La Roque Saint-Christophe, Archaeological site and fortress in Dordogne, France
La Roque Saint-Christophe is a limestone cliff formation housing caves and fortifications along the Vézère River in Dordogne. The site stretches roughly 1 km along the riverbank with multiple levels reaching up to 80 meters in height.
The site began as a refuge for early inhabitants and later became a fortified stronghold. It played a strategic role during the Hundred Years War until English forces took control in 1401.
The shelters reveal how people adapted their homes to life within the cliff face across different historical periods. Visitors can still see the traces of daily life embedded in the different levels and chambers today.
Visitors can explore the caves with guided tours and view films about geological formation. The different levels are partially accessible on foot, though conditions and access depend on weather and which areas are currently open.
Twenty-two watchtowers once stood along the cliff to relay signals between fortifications across the region. This network allowed medieval inhabitants to send messages rapidly over long distances.
Location: Peyzac-le-Moustier
Accessibility: Wheelchair inaccessible
Address: 2433 Rte de la Préhistoire, 24620 Peyzac-le-Moustier, France
Opening Hours: Monday-Sunday 10:00-18:30
Phone: +33553507045
Website: http://roque-st-christophe.com
GPS coordinates: 44.98904,1.06878
Latest update: December 6, 2025 16:04
France features a notable variety of protected natural areas, showcasing the country’s geological and ecological richness. From Lake Allos in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence to the underground rivers of Padirac in Dordogne, from the mountain ranges of Savoy to the limestone formations of the Ardèche gorges, each region displays landscapes shaped over millennia of natural evolution. This collection gathers sites where nature is expressed freely: primary forests, karst systems, high-altitude lakes, moving dunes of the Atlantic coast, and rock formations carved by erosion. These areas provide diverse ecosystems, home to species adapted to different environments, from Alpine flora and fauna to dune communities and underground cave biodiversity. Each natural site in this selection serves as an open-air laboratory where geological processes, ecosystem dynamics, and living adaptation to local conditions can be observed. These sites invite discovery of authentic landscapes, removed from human impact, where geological time is evident in every rock formation and glacier valley.
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