Magical place and not your average chateau. Preserved in its ruined state and built on a ancient troglodyte settlement. Wear good shoes for the castle itself and the hike up from the car park through the forest. One of our favorite chateaus in the region.

Dormant for 400 years, the castrum of Commarque was covered with abundant vegetation. It was saved in the 3rd millennium by a direct descendant of the eponymous family ! The site, which rests on a decorated cave but closed to the public, dating back 20,000 years, has gradually been cleared, revealing troglodyte shelters, a 12th-century keep, a dwelling, a chapel, an entire defense system and knights' tower houses. New fun and illustrated tour trail since and numerous activities are organised throughout the summer.

Great historical site. The audio guide is a big help on visiting the site. The tower has a great 360 view

A bit off the beaten track, quite literally, and therefore relatively quiet. Except for Wednesday nights in summer, when the castle is lit up in bright lights and fireworks color the sky. Best to arrive to the light festival parking at around 19:45 and (contrary to the advice) climb up the castle directly when you get to the grounds. This takes little over half an hour and when you get back down, the lines for the food stands will have decreased significantly. There is not an abundance of stands and it’s generally burgers/hotdogs & fries, crêpes and the occasional duck sausage. Cards are accepted, but small stalls and (children’s) make-up artists only accept cash. The fireworks start at 23:00 so there is time to mount the castle once more before then if you want to see it in fairytale lighting up close. Best view on the fireworks is from the open space in front of the stalls. Bring a plaid to relax/eat on as there are few seats.

Lovely mostly ruined castle with cave dwellings, just be warned it's A LOT of climbing up to the top, especially on a warm summer day. Gift shop has drinks and snacks (including ice cream) and there was a hot food stand, but the toilets are at the top car park which is also a long way from the castle entrance. Would be great if there were a more accessible entrance but that route seems to be occupied by the escape rooms adventure park...

Beautiful ruin which the family are trying to preserve for history.well done those individuals, its a favourite place to discover after a lovely shady forest walk down to it.

Touring Commarque is a worthwhile but steep scramble. It's a fascinating story of the history & renovation of an almost lost medieval castle & the valley it dominates. There is an interesting guide book in English which is worth getting. You do need to be able to climb lots of stairs up & down the tour. The car parks are a walk away. However it appears that you can drive almost to the entrance to drop people off pick up. Also there are no toilets at the castle. There is a notice at the car park & a loo. However there are picnic tables & a small cafe. There is a gateway at the highest point of the tour which does lead to an exit. However I don't know if this is used at all. Our visit was prior to high season.

My wife and I were staying in Le Bugue back in 2014, only a short ride from the cave itself. We arrived early rather than book and found students holding places for those who chose to arrive later but before opening. Our guide was polite and spoke good english for his small group of visitors (non French). It was a real privilege to see the original artworks rather than reproductions. The entrance to the cave is only a short uphill walk on a well maintained path. The cave itself is all walkable and nowhere tight. Seeing the pictures by a small torch added to the atmosphere and was just enough light to take some photos by, handheld. The ticket office and bookshop are modest but characterful. There is parking nearby and shops and amenities back down the valley in Les Ezies de Tayac Sireuil, where you will find the National Museum of prehistory. The village is served by a railway station and the ere is camping and hotels for the many visitors to this part of Perigord noir. I think the experience has changed little in the past ten years. Very much worth the effort to visit the area and this cave.

Great examples of multicolored cromagnon cave art. Famous for being over booked so we arrived early to get four of only 58 of the spots they allocate daily. All reserved spots are allocated to tour groups this year. In years past you could get them on line but not anymore. Gift shop was nothing special. Our English guide was informative and engaging. The art was amazing. The cave is chilly so bring a jacket. Parking is free and plentiful.

Excellent tour of the very special paintings, we could tell our guide Brigitte really cared about the place and spoke informatively and with passion and enthusiasm. This was helped by the very small group size and we felt like we had enough time to see everything. This was our favourite out of all the caves we visited.

Beautiful cave to see the prehistoric drawings. One of the last where you can still visit the real cave. As they limit the amount of visitors, be sure to buy your ticket online before you come here. Wonderful intimate tour with guide that speaks english very well.

This is a wonderful experience, not only because of the amazing cave paintings from over 10,000 years ago that look like they were made yesterday, but also because of the excellence of our guide. He clearly was passionate about prehistoric peoples and their art and his interest was infectious. Highly recommended.

Off the beaten track, but up close and personal with cro magno man and his art. Wonderful personal guide, owner and probably a direct de pendant of the artist.

Great visit led by English speaking guide David whose enthusiasm and knowledge shine through. He brought alive the artistry and skill of the painters showing how they used the rock formations to emphasise the shapes and perspective and movement in their designs. A privelege to see these works of art, not to be missed. You must pre-book and pay attention to the booking conditions including the arrival time.

Great place to see many many flint heads arrow heads and some cave wall drawings along with a life size giant stag and wild bear and a woolly mammoth very life like, the building is beautiful and cut into the mountain. If you have young children there is not much for them to do. It’s more of an adult research museum.

Good place to visit when nearby. But I lack the English explanation of it there is a lot in Fench but since this is a museum it should be two languages. Like i don't know most museums? So I did'nt follow most things that's a bummer..

National Museum of Prehistory Musée National de Préhistoire November 2025: Even just the view from the top was worth the €6 entry fee! 😍👍🏽

The museum exhibits are generally a little too detailed for the casual observer, and there is definitely a lack of languages other than French which limits understanding, but it’s not expensive and the staff are wonderful - they were most helpful especially when we thought we had lost a mobile phone. If nothing else, the exterior at high level gives magnificent views over the town from the old Chateau.

For the serious student of prehistory, especially French-speaking, this is not to be missed. For the more casual visitor, there are several videos on use of ancient tools, which are language free and very well done. And a few stuffed, life size animals add interest. Plus the town and museum placement are gorgeous, spilling down from cliffs behind.

Located in amazing town , providing lots of information and also great views

Two problems. First, the lighting of the displays is bright from the outside, into dim vitrines, which creates significant glare and reduced visibility, especially for the very many small objects placed at some distance from the viewer. Secondly, despite receiving verbal confirmation that the museum closes at 6 pm, I was promptly ushered out by 5.15. When I asked about this, the rationale was that the STAFF leave at 6; everyone must be out of the building by 5.30 pm. So the museum effectively closes by 5.30, and the staff cannot be inconvenienced with your presence. You won't see much here beyond stone flints and obsolete scenes.

(Translated by Google) Great outing for young and old alike. From 3 years old this discovery is profitable. The route is quiet. Well secured. Not too long. Varied. Very informative. The troglodyte dwelling part like the animal part, with the donations distributed along the way, is really cool. The little game with the Play Mobil adds pleasure to observing the scenes. The kids love it! Well done to the staff for keeping this beautiful place open all year round! (Original) Formidable sortie pour les petits comme pour les grands. Dès 3 ans cette découverte est profitable. Le parcours est tranquille. Bien sécurisé. Pas trop long. Varié. Très instructif. La partie habitation troglodytique comme la partie animaux, avec les dons diffusés sur le parcours, est vraiment chouette. Le petit jeu avec les Play Mobil ajoute du plaisir à l’observation des scènes. Les enfants adorent ! Bravo au staff de garder ce beau lieu ouvert toute l’année !

(Translated by Google) An animation that seems little known to me despite an excellent reconstruction of the story. Fun visit ideal for children. (Original) Une animation qui me semble peu connue malgré une reconstitution de l’histoire excellente. Visite ludique idéale pour les enfants.

(Translated by Google) Very nice discovery with the family! Each workshop is detailed by different explanatory panels, the staging of each section is truly realistic. The trails are easy to access, walk in the shade discovering varieties of trees and plants also indicated by small signs. The cave itself is superb but short to visit. The price is more than fair for adults and young people alike. (Original) Très belle découverte en famille ! Chaque atelier est détaillé par différents panneaux explicatifs, la mise en scène de chaque section est vraiment réaliste. Les sentiers sont faciles d'accès, balade à l'ombre en découvrant des variétés d'arbres et de végétaux également indiqués par de petits panneaux. La grotte en elle même est superbe mais courte à visiter. Le prix est plus que correct pour les adultes comme pour les plus jeunes.

(Translated by Google) A pleasant family walk, the path is easily accessible but not suitable for strollers. There are hidden things to discover. The children (ages 4-6) enjoyed it. (Original) Balade sympathique en famille, chemin bien praticable mais pas en poussette. Des choses cachées, à découvrir. Les enfants ont apprécié (4/6 ans).

(Translated by Google) Great site. Accessible for young and old. Very educational for the younger ones. We participated in spear throwing, flint knapping, and painting. (Original) Site super. Accessible pour petits et grands. Très instructifs pour les plus jeunes. Nous avons participer au tir au propulseur, à la taille de silex et à la peinture.

(Translated by Google) A great experience which shows us a site from prehistory to the present day, including use in the Middle Ages. Very good for keeping the children busy with summer activities. Very good value for money compared to other tourist sites. Be careful when crossing the road between the entrance and the parking lot, cars and trucks travel at high speed. (Original) Une belle expérience qui nous fait voir un site de la préhistoire à nos jour en passant par l'utilisation au moyen âge. Très bien pour occuper les enfants avec des animations l'été. Très bon rapport qualité prix par rapport à d'autres sites touristiques. Attention en traversant la route entre l'entrée et le parking, les voitures et camions circulent à grande vitesse.

(Translated by Google) Beautiful walk to discover prehistory. We enjoyed the shade of the forest. It was very hot that day... (Original) Belle balade à la découverte de la préhistoire. Nous avons apprécié l ombre de la forêt. Il faisait très chaud ce jour là...

Cool cave with stalagmites and stalagmites. The best thing was the guide who was so excited by the cave that it was really contagious. Not as amazing as the cave painting but we enjoyed the short tour.

Magnificent and good walk up to the area and has also great views. Very reasonable to visit and tour guide was welcoming and very good English!! An awesome experience.

Great small cave if you never seen stalactite and stalagmites it’s a must , if you did I still recommend as it’s really nice and the tour guide gives detail explanation on the formation etc. Note there are about 70 stairs to walk up to the cave entrance. You might need to wait but luckily we arrive last just as tour was about to start so no wait time for us.

We were lucky enough to get tickets for the visit by storm lamp in the evening. We had a great time, was quite an experience, especially when we turned the lamps out briefly to watch the strange glowing of the crystalline formations. The tour was all in French however we got the gist and the guide did come and explain the key points to us too (the only English speakers on the tour), he was very good, funny and clearly knowledgeable. The caves aren't massive but they are packed with amazing formations and tunnels and tour was just over an hour. Highly recommend.

Amazing archeological caves in a beautiful location. Very surreal to see the formation of so many beautiful natural crystals forming over millennia. Well worth a visit if you're in the perigord region of france. lovely little bistro as well to have a drink or food before you go into the caves.

Incredible stalactites and stalagmites, with very knowledgeable guide, well light and you can take photos

Brilliant cave experience with lots of interesting features. Easy to walk along the clear path. The guides are brilliant and so helpful - thank you Laurent!

Smart new building with an impressive entrance and nice book/souvenir shop. There are few exhibits but it looked like many still being set up. A short interesting film about the different "Homo" species. Entrance was free.

Stunning modern architecture completely hidden so did not distract from the surroundings. Free entry. Geared towards school parties so some of the prehistoric exhibits were simplistic. Great area for temporary exhibitions. The one on 1930s Vietnamese migrant labour was fascinating.

Very modern building with equally modern exhibits. Lots of information with multiple languages and audio throughout. Looks like more displays are coming and staff are on hand too.

Great information and well laid out exhibits explaining the Vézère valley. It’s free so well worth a visit

Highly recommend a visit to this museum

Great free experience centre - well worth visiting with children.

A lot more interactive than the prehistory museum! Learnt about the area history. Calm and air conditionned. All translated in english and a very comprehensive gift shop!

Thank you so much to Jan and Ruud for inviting us, the Starr family, to dinner during our holiday. It was such a kind thing to do and was very much appreciated. It was a delight to experience Jan's food. artfully presented, perfectly cooked, fresh and delicious. and served by Ruud and his team with a smile. The hotel is beautifully decorated and would be a luxurious place to stay, we look forward to it in the future. I highly recommend the limecello! many thanks from me, Keith, Val and Cassie.

Excellent small hotel. Friendly team running the place who made us feel very welcome and well looked after. Restaurant is one of the best in Les Eyzies too.

Wonderful, warm hosts who go above and beyond to make your stay extraordinary. They fed me well, did my very dirty camping laundry, and rented me an electric bike to ride up to Lascaux and back. (I highly recommend this ride, at least in the off-season: going up on the quiet route to the east of the Vezere and coming back through the small towns on the west side of the river.)

Lovely traditional hotel brought up to modern standards. Warm service is the keyword of this lovely place. Clean and comfy rooms, excellent pool and terrace area. Perfect continental breakfast and restaurant with varied menu. Exquisite bar with local, personal and even some Belgian beer favorites. Other great dining places close by which Jan and Ruud will help book for you if wanted. These guys are just awesome <3

Well-run hotel where you can see the Cro-Magnon cave from the windows! The hotel walls are made from these very rocks so it’s easy to feel Cro-Magnon people were once there. Excellent location and just far enough from the centre to be quiet and convenient. Super clean and comfortable room with great bathroom. Very good pool, restaurant and service.

Love the owners! Great location, great service, nice rooms. Nice patio/garden by the pool... great for picnics.

We first stayed at the Cro Magnon about 45 years ago and once ate in its restaurant when it possessed aMicelin star. It has been reimagined by a Belgian couple, and offers a lot for your money - including good service, excellent breakfasts, good dining and easy parking (at least in off-season). My only cavil is re lack of a grab bar in a deep and slippery bathtub.

Another must do in the Vézère valley. Well worth a visit and finally a prehistoric site you can visit as so many are currently closed

We had a very knowledgeable guide who made the experience much richer. Though you can see the main carvings easily enough there's much more there that the guide picked out for us.

The young French lady was excellent. Knowledgeable and with superb English she really brought it to life and pointed out things we would never have seen otherwise. Must pre-book, make haste because they're probably going to restrict access to this actual site.

This is a must of you're in France and appreciate archeology/ history. You get to stand very close to stone wall relief carvings that are approximately 15,000 years old-! It is an unexplainably wonderful experience that doesn't require a lot of time to tour. You will likely need to buy your ticket in advance as they were selling out days in advance when we were there in September. Also note, there are many different ancient caves/ areas to potentially tour, so investigate your options before you go. This one requires a little nature walk to get to the site, then the actual viewing area is one secured indoor room. You won't need any special gear or clothing to enjoy this tour.

Outstanding! If you're at all interested in our pre history this is a must. We had Pascal as our guide, can't praise him highly enough - such passion and knowledge about the carvings. So grateful to him for bringing it alive for us today. Photography of the carvings not allowed.

Absolutely fabulous. Amazing cave shelter with rock engravings dating from 25,000 to 15,000 years ago. Highly recommended.

A small but profoundly moving site. Interesting tour from a knowledgeable guide.

It's a very nice walk below the huge overhanging cliff, a few classic houses seem to hide right below the rock. It's a bit hard to see the traces of the ancient Mesolithic era, it might have faded before our untrained eye because it's about 17,000 to 12,000 years ago what we are looking at. A small exposition shows some ancient objects found, a reconstructed habitat the size and material used. We combined our visit to take a look in the nearby mineral cave Grand Roc, it's yet another result of time to see the many crystallised rocks created by nature. We did not find a touristic exploited amusement parc, some kids just saw a huge rock and huts they might do better. Walking through the dark Grand Roc cave brought some excitement. But we all seemed to agree, it's a nice walk with something very special to see right below a huge cliff.

Feels like they made something out of nothing for this attraction. A short 3d film and a tablet based interaction about early man, in no great detail. Aimed at kids really. Would not recommend on its own as a visit.

We visited laugerie basse as a combined rocket with grand roc. We didn’t know anything about it and we really had a good time. The guide was very professional and friendly and she explained the site with great detail. We wish there were more items to see though in order to better imagine the life of our ancestors in this region. At the end we could experiment throwing a sagaie and kids loved it. Highly recommended. The restaurant on site is really good with a friendly staff and very decent prices.

Nice, but very little. Everybody is very friendly and helpful and I suppose they did their best to add to the experience by introducing the tablet activities. The 3D film could be improved.

Too expensive and not much to see. People are friendly but know nothing about the tablet. You can take pictures with it and fill in your email dress, but they don't know how to get it sended. They say validate your adress but it still has to be sent. Very disappointing..

It was a short but nice visit.

Very interesting

Very interesting, should imagine very busy in peak season

Excellent. Enthusiastic guide and interesting displays

(Translated by Google) A mythical place for the Prehistory enthusiast, alas! closed for a few months. But the site alone is worth the detour. Arriving in torrential rain, I could only appreciate this timeless place at its true value and understand to what extent it could, it must have been, protective for these humans who came to live for several centuries under the corbel of this cliff of Eyzies. The magic happens without doing anything, as certain sites are sufficient in themselves through their beauty, their singularity, and the incredible energy they release. Walk along this path under the cliff for a few moments to understand... Essential in the life of a prehistorian... even an amateur. (Original) Un lieu mythique pour le passionné de Préhistoire, hélas ! fermé pour quelques mois. Mais rien que le site vaut le détour. Arrivé sous une pluie torrentielle, je n'ai pu qu'apprécier à sa juste valeur cet endroit hors du temps et comprendre à quel point il a pu, il a du être protecteur pour ces humains venus habiter plusieurs siècles sous l'encorbellement de cette falaise des Eyzies. La magie opère sans rien faire, tant certains sites se suffisent à eux mêmes par leur beauté, leur singularité, et l'énergie incroyable qu'ils dégagent. Longez quelques instants ce chemin sous la falaise, pour comprendre... Essentiel dans la vie d'un préhistorien... même amateur.

(Translated by Google) Unfortunately the site was closed on the day of our visit. However, we enjoyed a walk around and discovered a very cozy little neighborhood. But as our day included other archaeological sites, it was only postponed. (Original) Malheureusement le site était fermé le jour de notre visite. Cependant nous avons ou apprécié une marche aux alentours et découvrir un petit quartier très cozy. Mais comme notre journée incluait d'autres sites archéologiques, ce n'est que partie remise.

(Translated by Google) Old covered excavation site, well laid out and informed for the visit. We can see a cross-section over a large period of our past and the cycle of glaciations suffered by our ancestors. The guide will answer all your questions. A small air-conditioned museum installed in a rock shelter exhibits some beautiful pieces found on site. (Original) Ancien site de fouilles couvert, bien aménagé et renseigné pour la visite. On peut y voir une coupe sur un grande période de notre passé et le cycle des glaciations subit par nos ancêtres. Le guide saura répondre à toutes vos questions. Un petit musée climatisé installé dans un abri sous roche expose quelques belles pièces trouvées sur place.

(Translated by Google) Very interesting and informative guided tour by a very friendly guide who explains to us all the extent of the research carried out on this site. Followed by a visit to the adjoining museum where we discover some of the pieces discovered on site. Allow around 1 hour. (Original) Visite guidée très intéressante et instructive par une guidée très sympa qui nous explique toutes l’étendue des recherches faites sur ce site. Suivi d’une visite du musée attenant où l’on découvre une partie des pièces découverte sur place. Compter environ 1h.

(Translated by Google) Discovery during the archeology days free visit. It's small, but the visit is interesting. With a guide to understand the place and there is also the museum (Original) Découverte pendant les journées de l’archéologie visite gratuite. C'est petit, mais la visite est intéressante. Avec un guide pour comprendre le lieu et il y a aussi le musée

Fantastic experience. 3 of us rode for 2hrs (one adult, two older kids) Herbert was very knowledgeable and thorough. Everyone loved it! Highly recommend a trip as the surrounding area is spectacular too.

We had a fantastic time as beginners on a two hour hack through the stunning forests at Backhaus Herbert. Herbert clearly loves what he does and loves his horses. Thank you for a great experience.

Spectacular private horseback ride. Beautiful scenery and Herbert was a very knowledgeable and fun guide. Wonderful horses and snack break.

Very nice place, relaxed. Gives attention to safety.

What a ride ! Herbert is a great and funny guide and the landscape is pure paradise..

Worst host ever. Not friendly at all. We had a bad day in total. Not recommended

Wonderful place for horse riding

Very helpful and knowledgable staff. Friendly and very willing to give us the best advice on which places to visit. Could not have asked for a better service. Thank you.

Very helpful to an person who cannot speak french. Show what ieanted to know around the area. If lost ho there thanks

Vp helpful

Lovely riverside town good for novice canoeing

Very pleasant and helpful.

Well informed

(Translated by Google) Very warm welcome. Clear explanations. Answer to all our questions. Person who loves his job and his city. THANKS. (Original) Très bon accueil. Explications claires. Réponse a toutes nos questions. Personne qui aime son métier et sa ville. Merci.

(Translated by Google) Interesting but disappointing. You will only see the bas relief. (Original) Intéressant mais décevant. Vous ne verrez que le bas relief.

(Translated by Google) I loved it (Original) J'ai adoré

(Translated by Google) Exceptional. Magnificent cottage of simplicity with a view of splendor. Remarkably friendly host. It is with regret that the holidays have ended... (Original) Exceptionnel. Gîte magnifique de simplicité avec une vue de toute splendeur. Hôte d'une remarquable amabilité. C'est à regret que les vacances se sont terminées...

(Translated by Google) Very beautiful hike, perfect for getting together with family, very pleasant setting, to be recommended (Original) Très belle randonnée parfait pour se retrouver en famille cadre très agréable, à recommander

(Translated by Google) Perfect for children aged 5, hikes of 7 to 10km. Very very nice! Responsible at the top. (Original) Parfait pour les enfants de 5 ans, randonnées de 7 à 10km. Très très sympa ! Responsable au top.

(Translated by Google) Superb place, magical view, stay in a rural gîte, warm welcome. (Original) Superbe lieu, vue magique, séjour en gîte rural, accueil chaleureux.

(Translated by Google) A very beautiful setting, beautiful walks and a warm welcome from the owner. (Original) Un très beau cadre, de belles ballades et un accueil du propriétaire des plus chaleureux.

(Translated by Google) A super warm welcome. Professionals who love and take care of their donkeys. Great experience! (Original) Un accueil super chaleureux. Des professionnels qui aiment et prennent soin de leurs ânes. Belle expérience !

(Translated by Google) Superb walk with Prunelle and our 3 children!!! (Original) Superbe balade avec Prunelle et nos 3 enfants !!!