We will be in the Dordogne area in June. I think we only have time for one and I have read about both. I know that one is real and the other is a brilliant recreation. Still it is hard to choose and to anyone who has been to one or both, I would love to hear your thoughts. I want to book one or the other due to time but if the experience is one of those " do not miss", we may be able to swing both. I have read the information and differing opinions on Fonte de Gaume Caves on this helpline.
Thank you Carolina
Posted by
Chicago, IL, USA
435 posts
I went to the Font de Gaume caves a year ago and it was a fascinating experience. You certainly should choose the real thing, esp. since they one day may close to the public for good. There are two pre-history museums in Les Eyzies that are great destinations in their own right. I found it enriched my experience a great deal to study up on cave art before my trip.
Posted by
bethesda, md, us
212 posts
Font de Gaume. Only drawback there on our particular visit was that the tour in French was by a guide who showed disdain for requests to repeat in English, but the visit was by far more exciting than the visit to Lascaux 2.
Posted by
Tucson
4183 posts
We have been to both. Both were amazing. You may already know this, but Font de Gaume is restricted to only 12 people per visit and a total of 180 per day. We went on an English language tour. You cannot take anything with you into the cave, no cameras, no purses, no nothing. There is a locker cave adjacent to put that stuff. The passages are very tight. Lascaux II is often ridiculed, but it is such a magnificent reproduction, we thought it was well worth the visit. We did do both in one day. We did not visit the museum or anything else in the area except this chateau built into a cave. I think these are 3 "do not miss" things in the area. If we could have done only one, it would be Lascaux II. This is a link to a great virtual tour. You don't say exactly how much time you have or how you are getting around the area. We had Phillippe take us to these locations because we did not have a car. He also made reservations for us for the English language tours of the caves. We were there in the fall, so it wasn't very crowded. I expect June will be quite busy. Plan accordingly.
Posted by
Tucson
4183 posts
I don't know why I can't make the links work on some of these things. This is the link to the chateau, http://www.maison-forte-reignac.com/. This is the link to the Lascaux II video, http://www.lascaux.culture.fr/#/fr/00.xml.
Posted by
Cincinnati, OH, USA
7 posts
It is my understanding that you can no longer book Font de Gaume. You just have to get there early in the morning and hope to get tickets for that day. We have chosen to see Pech Merle instead on our upcoming trip so that we don't waste lots of time waiting for admittance.