Rouffignac Cave Archaeological Site

Address: Grotte de Rouffignac, 24580 Rouffignac-Saint-Cernin-de-Reilhac, Dordogne, France

Website: https://www.grotte-de-rouffignac.com/

Hours: Daily (seasonal opening hours; check website)

Rouffignac Cave is a decorated Paleolithic cave near Rouffignac-Saint-Cernin-de-Reilhac in Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. It contains extensive prehistoric imagery, notably of mammoths and other Ice Age animals.

The cave interior is reached on a short electric train that conveys visitors into the rock to see the painted and engraved panels at set viewing points. The decorations are chiefly Upper Paleolithic in date and include numerous animal representations across the chambered galleries.

The galleries preserve artwork created by Paleolithic artists during the Magdalenian phase of the Upper Paleolithic. The cave has been studied by archaeologists and is managed with measures to protect the surfaces and microclimate of the decorated chambers.

Rouffignac Cave lies in the wooded limestone plateaus of the Dordogne, in southwestern France, near the village that gives the cave its name and within driving distance of larger Dordogne towns and visitor routes.

• Visitor access: Visitors are taken into the cave on a small electric train that runs along a guided route to viewing points with Paleolithic art.
• Art content: Decorations include numerous depictions of mammoths, bison and horses created during the Upper Paleolithic (Magdalenian) period.

Rouffignac Cave (Grottes de Rouffignac) is reached by road to the village of Rouffignac‑Saint‑Cernin‑de‑Reilhac in Dordogne. From the tourist town of Sarlat‑la‑Canéda it is roughly a 25-35 km drive on departmental roads; follow local D‑roads toward Rouffignac and the cave’s visitor centre where parking is provided.

Visitors park at the centre and walk a short distance to the cave entrance; guided visits use a small electric train or shuttle inside the cave (check the official site for current visitor arrangements).

• Book tickets in advance and take one of the timed tours as soon as the cave opens-Rouffignac limits visitor numbers and the electric train departures fill quickly.
• Allow time for the on-site exhibition and visitor centre before entering the cave; the pre-visit displays explain the engravings and animals you'll see and are often overlooked by people rushing straight to the caverns.