Most interesting attractions and landmarks in

Aquitaine
Gatis Pvils, 31 July 2011 No.13. http://www.wondermondo.com/Aquitaine.htm

Image: Paintings in Lascaux Cave aurochs. Saa anti, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Wondermondo is unique project: it aims to describe the most interesting man made and natural attractions /
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quitaine is one of the richest administrative regions in France regarding the wealth of landmarks and attractions. Highlights of this region are:: Prehistoric cave paintings and engravings. Here are located such masterpieces as the paintings in Lascaux, Font de Gaume and the enigmatic Grotte de Saint-Cirq. Pyrenean caves. Some of the largest caves in the world are located here. Castles. Region is very rich with medieval castles, often lotaced in dramatic natural setting. Many castles have amazing history.

Powerful spotlights try to illuminate the Salle de la Verna. Roberto Lumbreras, Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0

Pierre Saint-Martin Cave is one of the greatest

caves in the world with enormous role in the history of speleology. The length of the explored passages in Pierre SaintMartin Cave is 80,200 m (25th in the world), known depth up to 1,408 m (17th in the world). The deepest part of the cave are 71.5 m below the sea level.

Arresteliako ziloa (Souffleur de Larrandaburu) Pyrnes-Atlantiques. Partly located in Spain, Navarra. 835 m deep cave, length of explored cave passages 60,943 m. Gouffre d Aphanic Pyrnes-Atlantiques. Abyss with 328 m deep pitch inside it. Total depth of cave 504 m.

Gouffre de la Pierre Saint Martin Gouffre des Partages Aquitaine. Part of the cave is located also in Spain. Very long cave system, length of explored passages 80,200 m. Up to 1,408 m deep (17th in the world). 7 entrances in French side, 4 in Spanish side. One of the entrances starts with very impressive 320 m deep abyss. Contains enormous underground voids, including Salle de la Verna (10th largest in the world) and Salle de lEclipse (12th largest in the world). In the Wind tunnel there is constant wind with a speed 11 m/s. Gouffre de Proumeyssac Dordogne. Beautiful show cave with speleothems. Gouffre du Bracas de Thurugne (Reseau de Soudet) Pyrnes-Atlantiques. 1,170 m deep cave system, length of explored passages 10,340 m.

The Great Dune of Pyla Gironde. Beautiful nature monument the tallest sand dune in Europe. It is up to 107 m high and represents a massif which is 500 m wide and 3 km long.

Abri de Cap Blanc Dordogne. Grottoe shelter with cave art from Magdalenian period, 15,000 BC. Paintings of animals are arranged in a frieze and are done in very high quality. Rock art here adorned the living space of humans. Abri du Poisson Dordogne. Short, 8 m deep grottoe with prehistoric paintings. Among other works of art it is adorned with beautiful, 1.05 m long carving of fish, possibly made 25,000 BC. Grotte de Bara-Bahau Dordogne. 90 m long cave with prehistoric engravings. 26 engravings are located on a single panel and show animals and symbols. Made in early Magdalenian period. Grotte de Bernifal Dordogne. Cave ancient settlement of Magdalenian people. Inhabited 15,000 10,000 years ago. Walls adorned with 110 paintings and engravings of animals and symbols. Grotte de Cussac Dordogne. Cave with more than 150 Palaeolithic artworks, found also remains of at least five people. Burials made circa 25,000 years ago. Grotte de Font-De-Gaume Aquitaine. Cave with beautiful prehistoric paintings and engravings in total 230 figures. Cave was inhabited since 25,000 BC. Paintings made circa 17,000 BC. Beautiful frieze of five bisons. Grotte de la Mairie Dordogne. Cave with more than 40 paintings from Magdalenian period, 11,500 BP. Dravings mostly show animals. Grotte de la Mouthe Dordogne. Grottoe with cave art more than 200 depictions of animals from Upper Palaeolithic. Grotte de Lascaux Aquitaine. Group of caves with some of the best known Palaeolithic polychrome paintings in the world. Paintings made circa 15,300 BC. Mostly drawn large animals. Grotte de Pair-non-Pair Gironde. Small cave with some 30,000 years old drawings. Currently seen 10 drawings, earlier were visible more than 60. Shown pairs of mammoths, aurochs, deers, horses, also other animals. Grotte de Rouffignac Aquitaine. 8,000 m long cave system in chalk. Contains paintings and engravings of Magdalenian period, more than 13,000 years old. One of the largest painted caves in Europe, also one of the longest caves in sandstone worldwide. Electric train inside the caves. Grotte de Saint-Cirq (Grotte du Sorcier) Dordogne. Cave with engravings from Solutrian and Magdalenian periods in total 15 engravings of animals and abstract symbols. One of drawings shows also a sorcerer. Engravings created circa 17,000 15,000 BC. This small cave has been used also as wine cellar over the last centuries. Grotte des Combarelles Dordogne. 237 m long cave withmore than 400 prehistoric paintings of animals. Upper Palaeolithic settlement. Grottes dIsturitz et dOxocelhaya Pyrnes-Atlantiques. Two connected caves (600 m) which contain important archaeological heritage. Shelters were inhabited 80,000 10,000 BC, there are also artefacts from Medieval times. 80,000 years ago here were living also Neanderthals. Found flutes which are 35,000 10,000 years old. Walls of caves are adorned with prehistoric wall paintings and engravings.

Abri de la Madeleine and Petit Marzac Dordogne. Rock shelter, which has provided scientifically very important and exciting finds. This cave has given a name to Magdalenian culture. Here were found approximately 20,000 years old carvings from ivory. In Medieval times here was built a church, partly inside the cave, as well as a castle. Cro-Magnon Dordogne. Cave with remnants of prehistoric people from Upper Palaeolithic, discovered in 1868. This discovery had huge importance on the development of prehistoric archaeology. La Ferrassie Dordogne. Prehistoric site a grotto with shelter. Cultural layer is more than 10 m thick and contains artefacts of Middle Paleolithic (Mousterian) and later ages. Found burials of 7 Neanderthals. Cliff blocks with engravings.

Caves in Vzre valley. dynamosquito, Flickr. CC BY-SA 2.0

La Micoque Dordogne. Site of prehistoric settlement at the river with 6 distinct archaeological layers. Found very archaic stone tools of late Acheulian period. Inhabited circa 470,000 350,000 years ago. Laugerie Haute Dordogne. Cliff shelter ancient settlement, which was inhabited in 22,000 13,000 BC. Scientifically very important archaeological site a settlement of Gravettian, Solutrian, Badegoulien and Magdalenian periods. Here were discovered interesting smal statuettes. Le Moustier Dordogne. Prehistoric cave settlement (two shelters) of great importance to science. Here were discovered stone tools which were made 56,000 40,000 years ago and gave a name to Mousterian culture. Discovered also skeleton of Neanderthal, who lived here 45,000 years ago. Pierrefitte menhir Gironde. 5 m tall menhir. This stone weighs some 50 tons and was erected circa 3000 2500 BC.

Ainhoa Pyrnes-Atlantiques. Historical Basque village with the characteristic architecture. Mostly built in 17th 18th century. Interesting headstones in the village cemetery. Domme Dordogne. Fortified medieval town in picturesque location. In the fortress were imprisoned Knight Templars in 1307, who left numerous mysterious graffiti on the prison walls. Historic centre of Bordeaux Gironde. Exceptional monument of the 18th century architecture and city planning, one of the first examples of large scale city development projects in France.
Monflanquin. Bernardg, Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 3.0

La Roque-Gageac Dordogne. Medieval village, perched between a vertical cliff and Dordogne river. Part of structures are hewn into the cliff.

Monflanquin Lot-et-Garonne. Fortified medieval village with dense, compact urban network. Located on the top of a hill.

Sarlat-la-Canda medieval centre Dordogne. Very well preserved medieval centre of historical city, which developed around a monastery.

Chteau de Beynac Dordogne. Very well preserved medieval castle on a cliff above Dordogne River. Built in 12th century. Oldest part is a massive Romanesque keep. Valuable interiors. Picturesque town at the foot of mountain. Chteau de Biron Dordogne. Large, well preserved medieval castle. Castle built mainly in 12th century, extended in 16th century. Chteau de Bonaguil Lot-et-Garonne. Enormous castle in ruins. Built in the 13th century, rebuilt in 15th 16th centuries. Masterpiece of military architecture, never attacked.
Chteau de Bonaguil. Philip Capper, Flickr. CC BY 2.0

Chteau de Castelnaud-la-Chapelle Dordogne. Massive medieval fortress castle, built in 13th century and later.

Chteau de Commarque Dordogne. Ruins of enormous medieval castle on rocky outcrop. Initially in 12th century built as a wooden castle, extended in the time period up to the 14th century. Chteau de Fayrac Dordogne. Well preserved medieval castle, built in 15th 19th century. Chteau de la Brde Gironde. Gothic castle, built in 14th century. Romantic water castle. Montesquieu lived here and created most of his works. Chteau de la Grande Filolie Dordogne. Picturesque castle, built in 14th 16th century. Chteau de Pau Pyrnes-Atlantiques. Medieval castle, rebuilt in Renaissance style. Very ornate interiors. Now it houses museum with important art collections. Chteau de Puymartin Dordogne. Large, well preserved castle palace from 13th 19th century. Ghost stories. Chteau de Roquetaillade Gironde. Well preserved medieval castle. Built in 1306. Castle has got very ornate interiors. The same family owns the castle for more than 700 years. Chteau de Villandraut Gironde. Impressive castle ruins. Castle was built in 1305 1312. It had very ornate interior. Maison forte de Reignac Dordogne. The best preserved troglodythic castle in France a castle partly built into the cliff.

Chteau de Hautefort Dordogne. A Renaissance palace, reconstructed in the 17th century. Beautiful French gardens. Chteau de Losse Dordogne. Interesting Renaissance palace, built in 16th 18th century. Fortified, with historical furniture. Chteau of Antoine dAbbadie Pyrnes-Atlantiques. Interesting Neo-Gothic palace, built in 1864 1879.

The church in the Abbey of Sorde-lAbbaye Landes. Ancient abbey, founded in 960. The Romanesque church is very old as well the tower is built in 10th century, church itself mainly in 12th century. Valuable sculptures and mosaics. The church in the Abbey of Saint-Sever Landes. This abbey was an important arts centre in 11th century. The large Romanesque church is built in 11th century and has preserved polychrome capitels, adorned with lions. Cadouin Abbey and church Dordogne. A monastery, founded in 1115. The massive Romanesque church was consecrated in 1154. Beautiful cloister with richly carved capitels. Abbey owned a relic a purported shroud of Christ and thus it was a place of pilgrimage. This shroud is very old and has historical improtance but certainly is not a shroud of Christ.

Prigueux St. Front Cathedral. Luidger, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Oloron St. Mary Cathedral Pyrnes-Atlantiques. Large and interesting Romanesque cathedral. Construction started in 1102, completed (by adding Gothic details) in 14th century. Interesting Romanesque stone carvings. Prigueux St. Front Cathedral Dordogne. Massive Romanesque Byzantine cathedral, built after 1120 and rebuilt in 19th century. Church has five domes. Saint Front Prigueux Cathedral Dordogne. Largest church in the south-western part of France. Constructed in 12th century in Romanesque and Byzantine styles. A planning of the church is typical for Byzantine churches what is very unusual in France. Saint-Emilion monolithic church Gironde. Rock-cut church, made in 11th century. The hall is surprisingly large.

Bayonne Cathedral Pyrnes-Atlantiques. Large Gothic cathedral. Construction begun in the 13th century, completed by 17th century. The original church has been considerably rebuilt. Bazas Cathedral Gironde. cathedral, designed after the great Northern France and built in 13th Especially valuable is the portal sculptures. Beautiful Gothic cathedrals of the 14th centuries. with numerous

Bazas Cathedral, adornment of portal. Ophelia2, Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 3.0

Saint-Michel Basilica, Bordeaux Gironde. Interesting Gothic church, built in 14th 16th century. The tower stands separately from the church -it is 114 m high. The church itself is large as well 75 m long, with 23 m high nave.

Eyrignac Manor gardens Dordogne. Some of the most beautiful gardens in France, gradually developed and well tended since the 18th century.

Jardins de Marqueyssac Dordogne. Magnificent historical gardens with amazing topiaries.

Cabanes du Breuil Dordogne. A group of interesting dry stone buildings used as agricultural summer houses. Possibly built in medieval times. Cordouan lighthouse Gironde. Very old, impressive lighthouse, built in 1584 1611. The structure is 67.5 m tall and has features of Renaissance architecture style, including a very rich ornamentation of interiors. Croix Cyclique dHendaye Pyrnes-Atlantiques. A cross in the centre of Hendaye town. It is adorned with mysterious alchemic symbols and has casued much interest among people willing to decipher it. Cross was hewn in the 17th century. Grand Thtre de Bordeaux Gironde. Large theatre building with Neo-Classical facade, built in 1780.

Cabanes du Breuil. Manfred Heyde, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Muse Bonnat Pyrnes-Atlantiques, Bayonne. One of the best art galleries in southern France with rich collections of Spanish painting and 19th century French art.