Les Eyzies. Complete guide to Les Eyzies de Tayac, Vezere Valley and the Dordogne

Sites of the Vezere Valley

February 3, 2010 By admin

The Vézère valley contains 147 prehistoric sites dating from the Palaeolithic and 25 decorated caves. It is particularly interesting from an ethnological and anthropological, as well as an aesthetic point of view because of its cave paintings, especially those of the Lascaux Cave, whose discovery in 1940 was of great importance for the history of prehistoric art. The hunting scenes show some 100 animal figures, which are remarkable for their detail, rich colours and lifelike quality.

sites of the Vezere Valley

Locations

Communes of Les Eyzies de Tayac, Tursac, Montignac-sur-Vézère, Saint-Leon-sur-Vézère, Marquay, Manaurie-Rouffignac and Saint-Cirq-du Bugue, Department of the Dordogne, Region of Aquitaine
N45 3 27 E1 10 12

Serial ID Number	Name & Location ↓	Coordinates	Date Inscribed
85-001	Abri de Cro-Magnon Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N44 56 25.6 E1 00 34.6	1979
85-002	Abri du Poisson Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N44 56 38.8 E0 59 54.2	1979
85-012	Cro de Granville (cro de Rouffignac) Rouffignac-Saint-Cernin-de-Reilhac, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N45 00 31.7 E0 59 15.5	1979
85-003	Font de Gaume Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N44 56 13.2 E1 01 35.6	1979
85-015	La Madeleine Tursac, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N44 58 01.3 E1 02 11.1	1979
85-004	La Micoque Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N44 57 27.6 E1 00 23.5	1979
85-005	La Mouthe Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N44 55 28.9 E1 01 14.1	1979
85-011	Lascaux Montignac, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N45 03 13.3 E1 10 12.0	1979
85-006	Laugerie basse Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N44 57 03.8 E0 59 57.5	1979
85-007	Laugerie haute Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N44 57 11.8 E1 00 12.3	1979
85-010	Le Cap Blanc Marquay, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N44 56 44.3 E1 05 50.6	1979
85-008	Le Grand Roc Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N44 56 58.2 E0 59 54.0	1979
85-014	Le Moustier Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N44 59 39.6 E1 03 35.5	1979
85-009	Les Combarelles Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N44 56 36.8 E1 02 31.6	1979
85-013	Roc de Saint-Cirq Saint-Cirq, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N44 55 33.9 E0 58 02.9	1979

Theory

The Vézère Valley is on a limestone plateau in Southwestern France. It is home to several hidden calcareous caves. This is Lascaux Cave, the most well known. These drawings here date back to the Paleolithic period around 17,000 years ago. The cave was closed in 1972 for preservation work.

Subsequently decorated grottoes of the Vézère Valley including this Lascaux cave have been inscribed on the list of World Heritage. In this drawing, the front foot of the horse was drawn over the bulky rock surface to give a solid impression. The technique is used to express a galloping horse. This drawing of cattle has many layers. The front red figure is a cow, and behind her is black ox with large horns.

Why did man start to draw? Dr. Michel Lorblanchet has proposed a new theory through practical archaeology that takes account of the painting materials and artistic techniques of the time. He put charcoal in his mouth and sprays it onto the wall, exactly as people during the Paleolithic period used to do. By blowing onto the rocks, they believed that it would breathe life into something inside it. People in those days believed that some kind of supernatural power existed inside the rocks. They tried to capture this great power by projecting images of wild animals onto them. Signs of human imagination have been found here. This unicorn is drawn on the closest wall from the entrance of the Lascaux cave.

People stopped painting in these caves about 10000 years ago. Once they had mastered the skills of stock farming, they started to regard themselves as superior to other animals and with that change the Great Spirit in the caves was gradually forgotten.

Locations

Serial ID Number	Name & Location ↓	Coordinates	Date Inscribed
85-001	Abri de Cro-Magnon Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N44 56 25.6 E1 00 34.6	1979
85-002	Abri du Poisson Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N44 56 38.8 E0 59 54.2	1979
85-012	Cro de Granville (cro de Rouffignac) Rouffignac-Saint-Cernin-de-Reilhac, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N45 00 31.7 E0 59 15.5	1979
85-003	Font de Gaume Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N44 56 13.2 E1 01 35.6	1979
85-015	La Madeleine Tursac, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N44 58 01.3 E1 02 11.1	1979
85-004	La Micoque Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N44 57 27.6 E1 00 23.5	1979
85-005	La Mouthe Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N44 55 28.9 E1 01 14.1	1979
85-011	Lascaux Montignac, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N45 03 13.3 E1 10 12.0	1979
85-006	Laugerie basse Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N44 57 03.8 E0 59 57.5	1979
85-007	Laugerie haute Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N44 57 11.8 E1 00 12.3	1979
85-010	Le Cap Blanc Marquay, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N44 56 44.3 E1 05 50.6	1979
85-008	Le Grand Roc Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N44 56 58.2 E0 59 54.0	1979
85-014	Le Moustier Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N44 59 39.6 E1 03 35.5	1979
85-009	Les Combarelles Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N44 56 36.8 E1 02 31.6	1979
85-013	Roc de Saint-Cirq Saint-Cirq, Dordogne, Aquitaine, France	N44 55 33.9 E0 58 02.9	1979

Theory

Filed Under: Dordogne Tourist Attractions Tagged With: 1940, animal figures, aquitaine france, basse, cave paintings, caves, communes, dordogne region, la madeleine, lascaux cave, laugerie, montignac dordogne, palaeolithic, point of view, prehistoric art, quality locations, rich colours, saint cirq, saint leon, serial id

Cave of Rouffignac

February 3, 2010 By admin

The cave of Rouffignac is unique in many ways. First, it is about three miles from the Vèzére River; all the others are much closer. Secondly it is really long -several miles long. In order to see the artwork you join your guide on a small electric train that travels about half a mile into the cave. This is a real selling point to the kids! And thirdly, it has been the frequent winter dwelling place of hibernating bears for millennia. All along the way inside you can see their burrows dug into the soft sides of the cave and the scratching of their claws as they trimmed their nails upon waking each spring.

Cave of Rouffignac

This cave is known for its numerous mammoth paintings and etchings, more than 150 have been counted so far! These were spread throughout the cave and almost exclusively in groupings. Rouffignac also has its own “Sistine Chapel” called Le Grand Plafond. The ceiling here is richly decorated mammoths, bison, ibex, and horses reminiscent of Lascaux.
The main difference is that these were drawn only in black line on a ceiling only two feet tall (The ceiling in Lascaux’s main chamber is about 10 feet tall). Al of this was done of course with the light of a fat burning lamp more than a half mile from the entrance to the cave. Even Michelangelo would have had difficulty here.

The authenticity of some of Rouffignac’s artwork is often called into question. In particular the wooly mammoth drawings here caused early prehistorians a lot of trouble. The tail end of these creatures included a strange flap of skin near the anus. This anatomical mystery was authenticated when in modern times the remains of wooly mammoths were found in Siberia with this same feature. So these drawings couldn’t have been fakes. No one knew of this feature until modern times.

Along with the paintings and engravings found in these caves there are also a number of “tectiforms.” These are pattern-marks that repeat themselves within a cave or regions of a cave. Some are painted dots, rectangles, lines, and triangles, and others are engraved scratchings. In Rouffignac there are miles of lines drawn in the soft mud of the walls by fingers. Researchers have studied the shape and size of these finger flutings and determined that these markings were made by eight different people at least three of which were children under the age of eight. The children must have explored extensively as their markings are found even in the remotest areas of the cave. They appear to be like a kind of signature or sign specific to a cave, area of a cave, a people group, or artist group. Because of the uniformity of the markings they are thought to be an early form of writing or least a way of signing one’s name. Could this be the beginnings of written language dating back to over 15,000 BC?

Filed Under: Dordogne Caves and Shelters Tagged With: authenticity, burrows, caves, dwelling place, electric train, engravings, etchings, flap, groupings, half a mile, half mile, hibernating bears, michelangelo, millennia, rectangles, several miles, siberia, sistine chapel, two feet, wooly mammoths

Explore Les Eyzies with Walking Dordogne

December 17, 2009 By admin

Experience the REAL Les Eyzies with Walking Dordogne

The Dordogne, also known as the Perigord is without a doubt one of the most interesting and diverse regions in the world. The Vezere Valley in the “Perigord Noir” is with it’s more than 250 UNESCO sites of interest, the undisputed “Prehistoric Capital of the World”. Prehistoric dwellings, caves, rock shelters and lots more, most of which are only accessible on foot.
However, Dordogne has much more to offer than just relics from the Prehistoric era, castles, bastides, medieval towns & villages, all of these,and lots more, all in the stunning and amazing scenery the Dordogne is famous for, hills, cliffs, windy rivers, great weather, friendly locals, and lots more make the Dordogne one of the most interesting and exciting places in the world.

Walking Dordogne takes you to all the well kept secrets that are only accessible on foot. To see the “Real Dordogne” you will have to get off the roads, and on the tracks. Let us take you back, to the places our ancestors called “home” more than 260000 years ago.

Walking Dordogne has about 20 excellent walks in their Itinerary, varying from 3 hours to 10 hours, most walks can be combined with other walks to make them longer or shorter. Our walks are guaranteed to show you the REAL Dordogne, and take you to all the main highlights this region is famous for.

Our walks are suitable for all ages, but for most walks a certain level of fitness and stamina is required. Most walks are on tracks & trails, some marked, others not. Certain walks to caves, dwellings, ruins and view points are off the tracks, and up hill walking is often required.
Some of our walks may not be suitable for people with a fear of heights.

The great thing about Walking Dordogne is that our walks are not planned months or weeks ahead, we usually plan the walks together with the customer the day before, depending on the wishes and preferences of the customer, this way we can make sure everyone gets to see what they want to see. If the walks are done in combination, with canoeing or horse riding, then these walks are usually planned ahead, to guarentee the use of the horses or canoes.

Why “Walking Dordogne” you may ask yourself, well we believe there are numerous very good reasons why we are the best choice to see the real Dordogne. A few mayor differences between us and other operators are…

At Walking Dordogne you are based in one spot, your accommodation is at the nicest B&B in the Dordogne, you will feel at home here, you do not need to pack your belongings every morning to move on again to the next accommodation. After any of the walks or other activities, you can just relax at the pool, or stroll into Les Eyzies for an ice cream.

We at Walking Dordogne are local, we live here, we know the area, and we know the best places to go at the best time. We know what and where to avoid. We take you to places unknown to tourists and tour operators that are not local, and not mentioned in guide books or maps, places that are known only to locals.

Walking Dordogne is extremely flexible, the one thing we can not control is the weather, and we all know that getting soaked on a walk is not a nice experience. With Walking Dordogne, the weather is not a problem, if we have a walk planned and it is raining, we just get into a car and visit some scenic attractions, such as the caves of Lascaux, National Prehistoric Museum, Castle of Beynac, etc. There is not a single tour operator that offers such flexibility as we do.

Small Groups. Our groups are very small, hardly ever ** larger than 5 people ( 4 guests and the guide) this way you can bond with your group, decisions are easy to make,the tours have a more personal touch, and we will be able to call you by your real name. (very difficult to do with groups of 20+)

Our large choice of walks and tours are suited for all age groups, we will put together a wonderful itinerary depending on each individuals needs.

Save money: With Walking Dordogne there are plenty of ways to save your money, you only pay for what you want, for example, if you feel you would like to do a few walks or canoe trips without a guide, we will supply you with a detailed map of the walk, arrange for your drop off, and you save money by not using a guide.
Really the only thing that cannot be changed is the accommodation , otherwise like mentioned before, we are very flexible.

Your wish is our command: If you would really like to spend some of your time doing something that is not mentioned in our itinerary, just ask us. We are locals and know almost everything that can be done in this region, so if you would like to do a culinary course, or play a few rounds of golf etc. we can arrange this for you