Grotte de Pech Merle

Pech Merle is a truly magnificent labyrinth of caves with stonelike formations, colorful paintings, finger drawings and splendid engravings done by Paleolithic humans.

Pech Merle, A Spotted Horse Painting

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Grotte de Pech Merle mini guide

Guide point	Details
Department:	South West France > Midi Pyrenees > Lot >
Location:	The caves of Pech-Merle are located 2 miles from the tiny village of Cabrerets in the Lot..
Address::	Grotte de Pech Merle, Centre de Prehistoire/Grotte & Musee, F-46330 Cabrerets, Lot, France.
Email address:	info@pechemerle.com
Visit owner's personal website:	http://www.quercy.net/pechmerle/
Quick links to accommodation:	Accommodation near Grotte de Pech Merle - Hotels in Grotte de Pech Merle Show accommodation in Lot - Self catering in Lot - Bed and Breakfast in Lot properties with pools in Lot -

Deep in the heart of the Célé river valley a visit to Cabrerets, brings you to the world famous caves - "Les Grottes du Pech Merle" 'discovered' by two children in 1922 some 20 millenia after the last occupants departed.

Unlike Lascaux, its more famous "cousin" in the Dordogne, Pech-Merle allows visitors to view the original artworks, not facsimiles.

The Pech Merle cave is more than two kilometres long and is spread out over 7 underground galleries. The 20,000 year old paintings cover 300m (984ft) of wall, with about 700 animals, symbols and anthropomorphic figures depicted including human footprints, outlines and hands, horses, bisons and mammoths. The tour takes about 1.5hrs.

The cave has been open to the public since 1926 the and is the property of the commune of Cabrerets which is responsible for its management.