ABRI PATAUD Les Eyzies-de-Tayac Sireuil Les Eyzies de Tayac plays host to an outstanding collection of prehistory, famous archeological and natural sites in a place where nature is on a human scale. Les Eyzies and the surrounding countryside dubbed "the cradle of humankind" form an important focus point in upper paleolithic (stone age). This is namely thanks to the extraordinary conservation of its caves, shelters, fossiles, and remains... A unique work that gives us a glimpse into the world of Cro-Magnon man (homo sapiens sapiens), both hunter and artist, warrior and painter. Troglodyte dwellings ( enclosed rock shelters) are one of the gems of les Eyzies. LA ROQUE ST-CHRISTOPHE GROTTOES The oldest and largest cave site in Western Europe Halfway between Eyzies and Montignac-Lascaux the sheer Roque St Christophe cliff rises over the Vézère. This site is truly remarkable, net only for its rare, wild beauty but also for its powerful shapes, the number of dwellings and the length of tune it has been occupied by man. This true limestone wall is one kilometer long and eighty meters high, and has been constantly undermined by the river and the frost, that have dug around one hundred rock shelters and long overhead terraces. These natural cavities have been occupied by men since prehistoric times and were altered to become a fort and a city in the Middle Ages through to the start of the Renaissance. A tour of the Roque St Christophe gives you an idea of how the cave dwellings were laid-out to be lived in. There, you can discover the marks that our ancestors have left on the rock along with a museum of civil engineering machines that has been reconstructed to pay tribute to the great medieval builders. ROC DE CAZELLE GROTTOES Only 5 minutes from Ezies and 15 minutes from Sarlat In this park, you will discover reconstructions of the life of prehistoric man in the actual places where they were lived. You will go through caves and underground passages which since prehistoric times have been used as places of refuge. Then, right on the cliff, surprises await you at every step all along wooded paths. Finally, at the foot of the cliff, you can go into the dwellings which were still lived in at the beginning of the century, where at any moment you expect to see the inhabitantss walk in. Lascaux and other decorated Grottoes of the Vézère Valley Only a few kilometres from les Eyzies The Vézère valley contains 147 prehistoric sites dating from the Palaeolithic and 25 decorated caves. It is particularly interesting from an ethnological and anthropological, as well as an aesthetic point of view because of its cave paintings, especially those of the Lascaux Cave, whose discovery in 1940 was of great importance for the history of prehistoric art. The hunting scenes show some 100 animal figures, which are remarkable for their detail, rich colours and lifelike quality. GRAND ROC GROTTOES 2 kilometers from Les Eyzies, world capital of prehistory Embedded in a magnificent cliff overlooking the Vézère Valley, the Grand Roc is an exceptional jewel. This natural masterpiece offers its cristallizations famous for their variety, their unusual shapes, their abudant crystals, and their varied forms. Everyone who enters this site should respect it as a part of the Heritage of Mankind. This site has a 2-star rating in the Michelin Guide.