Cave of Niaux

The Cave of Niaux is a limestone cave in the Ariège district of Occitania in the French Pyrenees, notable for well-preserved Upper Paleolithic cave paintings dating to the Magdalenian period.

The cave’s main highlight is a large painted chamber with numerous life-size animal figures - mainly bison and horses - rendered in black charcoal; the painted section is reached along a restricted guided route. Tours are limited to conserve the art and lighting is controlled; the showable decorated area comprises only a portion of the cave system.

The paintings were produced by prehistoric artists during the Upper Paleolithic (Magdalenian) roughly at the end of the last Ice Age. Modern archaeological and conservation interest began with 19th-century explorations and the site has been subject to scientific study since then.

The cave sits near the village of Niaux in the Ariège valley of the French Pyrenees, within the Parc naturel régional des Pyrénées Ariégeoises and roughly 100 km south of Toulouse.

• Visitor access: Access is restricted and only available by guided tour; visits are limited to protect the art and must be booked in advance.
• Art technique: Most figurative panels are executed in black charcoal on limestone and are concentrated in a single large chamber known locally as the Salon Noir.

What to See #

• Salon Noir: The cave's principal painted chamber contains dense panels of charcoal drawings of bison, horses and ibex executed during the Upper Paleolithic (Magdalenian). Guided tours follow a controlled path through the show cave and finish in this main chamber.