Grotte de Rouffignac (cent mammouths)

Rouffignac-Saint-Cernin-de-Reilhac

Nicknamed the "Cave of the Hundred Mammoths" for its countless depictions of this extinct animal, this network of nearly 10 km of galleries was first occupied by cave bears, whose claw marks and hibernation nests remain visible in the clay floor. Prehistoric artists painted and engraved only the upper level of the network, leaving more than 250 animal figures around 13,000 years old. Known and visited since at least 1575 — which explains the early damage to some engravings by generations of curious visitors before their scientific recognition — it continues to yield new discoveries: about a hundred additional drawings were identified only in 1956.

Getting there : Paid entry, tour by small electric train

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound