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The Dordogne: Caves

August 28, 2024
KK

There is an entire hidden world below all this lush countryside. The Dordogne is chock-full of caves carved out by wind and water over millions of years. It is famous for some of Mother Nature’s best art, not to mention the Paleolithic art of our ancient ancestors.

Gouffre de Padirac—“journey to the center of the earth”

Gouffre de Padirac, or “The Devil’s Hole,” is one of the most stunning caves I have ever seen. Before Jack and I even entered, we could see a giant cavity in the ground (108ft wide), dropping almost 350ft, which would open to a massive underground river system with tunnels running for nearly 28 miles. Getting down to the cave entrance was exciting in itself; we could take an elevator or take 543 steps down to the bottom. We chose the steps (then we could take the elevator back up—the easier way). Once on the bottom, we eventually took a short boat ride and wound our way through different rock formations created from centuries of erosion. The underground river, which flows almost 10 miles before emptying into the Dordogne River, the giant stalactite formation hanging 60 ft from the ceiling like a “Grand Chandelier” (thus its name), and one of the largest accessible underground chambers—“The Great Dome Hall” reaching 300 ft is utterly spectacular. After exploring on our own, we headed back to the boat, which returned us to the starting point, and we retraced our steps back to the surface, but this time via the elevator. Even though this is the largest cave in France, less than 2 of the 25 miles can be visited. But oh, what a stunning two miles it is— definitely worth the €12.50 admission charge.

Entrance to Gouffre de Padirac

Gouffre de Padirac

Gouffre de Padirac

Gouffre de Padirac

Gouffre de Padirac

Gouffre de Padirac

Rouffignac Cave

About 40 minutes outside of our little village of Beynac, we found the less visited cave of Rouffignac—the Cave of Mammoths. The cave is only open for a few hours in the morning and afternoon, and tickets are only available on the day of the visit. We decided to hit the cave in the afternoon after visiting a chateau. Once inside, we boarded a little electric train, which carried us deeper into the cave. The cave itself is not very impressive, but there are nearly 250 prehistoric drawings of mammoths, bison, horses, ibex, and the extinct species—the wooly rhinoceros; some drawings are 15,000 years old. Before our early ancestors started their artistic careers, this cave was a cozy home for bears. As our train chugged along, our guide shone his light around so we could see the visible traces of these early inhabitants— claw marks on the walls and ceilings and the rounded, hollow nests where bears once snuggled in for a long winter’s nap. Toward the back of the cave, we all got out of the train to walk around and admire countless animal drawings and engravings on the wall. And just like Michelangelo, these cave dwellers lay flat to paint their Paleolithic “Sistine Chapel.” We looked up to see massive drawings of giant mammoths and a beautiful depiction of a horse. All were remarkable in detail and accuracy, but the question remains—why did these early ancestors travel so deep into the cave to create their art? Our guide told us historians believe it had some sort of religious significance. I like to think my ancestors had a higher calling; their creations signify a higher purpose. After all, isn’t that what makes us human? We are the only animals with the ability to create and innovate. Maybe that’s what these artists were doing – interpreting the world around them. Whether the paintings were hunting or spiritual rituals, our early ancestors had an innate urge for creative expression. After all, humans are created in the image of God—one facet is our intellectual and creative nature.

Rouffignac Entrance

Rouffignac Visitor Center

Rouffignac Display

Both caves are fascinating in their own way, exhibiting the best of nature’s and man’s art. Remember to take a sweatshirt or jacket because it is cold down there.

Outdoor adventures and underground exploring are just a few of the memorable things to do while in the Dordogne, but the history of this region comes to life with the hundreds of castles to visit. A parallel line of defensive castles face each other along the river as the French battled the English for control of this region during the Hundred Years’ War. Check out our Chateau/Castle blog for more information.

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One Response

Ken White says:

August 29, 2024 at 5:41 pm

Jack and KK – the pictures look spectacular! CC said she too has visited Dordogne, but not the underground caves so we’ll put that on our bucket list. Your trip adventures are quite stunning…looking forward to your next posting! Take care and have loads of fun! Ken & CC

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