The Grotte de Lascaux was discovered in 1940 by four boys who were, according to popular myth, looking for their dog and fell into a deep cavern decorated with marvellously preserved animal paintings. Executed by Cro-Magnon people 17,000 years ago, the paintings are among the finest examples of prehistoric art in existence. There are five or six identifiable styles, and subjects include the bison, mammoth and horse, plus the biggest known prehistoric drawing, of a 5.5-metre bull with astonishingly expressive head and face. In 1948, the cave was opened to the public, and over the course of the next fifteen years more than a million tourists came to Lascaux. Sadly, because of deterioration from the body heat and breath of visitors, the cave had to be closed in 1963; now you have to be content with the replica known as Lascaux II, 2km south of Montignac on the D704 (early Feb to March & mid-Nov to Dec Tues–Sun 10am–12.30pm & 2–5.30pm; April–June & Sept daily 9.30am–6.30pm; July & Aug daily 9am–8pm; Oct to mid-Nov daily 10.30am–12.30pm & 2–6pm; closed Jan to early Feb; €8, combined ticket with Le Thot €9). There are 2000 tickets on sale each day but these go fast in peak season; telephone bookings aren't accepted, but you can buy tickets in person a day or so in advance. Note also that in winter (Oct–March) tickets are normally on sale at the site, while in summer (April–Sept) they are available from an office underneath Montignac tourist office – the system varies from year to year, however, so check in Montignac before heading up to the cave.Opened in 1983, Lascaux II was the result of eleven years' painstaking work by twenty artists and sculptors, under the supervision of Monique Peytral, using the same methods and materials as the original cave painters. While the visit can't offer the excitement of a real cave, the reconstruction – which cost over 500 million francs – rarely disappoints the thousands who trek here every year. The guided tour lasts forty minutes (commentary in French or English). If you have bought the joint ticket to include entry into the prehistoric theme park (early Feb to March & mid-Nov to Dec Tues–Sun 10am–12.30pm & 2–5.30pm; April–June & Sept daily 10am–6pm; July & Aug daily 10am–7pm; Oct to mid-Nov daily 10am–12.30pm & 2–6pm; closed Jan to early Feb; €5), 5km down the Vézère at LE THOT, it's best to visit this first for an enhanced appreciation of the cave itself, particularly if you have kids. The video showing the construction of Lascaux II is particularly interesting, and there are Disneyesque mock-ups of prehistoric scenes and live examples of some of the animals that feature in the paintings: European bison, long-horned cattle and Przewalski's horses, rare and beautiful animals from Mongolia believed to resemble the prehistoric wild horse – notice the erect mane. Alternate spellings:: lascaut, lascau, lascot, lasco, laskaut, loscaux, cave, grotte, grott, grote
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