Pauline
Forums Admin
First there was Lascaux. More than 17,000 years ago prehistoric people made drawings in a series of caves in the hills near Montignac in the Dordogne. In 1940 three local teenagers found the cave. It was opened to the public in 1948 and closed in 1963 because the cave art was being damaged by the carbon dioxide produced by the breath of visitors.
Then there was Lascaux 2, a replica of Lascaux created in a nearby cave so visitors could get the experience without damaging the cave art. From 1983 until the present, this is what most visitors see. Only a few archaeologists or special guests get to visit the real thing.
Lascaux 3, a portable replica, toured the world starting in 2012.
Now we have Lascaux 4, opening June 2016, a better than Lascaux 2 replica combined with a visitor center outside of Montignac, near Lascaux. The replica is of almost the entire original cave. From the website: "The atmosphere inside is just like in a real cave : dark, damp, with muffled sounds. The purpose is to make sure visitors enjoy paintings splendor in an authentic cave atmosphere, with very reduced interruptions. This area is mainly devoted to contemplation."
Read More:
Slow Europe Day Trips - Lascaux Cave
Slow Travel Tours Blog - Lascaux 4 & Chauvet cave facsimiles – exciting news!
France.fr - Lascaux 4 Is Set to Showcase New, Complete Replica of the Original Painted Caves
Photo © Wikipedia, public domain
Then there was Lascaux 2, a replica of Lascaux created in a nearby cave so visitors could get the experience without damaging the cave art. From 1983 until the present, this is what most visitors see. Only a few archaeologists or special guests get to visit the real thing.
Lascaux 3, a portable replica, toured the world starting in 2012.
Now we have Lascaux 4, opening June 2016, a better than Lascaux 2 replica combined with a visitor center outside of Montignac, near Lascaux. The replica is of almost the entire original cave. From the website: "The atmosphere inside is just like in a real cave : dark, damp, with muffled sounds. The purpose is to make sure visitors enjoy paintings splendor in an authentic cave atmosphere, with very reduced interruptions. This area is mainly devoted to contemplation."
Read More:
Slow Europe Day Trips - Lascaux Cave
Slow Travel Tours Blog - Lascaux 4 & Chauvet cave facsimiles – exciting news!
France.fr - Lascaux 4 Is Set to Showcase New, Complete Replica of the Original Painted Caves
Photo © Wikipedia, public domain