Les Grottes de Lascaux
The very famous Lascaux cave is located in the commune of Montignac-Lascaux, in the heart of the Vézère Valley. Stay in our campsite near the Lascaux cave and explore the so-called “Sistine Chapel of Prehistory”.
Your campsite near the Lascaux cave
It all started in September 1940, when Robot, young Marcel Ravidat’s dog, explored a hole in the heart of a forest above the town of Montignac. A few days later, the young boy decided to return with three friends: Jacques Marsal, Georges Agniel and Simon Coencas. By entering this hole, they become the “inventors” of the Lascaux cave. The discovery of the four boys then interested the Abbot Breuil who in turn went down with several historians.
The cave was later declared a historical monument and has been open to visitors since 1948. Staying at our campsite near the Lascaux cave is the ideal opportunity to discover this extraordinary place!
An unforgettable stay in our campsite near the Lascaux cave
The Ornate Cave: inside, discover its seven rooms containing nearly 2,000 painted or engraved figures. Dating from 18,000 to 20,000 years according to specialists, the numerous engravings are in exceptional condition! They are mainly composed of herbivores: horses, cattle and deer. You will also find some lions and rhinoceroses represented at the ends of the compositions.
The protected cave: since 1955, the ever-increasing number of visitors (more than 30,000 per year) has unfortunately led to the development of green spots on the cave walls. In 1962, with more than 100,000 visitors per year, the walls were deteriorating more and more. This is why in 1963 the Minister of Culture decided to close the cave to the public. This was the beginning of the creation of the Lascaux II facsimile.
Lascaux II: Although the original Lascaux cave closed in 1963, requests for visits are still coming in by the thousands. Ten years later, the construction of this facsimile began, 150 m from the original Lascaux cave. A double concrete shell was built, whose interior faithfully reproduces the original cave. Finally, the cave paintings were reproduced with natural pigments by a team led by the artist Monique Peytral.
