In southern Ardèche, the replica of the Chauvet cave opened its doors to the public on April 25, 2015. Some tips to optimize your visit to the Caverne du Pont d'Arc, renamed the Chauvet 2 Ardèche cave in 2019.
The first visitors to the Caverne du Pont d'Arc.
Overlooking the valley, where the tumultuous Ardèche flows at the start of spring, the site of the Caverne du Pont d'Arc (renamed Grotte Chauvet 2 Ardèche) drowns in the landscape, leaving nothing visible from its 29 hectares. Open to the public since April 25, 2015 after 4 years of development, it already attracts crowds. During the first weekend, this replica of the Chauvet cave (dated -36,000 years ago) - located a few kilometers away but closed to the public for preservation reasons - has already welcomed no less than 4,500 visitors! And judging by the number of cars present in the overcrowded parking lot on this sunny morning, the crowds remain intense during this holiday week.
AFFLUENCE. Some tickets are available for sale on site. But it is better to book tickets online. In addition to 80,000 tickets having already been sold in France and abroad at the opening of the site. Then, set your watch carefully because each ticket sold corresponds to a specific time to visit the replica, at the rate of one group every... 4 minutes. A young woman, shivering with cold in the entrance corridor of the Cave, swept by a very strong mistral, thus brandishes rhythmically, and without ever losing her smile, a slate indicating to visitors the tickets concerned by the call :2:48 p.m.... 2:52 p.m.... 2:56 p.m.... 3 p.m.... No need, therefore, to crowd in a queue, just show up a few minutes before your time of passage.
A dive into the daily life of the Aurignacians
In the meantime, it is possible to visit the superb Aurignacian Gallery where interactive panels retrace the history of the landscape, that of the painting techniques or the evolution of the site. Life-size reconstructions of mammoths and woolly rhinos or megaloceros give the context of the daily life of the Aurignacians who occupied the Chauvet cave during their summer stays, leaving the cave to the bears during the winter. You can also plan to have lunch on site, a self-service (with regional products) or an outdoor panoramic gallery opening onto the whole valley being available to the public.
Transmitting the magic of the place
When it's time to visit the replica, everyone finds themselves plunged into darkness with about twenty other people in the "transition room" to "go from the bright light of the Ardèche sun to the shade and thus accustom his eyes to the darkness" . Under the guidance of a young guide who, with the help of his microphone, has the mission of "transmitting the magic of the place" . Instructions are given:speak low ("the cave is sonorous" ), listen carefully and follow the rhythm. Suddenly, the doors of the replica open, like those of an elevator. Then appear the walls of the cave, with soft and warm lighting. The atmosphere is rendered, the impression successful:you immediately believe you are plunged 36,000 years back in time and you are surprised to be moved by these perfectly mastered replicas of paintings and engravings in an impeccably created setting. In a 50-minute journey, and around ten "stations" where the guide details the works to be discovered, visitors have the illusion of reconnecting with this so distant past where the frescoes of horses or lions still fascinate the modern eye. .
A flow of visitors to regulate
2015 will be a test year for the Caverne du Pont d'Arc, in particular for managing the flow of visitors. Thus, the choice of having a group leave every 4 minutes will undoubtedly have to be reviewed because, indisputably, this rhythm is detrimental to the quality of the visit:it prevents from excluding from its field of vision (and its sound field) the group that follows or the one preceding and makes any exchange of questions with the guide impossible, which would slow down the march. That said, the site already appears to be a success that will no doubt very quickly become part of the cultural "musts" for French tourism. Cherryl, an 80-year-old former airline pilot from California, and her husband Ron, are convinced:they had reserved their place more than six months ago, from the known date of opening to the public.
To organize your stay and find accommodation: website of the Ardèche Tourism Development Agency
Our favorite accommodation: www.chateaudebalazuc.com