It looks like mine may be the first review so we'll start with a little history.
The cave was discovered in 1940 by four teenagers and one of the kid's dog, Robot. It was opened to the public in 1948 but by 1955, the carbon dioxide produced by 1,200 visitors per day had visibly damaged the paintings. The cave was closed to the public in 1963 in order to preserve the art.
So they created a replica, Lascaux II, which opened in 1983. They mentioned during the tour the detail that went into the creation of Lascaux II. How every bump in the rock and each irregularity was measured and documented so that it could be recreated in the new exhibit. The guide encouraged us to forget that we were in a replica....That we were in Lascaux.
It was amazing! To see the artwork that you've seen photos of in history books was just stunning. I was filled with a sense of awe and wonderment at the time and skill it would take to build the scaffolding, and mold the animal fat lamps and create the paints and then complete these enormous pieces of art.
Our tour was somewhat small and I appreciated our guide's reverence for what we were seeing. He was somewhat quiet and slow and that seemed appropriate. We did not see a tour in English but I've heard that they offer them.
Tickets must be bought in town and you will not be able to join a group leaving earlier than the stated departure time.
Go and be awestruck. read more