- Cave
- Vallon-Pont-d'Arc
- about 18 km from Bourg-Saint-Andéol
Grotte Chauvet 2 Ardèche
In Vallon-Pont-d'Arc, the replica of the Chauvet Cave brings visitors face to face with drawings made 36,000 years ago.
What to see, what to know
The Chauvet Cave, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is closed to visitors. Its replica, opened to the public in 2015 on a wooded hill in Vallon-Pont-d'Arc, lets you see its drawings, which date back 36,000 years.
Floors, walls, rock formations and paintings were reproduced by sculptors and painters, under the supervision of a scientific committee. The Lion Panel is among them. The site describes itself as the largest reconstruction of a decorated cave in the world.
The visit continues at the Galerie de l'Aurignacien, a museum space, and in 15 hectares of wooded parkland with a viewpoint.
Opening times and tickets on the official website.
Before or after your visit, stop off in Bourg-Saint-Andéol
All shops- Where to eatRestaurants, bakeries, pastry shops, butchers and grocers in the town.Restaurants and food shops
- Where to stayHotel or guest rooms: shop owners in the town can put you up.The places that offer rooms
- What to take homeOlive oil from the mill, wines bought at the estate, products from local producers and sweet treats.The local produce
Also worth seeing, close by
All the places to explore
Nature · Vallon-Pont-d'Arc · about 18 km awayArdèche Gorges and Pont d'Arc
Some thirty kilometres of limestone canyon, from the Pont d'Arc to Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche, to be seen from the viewpoints or from the water.
Cave · Orgnac-l'Aven · about 20 km awayAven d'Orgnac
A chasm with gigantic chambers, awarded the Grand Site de France label, and its Cité de la Préhistoire, south of the Ardèche Gorges.
Cave · Bidon · about 10 km awayGrotte de Saint-Marcel
At the entrance to the Ardèche Gorges, a cave with immense galleries, known for its cascade of gours, pools sculpted by water.