Grotte de Niaux
Calling all prehistory enthusiasts, the Grotte de Niaux has some of the finest cave paintings of the Palaeolithic Era !
The Grotte de Niaux is one of the finest caves in the world with Palaeolithic art which remains open to the public. It is also one of the last caves in France with access to prehistoric paintings made 14,000 years ago.
Come and enjoy a unique experience on a mysterious journey into the heart of prehistoric times. At the cave entrance stands a surprising sculpture inviting you to forget the world around you and prepare for a journey back to the origins of art.
Equipped with a torch, just like pioneers, follow the trail to the Salon Noir and its treasures. The walls of this monumentally high, natural rotunda are covered with more than 80 paintings of admirable quality and great precision representing the large mammals of the Magdalenian period like bison, horses, ibex and deer, along with geometric and abstract signs. The Salon Noir contains 80% of the animal paintings found in the Grotte de Niaux. All of them depict the animals in profile, using several black strokes, with a surprising attention to detail. We imagine that these ""historic artists"" came to the back of the cave probably armed with tallow lamps or tree-resin torches to reproduce the animals from memory.
Niaux also contains numerous cave-floor engravings, a particularity of the Pyrenees. These works are extremely fragile and cannot be approached, but replicas have been made and can be seen at the Parc de la Préhistoire at Tarascon-sur-Ariège.
The Grotte de Niaux does not appear to have been lived in as no domestic remains have been found there, either at the entrance or at the back of the cave. Niaux is one of a group of decorated caves in the valley and neighbouring valleys which were all uninhabited, although many caves which were lived in can be found in Ariège and in this area like the Grotte du Mas-d'Azil.
The Magdalenians probably used two entrances to the Grotte de Niaux, one leading to the Salon Noir the other to the « réseau Clastres (network of caves) ». The subterranean passage between the two parts is currently flooded.
Explore ‘Niaux Interdit’ in the depths of the Cave de la Grotte
So what is ‘Niaux Interdit’ (literally ‘Forbidden Niaux’) ? In fact, it’s forbidden but you can go there ! A very small number of people get the chance to visit galleries which are usually closed to the public on a dozen dates throughout the year. So we are talking about an unprecedented visit for prehistory enthusiasts or simply people interested in heritage sites. The visit lasts 3 hours and takes you along a 3km trail into the mysterious depths of the cave, beyond ‘La Galérie Profonde’ to the very secret « Lac Terminal (lake) ». A wonderful opportunity to admire the famous « bison aux cupules », salmon carved out on the cave floor, enigmatic barbed signs, the little red upside-down horse, the red bison panel or the black-painted horse before Lac Terminal.
Useful information :
Bookings by telephone (05 61 05 10 10) or online. The cave is open all year round (except some public holidays and certain days during term-time), so booking is essential. Remember to wear comfortable shoes and warm clothes (the temperature in the cave is 12°C).
Conservation rules are strict to preserve the site, so the cave has no lights or facilities. The path is uneven and the 2.5km total trip has to be done in 1½ hours. Access is not possible for people with reduced mobility and we strongly advise against bringing children under 6.
Situated about 1 hour from Toulouse via A66 and 1 hour from Carcassonne. Visits in English available. Car park.
