Grotte de Bédeilhac

Bédeilhac-et-Aynat

Above the Saurat valley, the mountain opens onto a stone gateway about 40 metres wide, where a road has been levelled over some 350 metres. Behind it begins one of the largest decorated caves of the Pyrenees. People of the Magdalenian came here at least 15,000 years ago: they painted, engraved and modelled clay. The cave was described as early as 1773 by Marcorelle; in July 1906 abbé Henri Breuil authenticated a prehistoric painting there, the first found in Ariège. A small gallery of clay modellings was discovered in 1929, the year it was listed as a historic monument. The recent history is just as surprising. The aircraft maker Émile Dewoitine planned an assembly factory there, then the German army repaired or stored aircraft there; the sources differ on the dates (1939–1940 and 1942 or May 1944 depending on the documents), but none says that an aeroplane took off from there during the war. The legend of a German airfield in the cave is moreover contradicted by the archives. On 1 July 1972, however, the pilot Georges Bonnet landed a small aeroplane there, and did it again in 1974 for the filming of a movie. This work probably destroyed part of the remains at the entrance.

Getting there: Guided visit of about 1 h 30, paying (€11 for an adult in the 2024 press kit, to be rechecked), reservation advised in summer; inaccessible to people with reduced mobility, dogs not allowed. Cave owned by the Conseil départemental de l'Ariège, managed by Sites Touristiques Ariège since 2017 (tel. 05 61 05 10 10). Coordinates: Wikipédia FR (cave entrance), not cross-checked with OSM.

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

Ambient sound