Let me confess upfront: caves in general, and stalactite caves or caves with prehistoric cave paintings in particular, never interested me much. Give me Renaissance (or Baroque) architecture and good food, and I’m a happy man. Prehistoric cave paintings, on the other hand, move me even less than random graffiti on a highway overpass… That’s why, even though I’ve visited Périgord several times, I never set foot in a single cave (not even Lascaux) and preferred to focus on the châteaux and villages that the region is blessed with.
On my last trip to the Dordogne, in May 2022, I decided to let Rotem Bar, who lives in the Dordogne and knows it well, choose where we’d go. But when she decided we should visit the Grotte de Villars, not far from her home, I made a face. What could a stalactite cave in the Dordogne possibly show me that I couldn’t see in caves back home? Still, since I’d promised myself and Rotem that this time I’d do exactly as told, I didn’t object, and on the appointed day I found myself standing at the entrance to the cave.
A few minutes later, when the guide led us inside, I said to myself: “Lucky I listened to Rotem.” The Grotte de Villars isn’t just another cave, it’s a mesmerizing work of art!
In this article, I’ll tell you a bit about the cave, what awaits you inside, and of course I won’t forget to give you all the practical information you need to enjoy your visit.
So turn on your virtual flashlight, and let’s set off on a journey thousands of years into the earth…
What Will You Find in the Grotte de Villars?
The Grotte de Villars was discovered in 1953 by a caving club, and five years later, prehistoric cave paintings were found inside. After extensive work to make the cave accessible to visitors, a small part of it was opened to the public. But as you’ll see, even this small section is rich with beauty shaped over millions of years of nature’s “work”…
How was the cave you’re about to see formed? In two main stages:
- The first stage: water seeped through the limestone, carving out the cavities and various “chambers.”
- The second stage: the crystallization of rocks and minerals, known as concretions, or what we commonly call stalactites and stalagmites, which you’ll encounter shortly.
It’s worth remembering that these caves didn’t stay empty for long. Over the past thousands of years, various animals discovered the cave, including bears that turned it into a “five-star hotel” for their winter hibernation. Last but not least, humans also discovered the cave and left their own mark there. We’ll encounter all of this during the tour.
One last thing before we start our virtual tour of the cave: if you’re interested in the subject, I highly recommend reading Yossi Drory’s article Stalactite Caves in France You Shouldn’t Miss. It doesn’t cover the Grotte de Villars, but you’ll learn in depth about how caves form and get information about other magnificent caves across France.
The Visitor Center and Villars Park
When you arrive at the spacious parking lot, the first thing you’ll see is the visitor center, equally spacious and pleasant. There you can buy tickets, pick up souvenirs, and of course get information about the cave you’re about to visit (there’s even an information sheet prepared by Rotem Bar, and some of what you’ll read below is based on that sheet).
Once you step out of the visitor center, you won’t find yourself at the cave entrance just yet, but rather in a charming garden dedicated to the Cro-Magnon period, when early humans first appeared.
In this garden, which spans about 700 square meters, you’ll find statues of animals that lived during this period, information about the lives of early humans, and of course wooden benches where you can sit and enjoy all the greenery surrounding you from every direction.
Since entry to the cave is only possible through a guided tour, you can visit this garden either before your tour (if you arrive shortly after the previous tour has started) or after you finish (if the next tour is about to begin).
The Cave Entrance and the Basin Room
The entrance to the cave sits within a green forest, where you’ll wait for your guide to arrive. After a brief introduction, you’ll walk down some stairs and enter the cave, where the tour begins.
Important: during the tour, photography of the cave is strictly forbidden (even without flash).
Important 2: the tour is usually conducted in French, but even if you don’t speak the language, don’t worry. You can simply use this article as your guide.
Here’s a short video showing a visit to the Grotte de Villars.
It’s in French, but you’ll easily understand what’s going on. After you finish watching, feel free to continue reading the article.
The first room you’ll visit is the Basin Room, named after two rock formations resembling a water basin or trough. You’ll find plenty of stalactites and stalagmites in various unusual shapes here (the difference between a stalactite and a stalagmite is that a stalactite grows down from the ceiling, while a stalagmite grows up from the floor).
The Passage and the Sound and Light Show
This is one of the most impressive spaces in the entire cave. It’s an elevated gallery containing many different karst formations. The white material you’ll see on your left is a flow of calcium, dissolved limestone, and next to it you’ll see a shimmering material, calcium carbonate, crystallized into gem-like shapes.
Above you, you’ll see large, impressive stalactites that continue to grow. Below them, a long row of stalagmites forms a thin wall.
From there you’ll continue into the Terrace Room, where you’ll watch an impressive sound and light show that explains how the cave formed over millions of years. I was really impressed by this show, which makes wonderful use of the cave’s natural beauty, its acoustics, and technology to illustrate how flowing water created the wonder before you. In the second part of the show, just as impressive, you’ll learn about the animals that made the cave their home.
The Bear Claw Marks Room
Speaking of the animals that lived in the cave, in the next room you’ll see scratch marks on the wall, made by the claws of cave bears, which hibernated here during the winter and even lived here during especially cold weather. Here too, you can enjoy rows of stalactites that form something like inspiring sculptures.
The Candle Room
This room reminded me a bit of the Gothic churches of France, probably thanks to the magnificent stalagmites you’ll find there. I’m not sure how to explain it, but there’s a certain sense of sanctity here.
Beyond nature’s own works of art, you’ll also find several paintings made by early humans, likely created around 19,000 years ago. The paintings depict animals hunted by early humans, including bison and wild horses. It’s not easy to make out what you’re looking at, since over the years some of these paintings have been covered by a layer of calcium, but your guide will point out their outlines clearly.
The Painting Room
The previous room was just an appetizer when it comes to the cave paintings, because in this room, where the tour also ends, you’ll find a series of even more impressive paintings, both on the walls and on the ceiling. The most famous painting is of a man and a bison, one of the rare depictions of humans in prehistoric art.
The combination of prehistoric human paintings with the stalagmites and stalactites is simply wonderful, and there’s no doubt you too will feel that the tour ends here on a dramatic high note.
Important Information About the Site
If you’ve taken my advice and decided not to miss the Grotte de Villars, here’s some useful information to help you plan your visit:
How to Get There?
All you need to do is enter GROTTE DE VILLARS into your GPS, and it will take you straight to the parking lot and visitor center. To avoid driving long distances, I highly recommend staying in Brantôme while visiting, since it’s only about 17 km from the cave. If you decide to take my advice and stay there, feel free to check out the article Recommended Hotels and Apartments in Brantôme and the Surrounding Area, where you’ll find a great selection of accommodations.
Opening Days and Hours
- April, May, June and September: 10:00-12:00 and 14:00-19:00.
- July, August: 10:00-19:00.
- October-November: 14:00-18:00.
- December-March: Closed
The last tour starts 30 minutes before closing time.
Tickets
Ticket prices are (as of May 2022):
- Adult: €10.5
- Child age 5-11: €7
- Teen age 12-17: €8.5
As mentioned, you can buy tickets on-site or book in advance on this site.
Food and Drink
You can buy a few snacks at the visitor center, but if you want a proper meal, I highly recommend the restaurant Le Trincou vival, located in the village of VILLARS, not far from the cave at all (the exact address is le bourg 24530 Villars, France).
We had an excellent pizza there, made on-site and topped with meats from the Périgord region.
To balance things out, we also ordered Magret de canard (I’ve never found a good English name for this dish), which was juicy and perfectly cooked.
Finally, for dessert we ordered a crêpe, and even though we were in a village in the heart of Périgord and not in Brittany, it was just as excellent as if we’d ordered it in the main square of Quimper or Saint-Malo.
In short, a restaurant with no pretensions and no Michelin stars, serving simple but tasty food. Its only drawback is the owner, who might come across as a bit of a classic cranky innkeeper, but the combination of good food and a reasonable price makes this place well worth recommending.
Where Else Can You Explore Nearby?
Finished visiting the cave and had lunch? Here are a few more places nearby worth visiting:
- Château de Puyguilhem: a charming 16th-century château, located very close to Villars. You can read about it in the article Château de Puyguilhem: Did We Accidentally End Up in the Loire Valley Instead of the Dordogne?
- Saint-Jean-de-Côle: a small, picturesque village with ancient streets, a château and a medieval abbey. You can read about it in the article Saint-Jean-de-Côle: The Village of Flowers.
- The town of Brantôme: where you can visit an ancient abbey, go boating on the canals, and dine at a Michelin-starred restaurant. You can read about it in the article Brantôme: The Venice of the Dordogne.
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