Let me confess at the outset and tell you that caves in general and stalactite caves, or caves with ancient paintings in particular, have never interested me. Give me Renaissance (or Baroque) architecture and good food and I am happy, on the other hand, ancient wall paintings excite me even less than Baruch Jamili's graffiti on the Hagia Gate... This is why, although I have been to Périgord several times, I have never visited any caves (not even the Lascaux Cave) and have preferred to concentrate on castles and villages, where the Périgord.
On my last trip to Dordogne, in May 2022, I decided to giveRotem Bar, who lives in the Dordogne and knows it well, to decide where to hike, but when she decided that we would go to the Villar Cave, which is not that far from her house, I wrinkled my nose. What else can you see in a stalactite cave in the Dordogne that you can't see in the caves near Beit Shemesh? However, since I promised myself and Ruth that this time I would do exactly what she commanded, I didn't object and found myself at the entrance to the cave on the appointed day.
A few minutes later, when the guide brought us inside, I said to myself, “How lucky you were to hear Rotem’s voice.” The Villar Cave is not just another cave, it is a mesmerizing work of art!
In this article, I will tell you a little about the cave, what awaits you inside, and of course, I will not forget to provide you with all the relevant information that will help you visit it with great pleasure.
So light the virtual flashlight and let's embark on a thousand-year journey into the bowels of the earth...
What will you find in the Villar Cave?
In 1953, the Villar Cave was discovered by a cave enthusiasts’ club and five years later, murals of ancient man were discovered there. After strenuous work, in order to adapt the cave to visitors, a small part of it was opened to the general public. However, as you will see, even this small part is rich in beauty created during millions of years of nature’s “work”…
How was the cave you will see shortly created? In two main stages:
- the first stage – The seepage of water through the limestone soil and the creation of the various voids and “rooms.”
- The second stage – The formation of rock and mineral formations, called concretions or stalactites, which you will encounter later.
It should be remembered that these caves did not remain abandoned for long. Over the past thousands of years, the cave has been discovered by various animals, including bears, who turned it into a “5-star hotel” for their wintering. The last to discover the cave were humans, who also left their mark there. We will meet all of these during the tour of the cave.
One last thing, before we begin our virtual tour of the cave: If you are interested in the subject, I highly recommend you read Yossi Drori's article Stalactite caves in France that you shouldn't missAlthough it does not contain information about the Villars Cave, you can learn in depth about the formation of the caves and obtain information about other charming caves throughout France.
Villar Visitor Center and Park
When you arrive at the spacious parking lot, the first place that greets you is the visitors center, no less spacious and pleasant. There you can buy tickets, buy souvenirs and of course get information about the cave you are going to visit (there is even an information sheet there translated into Hebrew by Rotem Bar and some of what you will read below is based on that information sheet).
After leaving the visitor center, you will find yourself not at the entrance to the cave but rather in a charming garden dedicated to the Cro-Magnon period, during which early man appeared.
In this garden, which covers about 700 square meters, you will find statues of animals that lived during this period, information about the life of early man, and of course wooden benches, on which you can sit and enjoy all the greenery that surrounds you from every direction.
Since entry to the cave is only possible with an organized tour, you can visit this garden before the trip (if you arrived shortly after the previous tour started) or after you have finished (if the next tour is about to start).
The entrance to the cave and the basin room
The entrance to the cave is located in a green forest, where you will wait until the guide arrives. After a brief explanation of the place, go down the stairs and enter the cave, where the tour will begin.
pay attention: During the tour, it is strictly forbidden to take photographs of the cave (even without a flash).
Pay attention 2: The tour is mostly conducted in French, but even if you don't speak the language, don't worry. You can use the Hebrew page you will receive (or simply this article).
Here is a short video describing a visit to the Villar Cave.
It is in French, but you can easily understand what it is about. After you finish watching it, you are welcome to continue reading the article.
The first room you will visit is the Basin Room, named after two rock formations that resemble a basin or trough. Here you will find quite a few stalactites in various shapes and sizes, as well as stalagmites (the difference between a stalactite and a stalagmite is that a stalactite starts from the ceiling of the cave, while a stalagmite starts from the floor).
The transition and the acoustic light show
This is one of the most impressive spaces in the entire cave. It is a raised gallery that contains many different karst formations. The white material you can see on your left is a flow of calcium, dissolved limestone, and next to it you can see a sparkling material, Sydney carbon, that has crystallized into crystals.
From above you can see large, impressive stalactites that continue to grow. Below them you will see a long row of stalagmites that form a thin wall.
From there you will continue to the Gasotra Room, where you will watch an impressive sound and light show that explains how the cave was formed over millions of years. I was very impressed by this show that makes wonderful use of the natural beauty of the cave, its acoustics and technology to illustrate how flowing water creates the wonder before us. In the second part of the show, which is no less impressive, you can learn about the animals that have made the cave their home.
Bear Scratching Room
Speaking of the animals that lived in the cave, in the next room you can see scratches on the wall, the claw marks of cave bears, who hibernated in the cave and even lived there during particularly cold weather. Of course, here too you can enjoy rows of stalactites that create a kind of inspiring sculptures.
The Candle Room
This room reminded me a little of the Gothic churches of France, probably thanks to the magnificent sentinels you'll find there. I don't know how to explain it, but there's a feeling of a kind of holiness here.
In addition to the works of art of nature, you will also find a number of paintings by early man, which were probably made about 19 years ago. The paintings depict the animals that early man hunted, including bison and wild horses. It is not easy to understand what you are seeing because some of these paintings have been covered over the years with a layer of calcium, but the guide will show you their outlines clearly.
The drawing room
The previous room was a sort of appetizer, as far as murals are concerned, because in this room, where the tour will also end, you will find a series of even more impressive paintings, both on the walls and on the ceiling. The most famous painting is the painting of the man and the bison, which is one of the rare representations of humans in prehistoric painting.
The combination of the prehistoric paintings and the stalactites and stalagmites is simply wonderful, and there is no doubt that you too will feel that the tour ends here with a spectacular crescendo.
Important information about the place
If you took my advice not to miss the Villar Cave, here is some useful information to help you plan your trip there:
How do we get there?
All you have to do is enter the words GROTTE DE VILLARS into your GPS and it will take you to the parking lot and the visitor center. In order not to drive many kilometers, I highly recommend visiting here while you are living in Brantôme, which is about 17 km from the cave. If you decide to take my advice and live there, you are welcome to enter the article Recommended hotels and apartments in and around Brentom, where you will find a selection of excellent accommodations.
Opening days and hours
- April, May, June and September: from 10:00-1200:14 and from 00:19-00:XNUMX.
- July, August: From 10:00-19:00.
- October-November: From 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 euros
- Child 5-11 years old: 7 euros
- A boy between 12-17: 8.5
As mentioned, tickets can be purchased on site or ordered in advance atThis site.
Food and drinks
You can buy some snacks at the visitor center, but if you want to eat “properly”, I highly recommend the restaurant Le Trincou vival, located in the village of VILLARS, not far from the cave (the exact address is le bourg 24530 Villars, France).
We ate an excellent pizza there, made on site and topped with meats from the Périgord region.
At the same time, to balance things out, we also ordered Magret de canard (I've never found a suitable Hebrew name for this dish), which was juicy and well-made.
And finally we ordered a crepe for dessert, and even though this is a village in the heart of Périgord and not inBrittanyIt was simply excellent, as if we had ordered it in the main square of Quimper Or Saint Malo.
In short, a restaurant without pretensions and without Michelin stars, which makes simple but delicious food. Its only drawback is the owner, who may remind you a little of Poletti from “Poletti’s Hotel,” but the combination of good taste and reasonable price makes the place recommended.
Where else can you go hiking nearby?
Have you finished visiting the cave and even had lunch? Here are a few more places, not far away, that you can visit:
- Chateau de Puyguilhem – A charming 16th century palace, located not far from Villar. You can read about it in the article Château de Pighem – Did we accidentally arrive from the Dordogne to the Loire Valley?
- Saint-Jean-de-Cole – A small, picturesque village with ancient streets, a castle and a medieval monastery. You can read about it in the article Saint-Jean-de-Cole – The Village of Flowers.
- The town of Brentom – where you can visit an ancient monastery, cruise the canals and eat at a Michelin-starred restaurant. You can read about it in the article Brentom – Venice of the Dordogne.