site. Over time, the original Lascaux cave paintings began to deteriorate due to the carbon dioxide exhaled by thousands of visitors. To make the mysterious paintings accessible to the general public, the French authorities spent 12 years perfecting a facsimile, duplicating every aspect of two of its main caverns to create Lascaux II. In 2017, Lascaux IV, the most complete replica to date, opened within a sophisticated new complex—the International Center for Cave Art—that incorporates the latest technologies, including virtual reality, 3D cinema, and digital tablets, for a totally immersive experience. Painted in black, purple, red, and yellow, the powerful images of stags, bison, and oxen are brought to life by the curve of the stone walls under flickering "torchlight," and even the precise humidity and muffled sound. Unlike other caves marked with authentic prehistoric art, Lascaux IV is completely geared toward visitors and literally takes you back in time from the point of view of the original discoverers, archaeologists, and prehistorians. There are several ticketing options, which can include the Parc du Thot, Le Grand Roc Cave, and the Laugerie-Basse Rock, or Lascaux IV. This is one of the most visited sites in the Dordogne and in summer tickets are at a premium. Tickets sell out quickly, especially in summer; so reserve tickets online up to a day before your visit or at the center on the day of your visit, and arrive early.
Rte. de la Grotte de Lascaux, Lascaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, 24290, France05–53–05–65–60Sight Details
Rate Includes: €21, Closed Jan. -
4. Grotte de Domme
Beneath the fortified city lies the largest natural cave in the Périgord Noir. There are no wall drawings, but the 500-yard-long illuminated galleries are lined with impressive stalactites. The view of the countryside upon exiting the dark cave is stellar. Bison and rhinoceros bones have been discovered in the cave, and you can see them just as they were found.
Pl. de la Halle, Domme, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, 24250, France05–53–31–71–00Sight Details
Rate Includes: €9 -
5. Grotte du Grand-Roc
Amid the dimness of the Grotte du Grand-Roc you can view weirdly shaped crystalline stalactites and stalagmites. At the nearby Abri Préhistorique de Laugerie, you can visit caves that were once home to prehistoric humans.
Av. de Laugerie, Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, 24620, France05–53–06–92–70Sight Details
Rate Includes: €8.60, Closed Jan. -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Grotte du Pech Merle
Discovered in 1922, the Grotte du Pech Merle displays 4,000 square feet of prehistoric drawings and carvings. Particularly known for its peculiar polka-dot horses, impressions of the human hand, and footprints, this is the most impressive "real" Cro-Magnon cave that is open to the public in France. The admission charge includes a 20-minute film, an hour-long tour, and a visit to the adjacent museum. Tickets are at a premium, with a daily limit of 700 visitors, so for peak summer days book at least one week in advance. If you like cycling, it’s lovely to arrive by bike from St-Cirq-Lapopie.
St-Cirq-Lapopie, Occitania, 46330, France05–65–31–27–05Sight Details
Rate Includes: €15, Closed Nov.–mid-Feb.
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