Grotte de Labastide

Grotte de Laspugue

Useful Information

Location:	Near Labastide in the Barronies valley.
Open:	11-APR to MAY Mon-Fri 14-17, Sat, Sun, Hol 10-12, 14-17. JUN daily 10-12, 14-18. JUL to AUG daily 10-19. SEP daily 10-12, 14-18. [2010]
Fee:	Adults EUR 3, Children (3-18) EUR 1.50. [2004]
Classification:	Karst cave
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:	D=90 min.
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Grottes de Labastide, Prehistoric Caves Labastide, 65130 Labastide, Tel: +33-562-491403, Fax: +33-562-982885. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1930	discovered by Norbert Casteret.
01-MAY-2004	opened to the public.

Description

The Grotte de Labastide was used as a shelter by prehistoric man some 15,000 years ako. The tour into the cave includes a detailed introduction into the daily life in prehistoric times. The visitors are told how to make cave paintings and how to light a fire.

There are actually three different caves on site. The Grotte Blanche (White Cave) is part of the tour. It does not have cave paintings and is used to show a movie about the human remains in the other caves. A 35 minutes long spectacle sons et lumière (light and sound show) is projected to the bright cave walls. The Porche de la Perte (Cave of the Loss) is not entered, the is an outlook overlooking the whole chamber. There is a sink where the Laspugue river disappears, which will flow underground to the résurgence de l'Ayguette (Ayguette resurgence) near Esparros. The third ist the Grotte des Chevaux (Cave of the Horses) which is decorated with cave paintings and engravings. Because of this it is closed to the public, to protect the prehistoric artworks. This cave was explored by Explain Norbert Casteret in 1930. It is famous for a huge painting showing polychrome horses which is dated to the Magdalenian IV.

The name Grotte de Labastide is simply derived from the nearby town Labastide. More interesting is the alternative name Grotte de Laspugue. Spugue or Spélugues means cave in the local dialect Gascon, and was gallicised to Laspugue.