Les Eyzies, Dordogne - travel guide

Hotels

Visit Les Eyzies

Up to a million visitors per year (to this village of 900 inhabitants) ensure that Les Eyzies is often rather busy. Les Eyzies is in the heart of the Vezere Valley and surrounded by many, many caves and prehistoric drawings and remnants - including some of the most beautiful to be seen in Europe - and other prehistoric attractions (see separate pages for caves).

Indeed, the cave-lined Vézère valley has been classified as a heritage site by UNESCO. It was near to Les Eyzies that CroMagnon man was discovered (the three skeletons were discovered at the end of the 19th century, as well as the cave paintings at Fond de Gaume, one of the last prehistoric cave-painting sites that is still open to the public.

Things to do in Les Eyzies

Les Eyzies really is at the centre of a very beautiful area, with the many cliff and rock formations, and surrounded by rivers, hills and tranquil countryside. It is also home to the National Prehistory Museum which houses one of the world’s most complete collections of prehistoric artifacts.

Just a couple of hundred metres from the National Prehistory museum is Abri Pataud, a cro-magnon shelter dating back almost 40,000 years.

Visitors now frequently use the town as a base for exploring the region.

There are numerous caves to visit in and around Les Eyzies, plus a number of prehistoric parks (perhaps more for the children...) for a glimpse of what life was really like in the Dordogne 10,000 years ago.

See Les Eyzies caves for details of the more important caves and prehistoric settlements.