Could one dream of a more luxurious front door? Seventy meters high, almost as wide, the Ariège river thundering and flying at full speed below… Mas d’Aisle Cave sets the tone for this dive in the heart of prehistoric Ariège. It masterfully charts our journey through time, tens of thousands of years ago, to the land of caves carved into the Plantaurel limestone or the first slopes of the Pyrenees.
Mas d’Azil cave. Azilian Cathedral
the time Mas d’AzileTherefore, to appreciate the monumental nature of the cave, it is better to approach it through the southern entrance, which comes from Saint-Giron. On this side, the roof is so high that a bungee jumping spot has been installed. But let’s leave it to the thrill seekers and rush drivers who pass the hollow unsuspecting of the wonders the site hides. Parking at the entrance, walking along the river, then through a series of narrow halls and passageways (and even a very narrow one at the end), we take a flight 17,000 years ago. The guide tells about the various excavations, the discoveries of bones and tools, in particular the famous gun, so important that Mas d’Azil gave its name to a period of prehistory, the Azilian. Much later, the cave served as a refuge for Protestants. Today it is inhabited only by a colony of bats. Leaving the site, a stop in the village is mandatory. The entrance ticket to the cave includes a visit to the Museum of Prehistory, which displays the famous Azilian pebbles, an Azilian skull and a reproduction of a masterpiece of Paleolithic art;
Mas d’Azil cave, D119. Such. 05 61 05 10 10. Price 9 euros for adults, 5.50 euros for children.
Museum of Prehistory, village square, 09290 Le-Mas-d’Azil.
Grotte de Lombrives. the charm of the deep
To stay in this monumental and gigantic atmosphere, head to Lombrives Cave. Located in the Ariège Valley, between Tarascon and Usat-les-Bains, it has held the record for thirty years as the largest converted cave in Europe. If it presents less archaeological interest than Mas d’Azile, Lombrieve fascinates with its huge rooms, its emerald lake, stalagmites and giant stalactites. The visit starts with a one kilometer journey that can be done by a small train. Then, it is a great leap into the depths of History, that of the Cro-Magnons, Cathars and Huguenots who inhabited the hollow. Also here, in March 2021, 7 men and 7 women lived isolated from the world for 40 days without knowing the time. A mission envisioned by explorer and explorer Christian Klott Deep time aimed to question the adaptability of the human species. Lombrives is also the legend of Princess Pyrene, whom Hercules fell madly in love with. When the demigod learned that the bear had killed him, he decided that Lombrives would be his grave and that he would form the Pyrenees around it.
Lombriver Cave, 20 National Road, 09400 Ussat-les-Bains. Such. 06 49 44 45 00.
Cave of Nio. a masterpiece of parietal art
Some speleologists are convinced. with its incredible network of galleries, Lombrives joins the cave of Nio. This cave in Tarasconais is a sanctuary of parietal art, quite a real wonder, for here we admire the facsimiles. After walking for an hour in the dark, through the galleries formed by the rivers, the torch moves and outlines the silhouettes of the bison painted on the wall, then the ibex, some amazingly beautiful horses. The world-famous Black Room is the apotheosis of research, a veritable museum whose works date back 14,000 years. Cro-Magnon men painted more than 70 animals in this magnificent room. On each panel, especially the fourth and sixth, the lines are unusually precise, while the slender silhouettes blend beautifully with the relief forms. Rarely, these pictures are also fragile. That is why it is not possible to delay more than 25 minutes on the spot. Visits, by appointment only, are made in groups of 25 to preserve this ornate cave, which is one of the few in the world that remains open to the public.
The Cave of Niaux, 09400 Niaux. Such. 05 61 05 10 10.
Tarascon-sur-Ariège prehistoric park. With Cro-Magnon shoes
Part of the Niau Cave is closed to the public for conservation reasons. Fortunately, its other hidden treasures can be seen a few kilometers away Tarascon-sur-Ariège prehistoric park. This 13-hectare site, complete with a small lake, is the perfect place to end this journey. It presents not only a series of facsimiles, cave and prehistoric camp reconstructions, but also various fun activities to step into the shoes of a Cro-Magnon or the most famous paleontologists through participatory workshops, hunting parties or archaeological excavations. The creators have also imagined a sound labyrinth where we walk through the roaring of bears, the clashing horns of ibex or the howling of wolves. And to complete this visit, the park offers one last surprise: a musical creation, an auditory journey made with primitive brass instruments used by the Cro-Magnon 16,000 years ago in the caves of Ariège.
Park of Prehistory, 09400 Tarascon-sur-Ariège. Such. 05 61 05 10 10.
ALSO VISIT:
– Bedailak Cave, its entrance is so wide that airplanes were built there at the beginning of World War II.
– Labouiche underground river. genuine geological interest. 6 kilometers from Foix, it flows 60 meters underground and can be visited on a one-hour boat ride.
09000 Baulu. Such. 05 61 65 04 11.
Source: Le Figaro
