Font-de-Gaume Cave

Font-de-Gaume is a cave near Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil in south-west France's Dordogne département. Prehistoric polychrome cave paintings and engravings from the Magdalenian period can be found in the cave. Font-de-Gaume was discovered in 1901, and over 200 images have been identified. Font-de-Gaume was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979, along with other nearby prehistoric archeological sites, such as the Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère Valley.

Font-de-Gaume is France's only original cave with polychrome cave paintings that is still open to the public (at the time of writing). Back in the nineteenth century, these were the first cave paintings discovered in Perigord Province. Rock art dates back to the Upper Paleolithic Magdalenian period, approximately 17,000 years. The cave was most likely inhabited by European early modern humans (EEMH), also known as Cro-Magnons. Bison, horses, and mammoths are depicted in paintings and engravings on the cave walls. To protect the paintings, the number of people allowed into the cave each day is limited. As a result, it is best to arrive at the cave early in order to purchase your tickets on the day you wish to visit.

Location: Dordogne, France