Caves of Sare, Archaeological caves in Sare, France.
The limestone caves extend through multiple chambers with an underground river system forming natural galleries at a constant temperature of 14°C throughout the year.
The cave system contains evidence of human habitation dating back 45,000 years, with tools from the Mousterian, Gravettian, and Magdalenian periods found within.
The site includes a museum and megalithic park presenting reconstructed monuments from 2800 BC, with information panels in four languages explaining burial practices.
Visitors need advance reservations to join guided tours available in French, Basque, Spanish, and English, with the site offering parking facilities and a restaurant.
Cave bears used these caverns for hibernation, leaving behind numerous traces that provide information about the prehistoric fauna of the Pyrenees region.
Location: Sare
GPS coordinates: 43.26830,-1.57139
Latest update: May 29, 2025 04:26
The Nouvelle-Aquitaine region contains historic and natural sites often overlooked by traditional tourist routes. The area features military castles such as Bonaguil with its seven 13th-century towers, underground churches carved into limestone in Saint-Émilion and Aubeterre-sur-Dronne, as well as caves decorated with Paleolithic paintings like that of Villars. Medieval villages such as Talmont-sur-Gironde preserve their original layout and overlook the Gironde estuary. From Dordogne to the Pyrenean foothills, the region presents rock-hewn forts like Maison Forte de Reignac, Benedictine abbeys established since the 8th century in Brantôme, and Romanesque churches like the Collegiate Church of Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat. The Vayres and Roquetaillade castles demonstrate the evolution of fortified architecture from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. These sites reflect the military, religious, and cultural history of the region and provide diverse examples of southwestern France's architectural heritage.
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