Grotte de Bédeilhac

Bédeilhac is the third of the great decorated caves around Tarascon. Its enormous entrance — visible from the road — opens into a series of galleries with engravings and paintings of bison, horses, and ibex from the same Magdalenian culture that decorated Niaux. The art is harder to read than at Niaux, but the sheer scale of the cavern is unforgettable.

Visits are guided and need to be booked ahead, especially in summer. The cave is cool and damp year-round, so dress accordingly. Combine it with Niaux and the Parc de la Préhistoire for a proper deep dive into Ice Age Europe.

things to do sight
A story
The entrance chamber is so enormous that during the Second World War the occupying authorities used it to assemble aircraft. A grass airstrip ran straight up to the mouth of the cave.