Cro-Magnon Caves

Three sets and the museum in two days might be over-doing it.

Ranking your whole selection: Pech Merle, museum, Font de Gaume, with Cougnac last.

You can do it all in the time allotted. I've never caught Font de Gaume in English, so no real knowledge but I think it's only a couple a day, if that.

I think you need reservations for Pech Merle as well unless you just happen to catch an empty slot. Also, I've never seen tours there in English, but they have hand-outs in several languages. Same with the museum - - the placards are in a French, but there's other language brochures in each room.

Thanks for the feedback Ed. I forgot to mention that I have a reservation for a guided tour in English at Pech Merle at 11.15 on the day we drive to Saint-Cyprien. What drew me to Cougnac was it was 1) on the way, 2) the oldest paintings and, 3) "evocative" as RS would say as per Google images. Do you think I could swap it out with the museum on the drive from Belcastel? How about the Château de Commarque instead? It seems like doing the museum and Font de Gaume the same day is a good strategy since they're so close.

Go with what you have. It'll work. You might spend longer in the museum than you think - - it's a good one.

Commarque isn't even a good castle - - or even the best in an area of not-so- good ones.

The Font de Gaume website is bipolar...

The English language version states that it is not possible to make an advance booking.

The French language version states that it is possible, and provides the contact information to do so.

This involves sending an e-mail with your date request, number of persons, and names:

"Grottes de Font de Gaume: Billets en vente sur place le jour même, dans la limite des places disponibles.
En 2014, il est possible de réserver ses billets pour Font de Gaume pour 2 visites :
- en basse saison : 15h15 (13 places) et 16h (13 places),
- en haute saison : 13h30 (13 places) et 14h15 (13 places).
Ces réservations doivent être faites par courriel : fontdegaume@monuments-nationaux.fr
ou par téléphone de 14h à 16h30 : 05.53.06.86.00."

A return e-mail is sent back to you, with an attachment of a form to fax back (providing the credit card info to pay for the tickets). Once the payment has passed, then a new e-mail confirmation is sent out.

In addition, the daily visitor quota has now been capped to 80 only - total - of which 26 spaces are pre-booked.

There is serious talk about closing Font de Gaume completely to visitors in the near future.
_ How much is your heart set on this visit?_ Because chances are not good for you to get tickets for the day of, unless you're really in the off-season...

If I were you, I'd get Google translate to help write the e-mail requesting tickets for the date you want now. You will get booked tickets for one of the French-language tours. For roughly 16 euros for the two of you, you would at least be guaranteed an entry...

The day before, or first thing the morning of, I'd go in person and * nicely * ask if your existing tickets can be exchanged for an English-speaking tour. If this is not possible, then, at the very least, you will be able to see this wonderful cave for yourself anyways.

No amount of photos or videos can convey the "living" dimensionality that the contoured stone provided the artists.

Comarque reminded me of ruined castles my wife and I visited in Great Britain. What castle(s) would you replace Commarque with? Or should we even do a castle in the area? Would it be better to just focus on caves and skip castles? We'll be driving to Albi from Saint-Cyprien and the route will go through Beynac (Château de Beynac) and La Roque-Gageac (Château de Castelnaud). I'm hoping to do some of the Cathar castles within a few days afterward and thought it might be nice to see some ruined castles in the Dordogne for comparison.

That's really great advice Diane. Font de Gaume is the impetus for the diversion to the Dordogne from Provence for exactly the reason you flag...that it may not be available to tour in the future. Ultimately, what's most important is to see the cave so whether it's in French or English is trivial. Have you or anyone else you know of been able to get reservations through the french language version of the website?

Jim, are you driving to Albi the same day that you are hoping to visit the museum at Les Eyzies and Font de Gaume?

If yes, then maybe plan on spending most of the day close by, as your time slot visit may be later in the day.

Check out the site of La Roque Saint-Christophe nearby, we found it very interesting. There's also a fairly large goose farm that you can stop at just up the road from the cave, to sample and pick up some foie gras.

Yes, I just did it for a friend, for a visit in March. This is what I wrote:

Bonjour,

Serait-il possible, SVP, de confirmer une visite (2 places) pour la grotte de Font de Gaume:

Date: dimanche, le 9 mars
Heure: selon votre disponibilité (1ier choix : 16h, 2ième choix : 15h15)
Noms: your names
Nationalité: your nationality

Merci Beaucoup!!
M. your name
Your complete mailing address

The whole process took a few days, as they are not open on Saturdays. The first pick of times was confirmed. Check the seasonality of the booked times above, in order to state your time preference. The first part "selon votre disponibilité" is important.

Yes Diane, the original plan was to do the museum and Font de Gaume the same day because we'll have spent the prior night nearby and if we're tethered to Font de Grame the museum is close by for convenience. If I had a reservation at Font de Gaume at 10 am or so, in English or French, we could do the museum afterwards and have the afternoon available for Beynac,La Roque-Gageac, and Cahors on the drive to Albi. I considered La Roque Saint-Christophe but am more drawn to Cro-Magnon art.

The reserved visits are for the afternoon only, which is why I suggested building a more complete program for the day in and around the valley of the Vézère - it is a very pretty area!

This will not leave you must time left in the afternoon, if you need to then drive to Albi.

You've both provided me with great information. I'll make reservations through the French website early and do the museum afterwards or, better yet, the day before in rather than Cougnac.

I'd still appreciate any input regarding castles, ruined or otherwise, in the Dordogne. We'll see the Aveyron beforehand, and Beynac and Castelnaud on the drive to Albi. We enjoyed the castles we visited in Great Britain (Old Wardour, Nunney, Tower of London, Helmsley, Howard, Stalker, Urquhart, Edinborough). Are there any that shouldn't be missed?

Jim, you will not be able to make the afternoon booking at Font de Gaume, the same day that you have the 11.15 tour booked at Pech-Merle. These two are just not that close together... so stick with your original plan: Pech-Merle, night in Saint-Cyprien, Les Eyzies-Font de Gaume.

Depending on which of the two time slots is confirmed for the day that you wake up in Saint-Cyprien, you will not have as much time as you think available, for everything that you are hoping to visit on your way to Albi afterwards.

From May 15 to Sept. 15 (haute saison) - bookable visits at 13.30 (13 spaces) and 14.15 (13 spaces)

From Sept. 16 to May 14 (basse saison) - bookable visits at 15.15 (13 spaces) and 16.00 (13 spaces)

The Grotte is closed on Saturdays and on May 1st.

Send your e-mail ASAP and see what they are able to book for you, then finalize the rest of your plans according to the logistics that will flow from that reserved ticket. You may not get your first choice of time slot. Sincerely, if this visit is a priority, work around it.

Diane's done a super job on the cave logistics.

Now, about those castles. You haven't said how much time you have in the area - - is there any left?

Your British list is the damndest conglomeration of rocks without much in common that I've ever seen.
What age/kind of castle interests you? How many? Can you climb some half-rough trails or do you need to drive right up. You know that that Cathars never built a single castle, right? Help!

It's all about diversity Ed. Calling it the "damndest conglomeration of rocks" tells me I got it right. I'm after castles that historically represent a region, ruined and otherwise.

Diane, I agree with Ed that your recommendation is superior. I think I've found the email address (fontdegaume@monuments-nationaux.fr) so I'll book whatever is available on the day after our night in Saint-Cyprien. Maybe do Beynac and La Roque after Pech Merle rather than Cougnac on the drive to Albi?

"Maybe do Beynac and La Roque after Pech Merle rather than Cougnac on the drive to Albi?"

You do mean on the drive from Belcastel to Saint-Cyprien, right?? If so, yes - you got it.

Then, the next day, a stop in Cahors on the way to Albi, after Les Eyzies.

Yes, that is the e-mail address that I provided you with earlier.

I was able to get reservations for Font de Gaume e-mailing as Diane suggested. Just a heads up....it took them 3 weeks to answer my e-mail and confirm my reservation for a July date. Don't get discouraged if they do not answer you right away. Can't wait to see Font de Gaume!!

I just looked at e-mail address that I received the reply from for Font de Gaume reservations. You might want to try to contact this young lady direct at this e-mail as she replied to my request which actually went through a different site than the one Diane suggested (now that I look back at my e-mail I notice it is different). Try this: bernadette.seixas@monuments-nationaux.fr

Good luck!

Yes Diane, I did mean Beynac and La Roque on the drive from Belcastel not Albi. I've sent a reservation request using the script and email address you provided. If I don't hear back sometime next week, maybe I'll try the address that Lori suggested. Great advice everyone...thanks for helping to fine-tune the itinerary!

Hi Jim,

Mme Bernadette Seixas is the person who answers these requests - both e-mail addresses go directly to her.

Good luck... and as I said: it will take several days to get an answer, as she is the only one responding.

Please come back and post when you do get your reservation time! {fingers crossed for you}

Ed, we're willing to hike a bit, especially if the reward is a great castle and/or fewer tourists. We'll be in Languedoc for two nights, the first in Albi and the second inside the walls of the old city of Carcassonne. Rick's France book mentions Châteaux de Lastours as one of the "Cathar castles" near Carcassonne. It has a short (20 min) uphill hike and it might be nice to interrupt the drive from Albi to Carcassonne with a little exercise. Also, I'd prefer to arrive in Carcassonne as late as necessary to avoid the crowds. Rick also mentions Peyrepertuse and Quéribus which could be a stop(s) on the drive from Carcassonne to Cadaques, where we'll relax for a few nights.

Hi,
Go to Pech Merle! What a cave. Even without the paintings, the cave alone is worth a visit. And it takes you into the Cele River Valley. Wow. If you have time drive this valley. We stayed in Marcilhac sur Cele a two restaurant town with one bakery that provided excellent croissants. This is a short drive from Pech Merle. A very quiet village with a nice little abbey that draws some French tourists.

As you know, many caves have built replicas that are what is now toured and t=not the real thing. I am a bit worried that the owners of Pech Merle, the local village, may be over milking this cow. Hopefully not.

If you get a chance, read the chapter from Jacob Bronowski's, 'The Ascent of Man' where he talks about cave painting. His photos are of Pech Merle.

We didn't need an English tour guide, as our French guide would do her French thing, and then talk to us. Maybe we got lucky.

wayne iNWI

If you can get a reservation for the Font du Gaume, do that in preference to the other plans -- the museum at lez Eyzies is of course nearby and can be done after or before the Font. We have visited the Font du Gaume twice, Lascaux II twice, Roffignac and Peche Merle and all were fascinating but the Font du Gaume stands out for its artistic achievement AND the fact that it is authentic. One of my most memorable travel experiences. Lascaux II is easy to visit and amazingly well done and well worth doing to see what these things looked like back when they were first painted 14,000 or so years ago. Peche Merle is a beautiful cave but there are very few pre-historic paintings and most of them except the horses are unremarkable. I always suspected the horses were a hoax but there has been recent study that suggests they were genuine.

The Font du Gaume is the real deal and just stunning and it really doesn't matter if the tour is in French or English. You can read about it before hand -- and the seeing doesn't need language.

Hi Diane. I received a reply from Bernadette this morning confirming our first choice at 13h00 in late May. We can do the museum in the morning and drive to Albi after Font de Gaume. Thanks again for the wonderful advice.

Super! I'm glad that worked out for you.

The Musée de la Préhistoire, in Les Eyzies-de-Tayac opens at 9.30, closes at 12.30, then re-opens at 2 p.m.. It is closed on Tuesdays.

The Font de Gaume's small visitor center opens at 9.30 (and has a small cafe/snack bar).

La Roque Saint-Christophe opens at 10 a.m..

I seem to remember that there is a Font de Gaume English tour scheduled for 11 a.m. in May. My advice stands: show up just before it opens and nicely ask if you can change your French slot for this one.

Or, you can just plan your day around your 1 p.m. slot right from the get-go. Here is how I would play it:

Head to the Musée de la Préhistoire in Les Eyzies between 9.30-10 a.m., have a leisurely visit. Plan on an early, quick lunch in town and show up for your appointment. The visit is short, so by 2 p.m., you could drive north 15 min. to La Roque Saint-Christophe (follow the signs - there's a turn-off just before the road crosses the river). Pay your admission and just go up on your own. You can easily be done in under an hour.

Then be on the road to Cahors and Albi.

I want to emphasize again fitting in La Roque Saint-Christophe into your schedule. This naturally defensible position has been occupied since prehistory (20,000 years). You can understand, from this site, why this valley is so rich in remains from man's earliest, more stable settlements -- which allowed cave art to flourish over so long a period. You also expressly indicated an interest in castles of all sorts, right? Well, here then is a truly unique example of what was a troglodyte fortification in the Middles Ages. Why build castle walls, when an impregnable naturally defensible position already exists?

From Diane's first post:

"The English language version states that it is not possible to make an advance booking.
The French language version states that it is possible, and provides the contact information to do so."

FINALLY! Proof that the French hate English-speakers ;-)

Eileen... {wink right back}

However, since you brought it up, I don't think so... I can think of at least a couple of good reasons why this would be so:

1 - Providing a chance for French nationals to get access, particularly during busy times - as they are, after all, the tax payers supporting these sites. Some of us are just clever enough to have caught on to this mechanism.

2 - Too few English spots (out of the overall 80 daily spaces).