Vézère Valley Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Vézère

Country	France
Physical characteristics
Main source	Plateau de Millevaches 970 m (3,180 ft)
River mouth	Dordogne 44°52′53″N 0°53′26″E / 44.88139°N 0.89056°E / 44.88139; 0.89056 (Dordogne-Vézère)
Length	211 km (131 mi)
Basin features
Progression	Dordogne→ Gironde estuary→ Atlantic Ocean
Basin size	3,708 km² (1,432 sq mi)

Bridge over the Vézère River in Montignac

Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère Valley
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Vézère at La Madeleine site
Includes	Abri de Cro-Magnon Abri du Poisson [fr] Font de Gaume La Micoque La Mouthe [fr] Laugerie basse Laugerie haute [fr] Le Grand Roc [fr] Les Combarelles Le Cap Blanc Lascaux Cro de Granville (cro de Rouffignac) Roc de Saint-Cirq [fr] Le Moustier La Madeleine
Criteria	Cultural: (i)(iii)
Inscription	1979 (3rd Session)

The Vézère Valley in France is famous for its amazing prehistoric caves. These caves hold many ancient cave paintings and hominid (early human) remains. You can find them along the Vézère river in the Dordogne area of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. The main towns nearby are Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil and Montignac.

In 1979, UNESCO named these sites a World Heritage Site. This means they are very important to the world's history and culture. One of the most famous sites is the Lascaux cave.

Why the Vézère Valley is Special
Main Prehistoric Sites in the Valley
Images for kids
Related pages
See also

Why the Vézère Valley is Special

The Vézère Valley is home to 147 prehistoric sites. It also has 25 caves with ancient art. These sites are important for understanding how early humans lived. They also show us how beautiful their art was.

The Lascaux Cave is especially famous. It was found in 1940. The cave paintings there are very important for the history of prehistoric art. They show about 100 animal figures, like horses and bulls. These paintings are amazing because of their detail, bright colors, and how lifelike they look.

Main Prehistoric Sites in the Valley

Here is a list of the most important sites in the Vézère Valley. These are the ones recognized by UNESCO. They are all found in different towns along the river.

Code	Name	Coordinates	Town
85-001	Shelter of the Cro-Magnon	44°56′25.6″N 1°00′34.6″E / 44.940444°N 1.009611°E / 44.940444; 1.009611	Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil
85-002	Shelter of the Fish	44°56′38.8″N 0°59′54.2″E / 44.944111°N 0.998389°E / 44.944111; 0.998389
85-003	Font-de-Gaume Cave	44°56′13.2″N 1°01′35.6″E / 44.937000°N 1.026556°E / 44.937000; 1.026556
85-004	La Micoque	44°57′27.6″N 1°00′23.5″E / 44.957667°N 1.006528°E / 44.957667; 1.006528
85-005	La Mouthe Cave	44°55′28.9″N 1°01′14.1″E / 44.924694°N 1.020583°E / 44.924694; 1.020583
85-006	Laugerie-Basse	44°57′03.8″N 0°59′57.5″E / 44.951056°N 0.999306°E / 44.951056; 0.999306
85-007	Laugerie-Haute	44°57′11.8″N 1°00′12.3″E / 44.953278°N 1.003417°E / 44.953278; 1.003417
85-008	Le Grand Roc Cave	44°56′58.2″N 0°59′54.0″E / 44.949500°N 0.998333°E / 44.949500; 0.998333
85-009	Les Combarelles Cave	44°56′36.8″N 1°02′31.6″E / 44.943556°N 1.042111°E / 44.943556; 1.042111
85-010	Cap-Blanc Shelter	44°56′44.3″N 1°05′50.6″E / 44.945639°N 1.097389°E / 44.945639; 1.097389	Marquay (on the Vézère)
85-011	Lascaux Cave	45°03′13.3″N 1°10′12.0″E / 45.053694°N 1.170000°E / 45.053694; 1.170000	Montignac (on the Vézère)
85-012	Rouffignac Cave or Cro-de-Granville or Miremont Cave	45°00′31.7″N 0°59′15.5″E / 45.008806°N 0.987639°E / 45.008806; 0.987639	Rouffignac-Saint-Cernin-de-Reilhac
85-013	Roc de Saint-Cirq Cave	44°55′33.9″N 0°58′02.9″E / 44.926083°N 0.967472°E / 44.926083; 0.967472	Saint-Cirq
85-014	Le Moustier (2 shelters)	44°59′39.6″N 1°03′35.5″E / 44.994333°N 1.059861°E / 44.994333; 1.059861	Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère and Peyzac-le-Moustier
85-015	La Madeleine Shelter	44°58′01.3″N 1°02′11.1″E / 44.967028°N 1.036417°E / 44.967028; 1.036417	Tursac