However, as exciting as Lascaux II was, it reached its limits too. The region therefore chose to create another facsimile of the cave by creating the International Center of Parietal Art : Lascaux IV. (the name "Lascaux III" is dedicated to an international traveling exhibition).
Staying at a campsite in Lascaux will enable you to learn about this incredible discovery and its circumstances, not to mention its object itself obviously, i.e. the amazing wall paintings. In addition to the incredible quality of the reproduction of the cave and its paintings in their entirety, this new version is more than a reproduction but a real center of interpretation of parietal art using new technologies such as augmented reality or 3D.
The discovery of the cave will be completed by a dive into the rock art. The brand new building is a masterly construction set against a hillside, with a vegetated roof to create the illusion it is in the continuity of the landscape. Whether visiting the facsimile cave and paintings, or not, part of the building will be free to the public, offering a superb view of Montignac and the valley of the Vézère.
To visit this new site of Lascaux, all the campsites of Périgord, but most particularly the campsites of Lascaux obviously, await you. According to your preferences, you will find campsites with swimming pools and heated water parks, restaurants etc. or more traditional, charming campsites with rental accommodation or with pitches for your caravan or your tent, and always in natural settings - that's the guarantee when you decide to go camping in Lascaux!
This is probably the most mandatory stage, if there ever was one, of your vacation in Dordogne: we're talking about staying at a campsite in Lascaux of course!
The story of the cave's discovery is now part of the French popular mythology: in 1940, as they were strolling, and as Robot, the dog owned by one of them, was chasing a rabbit, 4 teenagers accidentally discovered a narrow hole - about 20 cms. It seemd to be communicating to a larger cavity - the rabbit they were running after took shelter in it and the rocks they threw to get it out of it were falling down deep... 4 days later, one of them named Marcel Ravidat, returned to the spot with 3 other friends of his, in order to make the hole wider and see what it might hide. That's how they got in and discovered the first paintings. Rapidly, local officials realized the incredible archaeological value of this cave of Lascaux, with its fantastic murals. They were very soon considered it one of the greatest masterpieces of parietal art, so the cave instantly became very popular. So much so that in 1963 it was decided to close it to the public, due to the important damage caused by millions of visitors over the last 15 years. In order not to deprive the tourists of this incomparable site, many of whom were staying nearby, at the campsites of Lascaux, it was decided to create a facsimile of the cave: Lascaux II. The latter became equally successful and attracted millions of visitors to Montignac.
