The Original
Discovered in 1940, the original cave is not open to ordinary visitors. It was closed in 1963 after tourism began damaging the delicate environment and paintings.
🇫🇷 DordogneMontignac · LascauxPrehistoric France
Dordogne & Lascaux — stepping back into prehistoric France
The Dordogne chapter of our France story is dominated by one extraordinary name: Lascaux. This is where some of the world's most famous prehistoric cave art was discovered — and where visitors today can experience painstaking reproductions created to protect an original cave that has been closed to the public for decades.
🦬 LascauxCave art
1940Discovered
1963Original closed
📍 MontignacDordogne
Prehistoric artLascauxMontignacDordogneFrench history
🦬 Our Lascaux Story
A replica — and that's exactly the point
Lascaux is specifically part of our existing France travels, and it's the experience that gives this Dordogne page its focus. The important thing to understand before going is that visitors do not enter the fragile original cave. It has been closed to the public since 1963 to protect the prehistoric paintings.
What visitors can experience instead are extraordinarily careful reproductions. Lascaux II recreates part of the cave, while Lascaux IV, the International Centre for Cave Art, reproduces the original cave in its entirety and adds modern interpretation spaces.
🎨 Why reproduce a cave?
The original paintings were threatened by the effects of mass tourism. Closing the cave protects the art; the replicas allow people to understand its scale, contours and imagery without sacrificing the thing everyone has come to see.
🕯️ More than paintings
Lascaux is about the whole decorated environment — animal figures, engravings, the shape of the cave and what the art tells us about people living in prehistoric Europe.
🪨 Lascaux Explained
Original cave, Lascaux II and Lascaux IV
Lascaux II
Opened in 1983 close to the original cave, Lascaux II is a partial facsimile reproducing the first major sections and much of the famous artwork.
Lascaux IV
Opened in 2016, the International Centre for Cave Art reproduces the entire original cave and uses exhibition spaces and technology to put the prehistoric art into context.
Worth knowing: if you see a ticket advertised for “Lascaux”, don't assume it grants access to the original cave. Check exactly which visitor site and experience you are booking.
⏳ The Lascaux Timeline
From accidental discovery to careful preservation
The discovery
Four teenagers discovered the cave near Montignac in September 1940, revealing one of the twentieth century's great archaeological finds.
The closure
Heavy visitor numbers altered the cave environment and threatened the paintings, leading to the original cave being closed to the public.
Lascaux IV
The International Centre for Cave Art opened with a complete reproduction of the original cave and new spaces devoted to understanding cave art.
📍 Why Dordogne Works Beyond One Attraction
Make Lascaux the anchor, not necessarily the whole trip
Lascaux gives this page its story, but it sits within the wider Vézère Valley and Dordogne — an area strongly associated with prehistoric sites, caves, historic settlements and rural southwestern France.
For your own itinerary, decide whether Lascaux is a dedicated stop or the centrepiece of a longer Dordogne stay. If prehistory is what brought you here, the wider valley gives you scope to build a more substantial trip around that interest.
🎟 Plan a Lascaux Visit
Check the current Lascaux experience before you go
Because Lascaux has several visitor experiences and arrangements can change, use the official site for current tickets, visit formats and practical information.
🎫 Dordogne Experiences
Browse current options with GetYourGuide
Use the widget below to browse current Dordogne experiences. These are planning options and don't imply that we personally took the exact tours displayed.
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Common questions
Dordogne & Lascaux FAQ
Can you visit the real Lascaux cave?
No. The original cave has been closed to the public since 1963 for conservation. Visitors experience faithful reproductions at Lascaux II and Lascaux IV.
What's the difference between Lascaux II and IV?
Lascaux II is the older partial facsimile, while Lascaux IV reproduces the entire original cave and forms part of the International Centre for Cave Art.
Did we actually visit Lascaux?
Yes. Lascaux is specifically included in our existing France travel story and is the personal experience around which this Dordogne page is built.
When was Lascaux discovered?
Four teenagers discovered the cave near Montignac in September 1940. It became one of the most famous prehistoric art sites in the world.
🇫🇷 More France
From Renaissance France to prehistoric France
Dordogne takes our France story in a completely different direction — and next we're heading into central France for Vichy.