Les Eyzies sits in the Vézère Valley in the Dordogne, and it calls itself the World Capital of Prehistory. For once, the title isn’t an exaggeration. The valley has one of the densest concentrations of prehistoric sites anywhere on earth — caves, rock shelters, and artifacts spanning over 400,000 years. Early humans clearly loved this place. Homo erectus, Neanderthals, and eventually early Homo sapiens all lived here, leaving behind tools, bones, and, most famously, cave paintings. These days the valley has been invaded by the English, but the prehistoric residents got there first.
The National Museum of Prehistory
Start here. The museum is built into the cliff face above the village, which is fitting since prehistoric people lived in those same cliffs for tens of thousands of years. Inside, the collection covers 400,000 years of human history across 18,000 artifacts — stone tools, carved ivory, bone art, and life-size reconstructions of prehistoric animals and people.
The highlights for us were a giant deer skeleton with antlers spanning nearly three meters, a woolly mammoth reconstruction that greets you at the entrance, and an incredibly lifelike model of a Neanderthal child that is genuinely moving to look at. The whole museum is well laid out, with good English explanations, and when we visited it was entirely empty. We had the place to ourselves, which felt like a strange luxury for a national museum. We bought a toy mammoth for our godson in the gift shop.
The Painted Caves
The Vézère Valley has several prehistoric painted caves, but the one you want is Font-de-Gaume. This is one of the last caves in France — possibly the last — where you can see original polychrome prehistoric paintings. Not a replica. Not a reconstruction. The actual paintings, made by early Homo sapiens around 17,000 years ago during the Upper Paleolithic.
Everyone knows Lascaux. But at Lascaux, the original cave has been closed to the public since 1963 to protect the paintings, and what you visit now is a meticulous copy. Font-de-Gaume is the real thing. Over 200 painted and engraved figures — bison, horses, mammoths, reindeer — in polychrome reds and blacks, applied by people who first carved the outlines into the rock and then filled them with pigment. The animals are rendered with a sophistication and attention to movement that is startling when you remember these were made 17,000 years before anyone thought of writing things down.
Seeing them in person is one of the most extraordinary things you can do in France. It’s a direct, physical connection to people who lived tens of thousands of years ago. No photos allowed inside, unfortunately.
Because the paintings are fragile, visitor numbers are strictly limited — only around 78 people per day, in groups of 13. Book online well in advance at sites-les-eyzies.fr. In high season it can be booked out weeks ahead.
The Hiking
Beyond the prehistory, the Vézère Valley is beautiful walking country. Limestone cliffs, peaceful forests, rolling hills. We did two hikes during our weekend and both were excellent. The sheer number of trees was a nice change from our corner of the Lot-et-Garonne, which can feel a bit bare in comparison. There are plenty of marked trails, and the landscape has a lushness to it that makes you want to come back.
The Food
We had some memorable meals, including a crêpe restaurant presided over by a dog named Miss Susie (who appeared to be in charge). For the birthday dinner — the occasion for the whole trip — we went all in on a seven-course truffle menu, truffles being a serious regional specialty here in the Périgord. The food was exceptional, but French dining at this level is a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourselves
Where to Go
- National Museum of Prehistory — Start here. 90 minutes minimum. Closed Tuesdays except July/August. €6 adults, free under 18.
- Font-de-Gaume — Original polychrome cave paintings, 17,000 years old. Only 78 visitors per day, book well ahead at sites-les-eyzies.fr. Closed Saturdays.
- Les Glycines Hôtel & Spa — This is where we stayed and where the truffle dinner happened. A 4-star hotel right in Les Eyzies with two restaurants — Le Bistro for casual meals and Le 1862 for the full gastronomic experience. The truffle menu in winter is exceptional. They also have a proper spa with indoor pool, sauna, hammam, and treatments, which is exactly what you want after a day of hiking and crawling through caves.
gascony girl 