Grottes du Volp : Trois-Frères, Tuc d'Audoubert et Enlène

Montesquieu-Avantès

Under a hill in the Ariège flows the Volp, an underground river that has carved three neighbouring caves: the Tuc d'Audoubert, Enlène and the Trois-Frères. Their name comes from three brothers, Max, Jacques and Louis Bégouën, sons of Count Henri Bégouën. According to the association that manages the sites, the boys became interested in prehistory after a visit to Le Mas-d'Azil in 1911. They found the Tuc d'Audoubert on 20 July and 10 October 1912: in October they reached the upper galleries where two bison were modelled in clay. The Trois-Frères was discovered on 21 July 1914. There one sees many engraved animals and the enigmatic figure of the ‘Sorcerer’, half man half beast, known from abbé Breuil's tracings. The decorations date from the Magdalenian, some 15,000 to 17,000 years ago depending on the sources. The discovery dates vary from one page to another (Wikipédia EN speaks of 1912 for the whole). No cave can be visited: their content is too fragile.

Getting there: None of these caves has ever been open to the public: their content is too fragile (Parc naturel régional des Pyrénées ariégeoises). They belong to the Bégouën family, an association (Louis Bégouën) studies and protects them. An order of 21 June 2013 lists the Volp basin to keep the water clean. Coordinates of the Trois-Frères cavity taken from Wikipédia FR; approximate position, no visit possible.

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

Ambient sound