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Les Eyzies

Visit Les Eyzies (Aquitaine, France)

Les Eyzies is a village in the heart of the Vezere Valley (in the centre of the Dordogne) and within easy access of a great number of prehistoric caves and drawings and remnants. It is because of this, and the beauty of the surrounding natural environment, that Les Eyzies is a very popular base for visitors exploring this unique region.

Things to do in Les Eyzies

It is said that les Eyzies receives over one million visitors a year. Apart from the village itself which is a typical (very small) Dordogne village with yellow stone houses the most popular attractions include:

- the National Prehistory Museum, housing one of the world’s most complete collections of prehistoric artifacts.

- Abri Pataud, a cro-magnon shelter that is one of the oldest in Europe dating from almost 40,000 years ago

- the cave at Font de Gaume is on the edge of the village of Les Eyzies and contains some of the oldest cave paintings in the world (and the oldest where you can actually see the original paintings, rather than a copy - the paintings are less dramatic than those at Lascaux but the knowledge that you are stood in the exact same place as the original artist gives these paintings a particular poignancy).

In addition to the many caves and cliff settlements to visit in and around Les Eyzies, there are also a number of prehistoric parks in the region recreating life 10,000 years ago. Some are focussed more on childrens entertainment that historical accuracy!

Attractions nearby

Les Eyzies is at the heart of a very beautiful region of France. There are numerous cliff and rock formations, surrounded by rivers, hills and tranquil countryside to explore in the vicinity.

The cave-lined Vézère Valley, occupied since prehistory, has now been classified in its entirety as a heritage site by UNESCO. It is interesting to note that it was here at Les Eyzies that so called 'CroMagnon man' was first discovered, when three skeletons were found towards the end of the 19th century

Photos of Les Eyzies

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Address: Les Eyzies, Dordogne, Aquitaine || GPS: latitude 44.936, longitude 1.018

Map of Les Eyzies & places nearby



 

Highlights close by

More suggestions: Saint-Cyprien 8km; Saint-Leon-sur-Vezere 10km; Chateau de Puymartin 10km; Plazac 11km; Limeuil 12km; Beynac 15km; Chateau des Milandes 15km; Chateau de Beynac 15km; Tremolat 16km; Sarlat 17km; Chateau de Castelnaud 17km;

See lots more places to visit nearby and a more detailed map at places near Les Eyzies.
See Aquitaine and Dordogne (the region and department for Les Eyzies) for more travel ideas...

Suggested tourist attractions to visit near Les Eyzies, France

• Abri of Laugerie-Haute - national monument
• Decorated caves of the Vezere Valley - national monument
• Grotte du Grand Roc - site of natural beauty
• Abri de Cap Blanc - national monument
• Font-de-Gaume - national monument
• Eglise de saint-Pierre (Audrix) - religious monument (8km)
• Saint-Leon-sur-Vezere - most beautiful village (10km)
• Eglise de Saint Léonce (Saint-Leon-sur-Vezere) - religious monument (10km)
• Limeuil - most beautiful village (12km)
• Abbaye de Saint Martial (Paunat) - religious monument (13km)

Market days in Les Eyzies: A seasonal market is held in Les Eyzies on Monday all day. (Markets are held in the morning unless stated.)

The French version of this page is at Les Eyzies (Francais)