Pech Merle Cave

 

Pech Merle Cave (2)
The view from our front window at the hotel was amazing!

We recently got back from spending 3 weeks in the south of France. It was quite the adventure for us! We had the opportunity to visit so many amazing places and I look forward to sharing them with all of you in the coming weeks.

Our first stop was to see some ancient cave art in the Pech Merle Cave in the Dordogne region of France. We drove from Paris and spent the night in this awesome hotel (affiliate link) that was just minutes away from Pech Merle.

Pech Merle Cave (1)
Checking out the river below (Our back window view)

In the morning, we drove over to the cave where we had an english tour set up for 11:15am. We got there early to check out the museum first and then met up with our tour group to see the art that dates back to 25,000 years ago.

Pech Merle Cave (3)

The prehistoric art was discovered in 1922 by Andre David and Henri Dutertre when they were 16 and 15 years old. The paintings were examined and the caves were opened to the public in 1926. Daily visitors are limited and it’s best to schedule a tour beforehand online.

Pech Merle Cave (5)
Inside the museum included many ancient artifacts found in the area, including some really neat jewelry.

No photos are allowed inside the cave, but you can view some of the art on their website along with an explanation.

Going inside the cave and seeing the art was so amazing! It was crazy to think that they were drawn such a long time ago. Some of my favorites were the spotted horses (the biggest mural at the end of the tour), all the wooly mammoths (can you believe that the artists actually saw a wooly mammoth and then drew it?! It blows my mind), the cave pearls, and an actual cave man foot print.

Our girls both did well. We each held one of them most of the time and while Adeline got a little wiggly in the middle of the tour, she eventually fell asleep and got a little nap in.

The tour was very informative and our guide made sure to repeat information for those who were towards the back (like us).

It was definitely an experience that we’ll never forget!

Pech Merle Cave (4)


4 thoughts on “Pech Merle Cave

Leave a comment