Grotte du Grand Roc

Useful Information

Location:	Laugerie-Basse, near Les Eyzies. At the road towards Périgueux.
Open:	FEB to MAR daily 10-12:30, 14-17. APR to JUN daily 10-12:30, 14-18. JUL to AUG daily 09-19:00. SEP to OCT daily 10-12:30, 14-18. [2011]
Fee:	Adults EUR 9, Children (6-12) EUR 4.50, Children (0-5) free. Groups (20+): Adults EUR 6.50, Children (11-16) EUR 5, Children (6-10) EUR 4. [2011]
Classification:	Karst Cave
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:
Guided tours:	D=30min V=130,000/a [2000]
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:	Jean Maury (1973): La Grottee du Grande Roc, a Laugerie-Basse - Les Eyzies, 31 pp, illus. E Leymarie, Périgueux.
Address:	Grotte du Grand Roc, 24620 Les Eyzies. Tel: +33-553-069270, Fax: +33-553-351755 Semitour Périgord, 221 bis route d’Angouleme, BP 1024, 24001 Périgueux Cedex, Tel: +33-553-056565. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1863	.
1924	Grotte du Grand-Roc discovered by Jean Maury.
1927	cave opened to the public with candle light.
1934	electric light installed.
1993	light system renovated.

Description

This Grotte du Grand-Roc (Cave of the Big Rock) is located at Laugerie Basse. While the Grand-Roc is of overwhelming size, this dripstone cave is pretty small. This might be a surprise or even a disappointment to some, but actually the cave is well worth the visit. It is a small cave with small speleothems of overwhelming beauty and rareness. There are unusual helictites, triangles, soda straws, rimstone pools, gours, and calcite crystals.

Laugerie Basse is the huge shelter, an overhanging cliff face, with cave houses at the foot of the cliff which are still inhabited. The site is of great archaeological importance. It was inhabited about 14,000 years ago during the Magdalenian.