The prehistoric site of Castel Merle takes part in the Festival of the Great Site of France Vallée de la Vézère

Isabelle Castanet, Head of Castel Merle websiteinvites you to rediscover an essential prehistoric site in the Dordogne.

Painting on the wall at Castel Merle during the Grand Site Festival in 2021
© Prehistory Interpretation Center

Between Montignac-Lascaux and Les Eyzies, the family site of Castel Merle, authentic and listed, has 10 remarkable rock shelters, occupied by Neanderthal man 85,000 years ago and then by Cro-Magnon man 85,000 years ago. 35,000 years (which does not make us any younger). It is one of the highest concentrations of deposits in Europe, Abri Reverdit, Abri Castanet, Abri Blanchard, Abri des Merveilles, Abri Labattut,… reflecting an exceptional continuity of human occupation.

Grand Site party poster
Grand Site party poster
© Prehistory Interpretation Center

In the heart of the Périgord Noir, the Vézère Valley offers relatively steep-sided valley landscapes. Colorful agricultural plots carpet the plain, cliffs that can reach 100 meters accompany a river with multiple traces of prehistoric or medieval occupation (caves, rock shelters, troglodyte habitats, etc.). Listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for 15 of these caves and prehistoric sites (including the famous Lascaux cave), the Vézère Valley welcomes nearly a million visitors a year. The Festival of the Great Site of France Vézère Valley awaits you there on Friday September 30 and Saturday October 1, 2022.


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