Photos: Amac

La Grotte Chauvet-Pont d'Arc is a prehistoric cave located in the commune of Vallon-Pont-d'Arc in the Ardèche department in France. It was discovered on December 18, 1994, by Jean-Marie Chauvet, Éliette Brunel, and Christian Hillaire during a private speleological exploration.

The cave is one of the oldest decorated Palaeolithic caves in the world, with paintings dating back approximately 36,000 years. The cave contains a rich collection of paintings and engravings, including 447 representations of animals from 14 different species.

It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014, recognising its cultural significance as a masterpiece of early human artistic expression.

To preserve the original cave, a replica known as the Caverne du Pont d'Arc was created and opened to the public in 2015. This replica, now known as Grotte Chauvet 2 - Ardèche, allows visitors to experience the cave's art and history while protecting the original site. The replica includes a facsimile of the Chauvet cave and a permanent exhibition about the Aurignacians and cave painting.

The original cave remains closed to the public to ensure its preservation, but the replica provides an immersive experience, featuring a gallery of the Aurignacian period and a 700 m² panorama depicting the environment of the time.