Montignac - Lascaux in the Vézère valley - Francecomfort Holiday parks

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Sarlat is located centrally in the Dordogne region and is known as the touristic heart of this popular region in France. A little further north is the Vézère valley. This valley is also known as the Valley of Prehistory. Many remains from the distant past have been found in this valley such as caves and cave houses. 14 places in this valley are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Vézère River flows through the valley. It originates from the Massif Central on the Millevaches Plateau and flows into the Dordogne near Limeuil. Because of the historical remains, the beautiful nature and charming villages in this valley, the Valley of Vézère is popular with tourists. Many go there for a day during the holidays, whilst staying in a FranceComfort holiday park. During the summer the caves can be crowded and there are only a limited number of entrance tickets available per day for the caves. It is wise to visit early in the morning or to order online if possible.

Montignac – Lascaux

In the Valley of Vézère, part of the Périgord Noir, lies the village of Montignac. These days Lascauz is also part of this village. In 2020, "Lascaux" was added to the name of the village, making it Montignac – Lascaux. Montignac is located on both sides of the Vézère. On the south bank is the modern part with hotels and tourist office and on the north bank is the old medieval town with narrow streets and historic buildings from the 14th and 15th centuries, nice shops and cozy terraces, washhouses and fountains. A market is also held here twice a week and you’ll see the remains of an old castle and abbey in the old centre. From the old stone bridge over the Vézère, you can see the stilt houses with wooden galleries. Fireworks are set off on the bridge annually on July 14 and during the Festival. Montignac – Lascaux may be known for the Lascaux cave, but a visit to the town itself is also worthwhile.

Highlights Vézère valley

Montignac
Caves of Lascaux
Castle of Montignac
Caves Le Régourdou
Roque Saint Christophe
Saint Armand Abbey
Pont Vieux
Author: Eugène Le Roy

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Discovery of the Lascaux cave

The area was already inhabited in prehistoric times. During Roman times, a few villas were built and a village arose around them. In the Middle Ages, Montignac became increasingly important and a castle was built. At the end of the 18th century a railway station was built. In 1940, the area became world news with the discovery of the cave. It was one of the greatest prehistoric discoveries ever. On September 12, 1940, friends Marcel Ravidat, Jacques Marsal, Georges Agnel and Simon Coencas went with their dog to the forest where a tree had fallen and a hole had become visible: the beginning of a vertical shaft. A little later they were standing in a room of 20m by 8m and 7m high with all kinds of pictures on the walls in black, brown, red and yellow colours. The discovery quickly became known, and visitors flocked to view the find.

Paintings in the cave of Lascaux

The Lascaux cave is sometimes called the "Sistine Chapel” of “Palaeolithic art" because of the large number of paintings. It is the most richly painted prehistoric cave discovered to date, with over 600 paintings mainly of horses, reindeer, bulls, bison, deer, rhinoceroses and cattle. In 1963, the drastic decision was made to close the cave to the public. The cave was closed due to all kinds of fungi, algae and bacteria being discovered in the cave through the exhalation of certain substances by the many visitors.

In order to introduce the public to the discovery, a replica was built at a distance of 200m between 1972 and 1984 that bears the name Lascaux II. Since 2016, there is another replica of Lascaux I that is larger and more accurate. It has been exhibited at the "Lascaux IV Centre International de l'Art Pariétal", which is also in Montignac. There is also a Lascaux III which is a travelling world exhibition. 40-minute guided tours are organised in Lascaux II with a max. of 30 people who are allowed to enter. The temperature is around 13 degrees here.

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Saint Armand Abbey

The Abbey of Saint Amand was built in the 12th century and is stunning to look at. It was built in Romanesque style and is a beautiful example of this style. Be sure to visit this abbey when visiting the town. The abbey has imposing vaults and detailed carvings. The high bell tower gives a striking appearance. At that time, Montignac was located on a well-known trade route, so many people passed by. One of the facilities was the Hôpital Saint Jean. Religious women who came from the nearby Saint Georges priory worked here. The church of this priory became a parish church of Montignac.

Castle of Montignac

The remains of the medieval castle are visible above the old town. This castle was a refuge of the Counts of Périgord. Originally it was a "Seigneury" after which it came into the hands of the Counts of Périgord through marriage. It was a mighty fortress at the time when Montignac was the main port of the Vézère River. The last counts were Archambaud V and VI. Their property was confiscated by the French Parliament. In 1603, Henry IV sold the castle to François de Hautefort, lord of Thenon, who remained the owner until the French Revolution. It was destroyed in 1825 and now only a tower remains.