Chauvet Cave, Cave with prehistoric art in Vallon-Pont-d'Arc, France
The limestone cave stretches 820 feet in length with chambers reaching heights of 98 feet and contains numerous rock paintings of animals along its walls.
Scientists determined through radiocarbon dating that the paintings were created between 33,000 and 30,000 years ago during the Aurignacian period of human settlement.
The cave contains over 420 animal representations depicting 13 different species, including lions, bears, rhinoceros, and mammoths, painted in red and black pigments.
The original cave remains closed to protect the ancient artwork, but visitors can experience a full-scale replica called Caverne du Pont-d'Arc opened in 2015.
Researchers discovered 195 cave bear skulls and thousands of bones inside the cave, indicating these animals used the space for hibernation before human presence.
Location: Vallon-Pont-d'Arc
Address: Chauvet Cave, 07150 Vallon-Pont-d'Arc, France 07150 Vallon-Pont-d'Arc
Website: http://culture.gouv.fr/fr/arcnat/chauvet/fr
GPS coordinates: 44.38706,4.41178
Latest update: August 27, 2025 17:26
Breathing in Ardèche means feeling the warm stone, the wind descending from the gorges, and the clear water stretching between the cliffs. Here, nature tells everything: caves hold traces of the earliest artists, villages nestle against the rocks, and bridges have connected the shores for centuries. Ardèche is not just a landscape; it’s an experience. We walk, climb, pedal, and marvel at the shapes water has carved into the stone. The Pont d’Arc, the Chauvet Cave, the deep gorges, the twisted woods of Païolive—all exude a raw, honest beauty. Between hikes, a hot chocolate in Tain, a castle visit, or a swim remind us that the real wealth here is the time we take.
Gorges de l'Ardèche
4.8 km
Grotte Chauvet 2 - Ardèche
2.6 km
Aven d'Orgnac
7.5 km
Pont d'Arc
690 m
Musée de la Lavande
5.1 km
Château des Roure
4 km
Réserve naturelle nationale des gorges de l'Ardèche
6.6 km
Goule de Foussoubie
4.1 km
Grotte des Huguenots
257 m
Grotte du Déroc
998 m
Town hall of Vallon-Pont-d'Arc
2.6 km
Baume d'Oullins
6.2 km
Parc animalier des Gorges de l'Ardèche
6.8 km
Grotte de la Vacheresse
303 m
Borne milliaire de Vagnas
5.5 km
Parc animalier des Gorges de l'Ardèche
6.7 km
Dolmens du Chanet
7 km
Chanet dolmen
5.5 km
Église de l'Assomption de Vagnas
5.9 km
Église Saint-Saturnin de Vallon-Pont-d'Arc
2.7 km
Église Saint-André de Lagorce
6.9 km
Église Saint-Julien de Salavas
2.6 km
Église de Saint Remèze
7.2 km
Église Saint-Martin de Sampzon
7 km
Temple de Vallon-Pont-d'Arc
2.6 km
Temple de Salavas
2.7 km
Aven de l'Arquet
6.5 km
Protestant Church of Lagorce
6.7 kmReviews
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