kenav

Will be in this area of France September 19-Oct 1st of this year. We want to go to some of the caves and have read some of the threads on this subject here on Fodors.

Would like to narrow down the choices according to our time: We would like to visit not more than 4 all together (that should be enough caves!).

We will be in the Rocamadour area for a few days and then the Eyzies area for a few days. What would you suggest as best 4 caves to divide up while in those areas?

LLindaC

We had to decide as well- we chose Peche Merle over Lascaux, because it is authentic. We weren't disappointed. We had an afternoon appointment, but showed up early and got on the morning tour. While in Eyzies, be sure to visit La Roque St. Cristophe. Not a cave, but cliff dwellings. Very interesting and fascinating. I have a 2 week trip report here if you click on my name. We were there in late May/June and loved it.

ira

Hi K,

Definitely Pech Merle and Font de gaume

We liked Lascaux II

We had considered both Padirac (http://www.gouffre-de-padirac.com/) and Rouffignac (http://www.grottederouffignac.fr/) but didn't get to them on our visit.

Enjoy your trip

StuDudley

My choices:

Peche Merle
Padirac
Lascaux II
Grand Roc, Proumeyssec, or Lacave - whichever is more convenient.

Stu Dudley

stokebailey

Lascaux II is very worth it.

kenav

Although I do know that Lascaux is close to Les Eyzies, which of the others above are close to Rocamadour, and which are to Les Eyzies?

StuDudley

Kenav - you should get the Michelin Green Guide to the Dordogne.

Padirac and Peche Merle are close to Rocamadour. The remander are close to les Eyzies - except Lacave which is about half way between each location - but north of Rocamadour.

Stu Dudley

Carlux

PECH Merle, not Peche Merle. It's not a peach. The word Pech comes from Occitan, meaning 'hill' So Pecharmant wine comes from the 'charming hills' around Bergerac.

See also the recent post on caves with various recommendations.

StuDudley

It took me 3 years to get through 2 years of high school French. My English was not so great either. Lucky for me that I majored in engineering in collage & married someone who could speak French.

Thank's for the correction.

Stu Dudley

kenav

Got the "Eyewitness Travel" book and it lists many caves that no one seems to mention here.

Ever heard of: Abri Pataud, Abri du Cap Blanc, La Moustier, Grotte des Combarelles, Goufffre de Proumeyssac (this last is mentioned with the suggestion that you can call ahead and descend it in a cradle suspended on cables!)?

All above are in the Les Eyzies-de-Tayac area I believe.

StCirq

<<Ever heard of: Abri Pataud, Abri du Cap Blanc, La Moustier, Grotte des Combarelles, Goufffre de Proumeyssac (this last is mentioned with the suggestion that you can call ahead and descend it in a cradle suspended on cables!)>>

Yes, all of those and plenty more. There are more than 150 prehistoric sites, including 25 chromatic caves, in the Vezere Valley alone.

Cap Blanc is sculpture - primarily a huge horse head.

Abri Pataud is IN Les Eyzies. It's been converted to a museum where you can see stratigraphic layers representing various eras of occupation of the shelter (abri means shelter in French - it's not a cave).

Le Moustier is the site of two rock shelters, known primarily for the fossilized skull of a Neanderthal man discovered in 1909. The Mousterians lived about 45,000 years ago. They developed a tool culture now known as Mousterian.

Proumeyssac is not a chromatic cave; it's just stalagmite and stalactite formations. Tourist thing.

Combarelles is part of the same cave system as Font de Gaume and the entrance is right around the corner from FdG. It is a chromatic cave.

There are also the Grotte du Sorcier in St-Cirq, Le Village Troglodytique de la Madeleine, La Roque St-Christophe, Castel-Merle, Grand Roc, Le Conquil, Bara-Bahau, and many more I can't think of off the top of my head.

I would go to Lascaux II and Font-de-Gaume in the Perigord and Pech-Merle and Padirac when you're in that neck of the woods.

kenav

Thanks everyone.