Deep in the limestone cliffs of the Dordogne Valley lies one of humanity's most precious treasures: the only cave in France where you can still see prehistoric polychrome paintings in their original setting.

Welcome to Font-de-Gaume, where the walls glow with the same colors that prehistoric artists applied over 17,000 years ago.

Tucked into the cliffs near Les Eyzies, this cave offers something increasingly rare in our modern world: an authentic encounter with Ice Age art. While famous sites like Lascaux have closed their doors to protect fragile paintings, Font-de-Gaume remains open, inviting visitors to walk the same passages where Magdalenian artists once worked by flickering lamplight.

A Schoolmaster's Discovery

On September 12, 1901, local schoolmaster Denis Peyrony recognized what countless earlier visitors had missed: the cave walls were covered with prehistoric masterpieces. Just four days earlier, he had visited nearby Combarelles cave, where seeing ancient engravings trained his eye to spot Font-de-Gaume's treasures.

Prehistoric people first settled at the cave mouth around 25,000 BC, returning sporadically over thousands of years. The paintings themselves date to approximately 17,000 BC, during the Magdalenian period. After the original inhabitants departed, the cave was forgotten until nineteenth-century locals rediscovered it, though they failed to recognize the paintings' significance until Peyrony's keen observation changed everything.

A Gallery Painted in Ochre and Charcoal

To date, scientists have identified 230 figures in Font-de-Gaume, with more likely awaiting discovery. The cave showcases over 200 polychrome paintings depicting more than 80 bison, approximately 40 horses, and more than 20 mammoths, along with reindeer, lions, and even a woolly rhinoceros rendered in red ochre.

The most celebrated artwork, a frieze of five bison, remained hidden until 1966 when scientists accidentally discovered it during cleaning work. These animals were created using a sophisticated technique: artists first engraved outlines into the rock, then applied multiple colors to create depth and dimension, making the creatures appear almost three-dimensional in lamplight.

The Last Public Polychrome Cave

Font-de-Gaume holds a distinction that grows more precious each year: it remains the only site in France with polychrome cave paintings still accessible to the public. This status makes it invaluable for anyone wanting to experience Ice Age art as it was meant to be seen.

The cave's walls also display mysterious 'tectiforms,' schematic drawings in lines and dots that researchers believe represent huts and shelters built from logs and hides. In 1979, UNESCO recognized Font-de-Gaume's global importance by including it in the Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère Valley World Heritage listing. The cave even attracted the poet Ezra Pound during his 1919 walking tour of Périgueux.

Font-de-Gaume Cave Highlights & Tips

• The Five Bison Frieze The cave's most famous artwork, discovered in 1966, showcases five bison rendered in stunning polychrome detail in the Galerie des Fresques.
• Magdalenian Technique on Display Observe how prehistoric artists first engraved outlines before applying colors, creating a sophisticated layering effect that brings animals to life.
• Over 230 Prehistoric Figures The cave contains an extraordinary collection including bison, horses, mammoths, reindeer, and a rare woolly rhinoceros painted in red ochre.
• Book Well in Advance As the only remaining public polychrome cave in France, Font-de-Gaume has limited daily visitors to protect the paintings. Reserve your spot early.
• Explore the Vézère Valley Font-de-Gaume is part of a UNESCO World Heritage cluster. Combine your visit with nearby prehistoric sites like Les Combarelles and the National Museum of Prehistory.
• Bring a Flashlight Perspective Remember these paintings were created and viewed by flickering lamplight, which would have made the animals appear to move on the undulating cave walls.
• Base Yourself in Les Eyzies The charming village of Les Eyzies, known as the 'Capital of Prehistory,' offers easy access to Font-de-Gaume and other significant prehistoric sites.

Font-de-Gaume offers something that grows rarer each year: the chance to stand before Ice Age art in its original home, to see what Magdalenian artists saw, and to connect directly with human creativity stretching back 17,000 years.

As conservation concerns close other painted caves to the public, Font-de-Gaume's continued accessibility becomes ever more precious. A visit here is not just a museum experience but a journey through time, standing in passages where our ancestors once gathered, their artistic legacy still glowing on the walls around you.