Chauvet 2 Cave
Journey back 36,000 years, to the origins of art.
Chauvet Cave was discovered in 1994 and is a cave covered in prehistoric drawings, over 36,000 years old.
There are 425 drawings and paintings, including exceptional representations of animals (twice as old as those in Lascaux!), Chauvet Cave is actually the most ancient example of art in the whole of Humanity.
In 2014, it was listed as a Worldwide Heritage site by UNESCO.
Chauvet 2, the replica
It’s important to know that it’s not the real cave that you’re going to visit, but an exact copy.
The original cave is now closed to the public (for obvious conservation reasons).
So that everyone can still discover the superb artwork, Chauvet 2 Cave was created.
The representations, walls and floors, ceilings and archaeological remains of the original cave have been reproduced as an identical copy.
Practical information
The cave can be found in Vallon-Pont-d’Arc. It is open every day, all year round.
Ticket price:
Adults: from €17
Young people (10 to 17 years old): €8.50
Children under 10: free
Annual pass: €25 / year
With your entrance ticket, you have access to the guided tour of Chauvet 2 Cave (approx. 1 hour), and also a self-guided tour of the Aurignacien Gallery, a fun and interactive area to find out about the prehistoric men who drew on the walls of Chauvet Cave and how they lived. Altogether, you will need half a day there.
The Aurignacien Gallery
But who were our prehistoric ancestors? Where did they come from? How did they live?
After seeing Chauvet 2 Cave with your own eyes, come and learn all about it. At the The Aurignacien Gallery you can learn all about these men and women who lived 360 centuries ago, and have fun at the same time.
Take a stroll through the recreation of the steppes, where you will encounter the terrifying cave lion, the impressive Irish elk or even the woolly mammoth.
You will find out all about the environment and the wildlife which surrounded our closest homo-sapien ancestors.
Immersive films, touch screens, themed areas, workshops and entertainment for children during the school holidays.
