Grotte de Bara Bahau

THE SUNKEN REALM In the days of dinosaurs the sea covered the Périgord. Then marine sediments abounding with shells arose from the watery bed. One day, deep in the heart of this limestone massif, an enormous crash resounded: BARA BAHAU! It was the sound of the blocks of stone thundering down into the bed of the subterranean river. Since that day cave bears and men have frequented this fabulous sunken realm – in the secrecy of what once was the sea. THE CHAMBER OF ENGRAVINGS At the bottom end of the gallery, the cave bears hibernated in the narrowest section. Beneath their claw marks our artist forebears managed to wriggle their way along on their backs, on their hands and knees, then in an upright position to draw three gigantic frescoes of animals they were familiar with: aurochs, bisons, deer, horses, all galloping down to the far end of the cave. A cave art gem – and you’ll see the real thing at BARA-BAHAU!