Grotte de Bédeilhac
France · Europe
A cathedral-sized entrance hiding paintings, engravings and rare clay bas-reliefs
Age
~15,000 yrs
Period
Magdalenian
Setting
Cave
Art form
Paintings
Discovered
1906
Status
Open (Guided Visits)
A Pyrenean cave with an entrance so colossal that aircraft reportedly used it in wartime legend. Deep inside, Magdalenian artists left paintings and engravings of bison, horses and ibex — and, rarest of all, figures modelled in the clay of the cave floor, a technique preserved in only a handful of caves.
Gallery
Notable Features
- ◦ Clay bas-relief bison
- ◦ Colossal 35-metre entrance
- ◦ Paintings deep in the cave
Depicted Subjects
BisonHorsesIbexDeer
Plan a Visit
AccessThis cave can be visited.
BookingAdvance booking required — places are limited
Sources & Further Reading
Hours & prices change — always confirm on the official site before travelling.
Photographs via Wikimedia Commons — image credits. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.