La Roque Saint-Christophe, the cliff inhabited since prehistoric times

In the Vézère valley, between Les Eyzies and Montignac, a limestone cliff face roughly a kilometre long and 80 to 100 metres high bears the marks of almost continuous human occupation. La Roque Saint-Christophe isn't a cave in the strict sense, but a series of five levels of terraces and natural shelters, shaped by water and frost erosion, inhabited by people from the Upper Palaeolithic through to the Iron Age, and then again in the Middle Ages up to the Renaissance.

In medieval times the site served as a refuge from Viking raids and later during the Hundred Years' War, before being destroyed in 1588 during the Wars of Religion. Excavations led by prehistorian Denis Peyrony in 1912-1913 uncovered Upper Palaeolithic stone and bone tools, Neolithic pottery fragments, and Bronze and Iron Age remains. A natural terrace of over 100 metres, reached by a 32-step staircase cut into the rock, now lets visitors walk along the levels and see the beam-holes that once held up medieval dwellings, along with a troglodytic church. The site draws a considerable number of visitors — it's one of the most-visited natural sites in Nouvelle-Aquitaine — but stays noticeably quieter than Lascaux or the better-known caves of the neighbouring valley.

How to get there

The nearest village, Peyzac-le-Moustier, is a few minutes' walk from the site. The closest train station is at Les Eyzies, on the line serving the Vézère valley. For wider access, Périgueux and Bordeaux are linked by the A89 motorway, with a dedicated exit toward the Bordeaux-Périgueux corridor; Sarlat-la-Canéda lies about 17 km to the south-east. There's no airport in the immediate vicinity: Bergerac, in the same department, is the nearest regional option for flights.