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Source de Fontestorbes
Trip No.200 Entry No.22 Date Added: 17th Jun 2020
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring
Country: France (Midi:Ariège (09))
Visited: Yes on 24th Apr 2000. My rating: Access 5
Source de Fontestorbes submitted by thecaptain on 28th Feb 2006. The intermittent Source de Fontestorbes in full flow.
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Log Text: Lovely sunny day exploring in the Ariege hills. Puivert castle. Fontestorbes intermittent spring fascinating. Montsegur Castle. Pass de ? closed. Plain de ? Ax-les-Thermes, Col de Portel, scary roads. Mas D’Azil. Toulouse late.
Parc Pyrénéen de l'Art Préhistorique
Trip No.205 Entry No.75 Date Added: 15th Jun 2020
Site Type: Museum
Country: France (Midi:Ariège (09))
Visited: Yes on 11th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 5
Parc Pyrénéen de l'Art Préhistorique submitted by theCaptain on 16th Jul 2012. The entrance as seen from the car park.
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Log Text: This is a wonderful day out, in a beautifully landscaped park in the wonderful Pyrenees. The visit starts in the Grand Atelier, a sort of museum of prehistoric artwhich explains all the whys and wheres of prehistoric art, not only in this region, but all over the world.
There is a special emphasis on the nearby Grotte de Niaux, and there is an excellent model of the cave to be seen. There are all sorts of audiovisual items to be seen, and the visitor is guided round with a pair of infrared headphones which pick up signals from each display. There are lots of full size recreations of parts of Niaux, including the footprints in one deep section which are not seen in the real cave visit, and copies of many of the animal paintings, including the solitary known weasel. The visit round this museum part (in my case a very interesting hour and a half) with a full size recreation of the Salon Noir from the Grotte de Niaux, with all its Buffalo and other animals. Fantastic.
Outside, in the wonderfully landscaped park, are all sorts of activities for all to take part in. There are demonstrations of archaeological techniques, footprint recognition, a musical maze, a prehistoric camp with many types of shelter recreated, with firemaking and flint knapping. Then there are hunting displays which include types of propulseur from around the world (and have a go at throwing your own spear using one - and yes, I would have gone home with dinner!), and even have a go yourself at cave painting, with demonstrations of the various techniques. This sort of museum is something I am realising that the French do very well.
All of this takes you on a lovely walk through beautiful scenery too, with grasslands, woodland, lakes and a lovely cave section - complete with footprints, fossils, idols and waterfalls. I just loved it here. I thought that I would quickly rush round the place, but spent nearly all day here. It even has a decent restaurant and a good shop, which unfortunately means buying more books! Thoroughly recommended as a top day out for all.
Musée de Mas-d'Azil
Trip No.205 Entry No.73 Date Added: 15th Jun 2020
Site Type: Museum
Country: France (Midi:Ariège (09))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 10th Sep 2005. My rating: Access 5
Musée de Mas-d'Azil submitted by theCaptain on 29th Nov 2010. In the village of Mas d'Azil is the natural history museum. Its in a nicely kept building just off the main village square, opposite the roofed market place right outside the church.
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Log Text: In the village of Mas d'Azil is the natural history museum. Its in a nicely kept building just off the main village square, opposite the roofed market place right outside the church. As it was late in the day I didn’t go in. I think that if you do the caves tour, the museum visit is included for free.
Grotte de La Vache
Trip No.205 Entry No.76 Date Added: 15th Jun 2020
Site Type: Cave or Rock Shelter
Country: France (Midi:Ariège (09))
Visited: Yes on 11th Sep 2005. My rating: Access 4
Grotte de La Vache submitted by TheCaptain on 24th Nov 2010. Part of the Grotte de La Vache, opposite side of the valley to the Grotte de Niaux, in Ariège.
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Log Text: Just opposite to the Grotte de Niaux, on the other side of the valley, is the Grotte de la Vache, with its celebrated Salle de Monique. The cave is open for visits at €8 a time, but because I had spent so long at the nearby Parc Pyrénéen de l'Art Préhistorique, the visits had finished for the day when I arrived.
The information at the cave states that it is the smallest cave open for visits in the Pyrenees, but has had the most finds and articles taken from it. Amongst these are many engraved bones and antlers, including the famous lions. Within the cave is a description of life during the Magdaleinean, 13,000 years ago, with workshops etc held around the fireplace.
To get here, park in the village of Alliat, and then its about a 500 metre easy walk around the hillside. The cave is signposted from all around.
Brillaud Dolmen
Trip No.205 Entry No.72 Date Added: 15th Jun 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Midi:Ariège (09))
Visited: Yes on 10th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3
Brillaud dolmen submitted by theCaptain on 20th Dec 2010. First view of the dolmen. arriving from the east along a well maintained and signed footpath along a lovely ridgetop.
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Log Text: At Cap-Del Pouech, I looked carefully at my maps and found that I could drive halfway to this dolmen and hopefully park up by La Page farm, which will save on the walking. From there, it was a 25 minute walk along a well maintained and signed footpath along a lovely ridgetop, but difficult underfoot on the bare and slippery limestone and mud.
It is in fact two dolmens, both within most of their stony mounds which are adjoined. The east dolmen has a chamber 3 metres by 1.5 metres, open towards the east, with two side slabs and a capstone still in place. The back stone has broken and fallen. The western dolmen is a bit of a wreck, and only faint remains of the chamber can be seen. The overall mound is about 20 metres in length, by 10 metres wide, and seems to have some large slabs in its perimeter, defining the outside shape.
On a good day, the views from up here would be superb, the high Pyrenees to the south, and the plain of Toulouse to the north, but today its just clouds. Good job I didnt try and get to the third (Couminges) dolmen on the walk, as its already 5:30 by the time I get back to the van !
Grotte de Mas D'Azil
Trip No.200 Entry No.1 Date Added: 15th Jun 2020
Site Type: Cave or Rock Shelter
Country: France (Midi:Ariège (09))
Visited: Yes on 27th Feb 2000. My rating: Access 5
Grotte de Mas D'Azil submitted by thecaptain on 13th Dec 2003. The southern, upstream, entrance to the magnificent cave at Mas D'Azil, Ariege, southwest France.
The river takes a shortcut through the hillside here, and has created a massive cave, which is so big that a fairly large road also runs through the cave.
Within this cave were found signs of life going back tens of thousands of years, and indeed the world famous Faon aux Oiseaux spear thrower. The finds here gave the name Azilian to an entire prehistoric culture.
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Log Text: Drive south into the lower mountains from Toulouse. Visit St Sulpice, Mas D’Azil, many mountain roads, Foix, Pont du Diable.
Grotte de Niaux
Trip No.200 Entry No.10 Date Added: 15th Jun 2020
Site Type: Cave or Rock Shelter
Country: France (Midi:Ariège (09))
Visited: Yes on 2nd Apr 2000. My rating: Access 4
Grotte de Niaux submitted by thecaptain on 14th Aug 2008. Bison inside the Grotte de Niaux.
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Log Text: Grotte de Niaux near Tarascon in Ariège. Check out the world famous Niaux caves for a possible visit soon. The main entrance to the fabulous Niaux cave used for visitors is now further up the hillside than it once was. In ancient times, there would have been several lower, smaller entrances.
Grotte de la Petite Caougno
Trip No.200 Entry No.11 Date Added: 15th Jun 2020
Site Type: Cave or Rock Shelter
Country: France (Midi:Ariège (09))
Visited: Yes on 2nd Apr 2000. My rating: Ambience 4 Access 5
Grotte de la Petite Caougno submitted by thecaptain on 14th Feb 2005. The main entrance to the fabulous Niaux cave used for visitors is now further up the hillside than it once was. In ancient times, there would have been several lower, smaller entrances. This picture is of one of the small side entrances to a cave shelter in the vicinity, in which ancient remains have been found.
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Log Text: Drive S through Pyrénées mountains to Andorra. Lots of snow at top of pass. Look at Ax-les-Thermes, Niaux and other caves on way back, investigating the possibility of a full visit to Niaux.
This is a small cave shelter beside the little road up to the modern Niaux entrance, in which ancient remains have been found.
I am sure I saw a bear wandering around in one of the fields below.
Grotte de Lombrives
Trip No.200 Entry No.13 Date Added: 15th Jun 2020
Site Type: Cave or Rock Shelter
Country: France (Midi:Ariège (09))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 2nd Apr 2000
Grotte de Lombrives submitted by durhamnature on 18th Nov 2012. Section of the cave at Lombrives, from "Anthropologie" via archive.org
Site in Midi:Ariège (09) France
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Log Text: Drive S through Pyrénées mountains to Andorra. Lots of snow at top of pass. Look at Ax-les-Thermes, Niaux and other caves on way back, checking out the possibilities of a proper visit.
Source de Fontestorbes
Trip No.205 Entry No.78 Date Added: 15th Jun 2020
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring
Country: France (Midi:Ariège (09))
Visited: Yes on 11th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 5
Source de Fontestorbes submitted by thecaptain on 28th Feb 2006. The intermittent Source de Fontestorbes in full flow.
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Log Text: This is a very interesting place, one of only a few known examples in the world, with its intermittant spring gushing from a cave in a cliff face beside the road, well signposted a kilometre or so to the south of the little Pyrenean town of Belesta. In the dry summer months, due to a complex and not fully understood syphoning mechanism, the spring alternates between full flowing river, and barely a trickle, on an approximately hourly cycle for about 4 months of the year.
The place has been well done up since I was last here 5 years ago, with new parking area, a pedestrian bridge built over the stream, and a building with shop and cafe facilities, with more planned such as a picnic site and nature walk, and there were quite a lot of people here.
When I arrived, the spring was gushing quite a lot, the water easily covering the little steps across the entrance into the cave, just as it was every other time I have visited here in the past (I think I have been here about 4 times before, and never seen the spring dry up). So I went for a look round the little info centre, which now has a bar and lots of information about various tourist places and things, and was being run by a nice friendly couple, and it even has information leaflets about the spring in English these days. This explains the best understanding of the springs working, and states that it does not start cycling until after a long dry spell in the summer (I had always been in spring or early summer before).
As I left the centre, and had another look at the spring, it seemed to be slowing down. After another 5 minutes, the flow had lowered enough that a chap could walk across the steps and into the cave. Ten minutes later, it had slowed right down to a trickle, allowing people to walk across the stepping stones into the cave. It was not easy to see where the water comes from, it must be somewhere under the floor of the pond.
As would be expected of such a strange place, it has been revered since time immemorial, and of course there are many legends and stories associated with it. Excellent, I have at last seen this thing at work !
Grotte de Lombrives
Trip No.205 Entry No.74 Date Added: 15th Jun 2020
Site Type: Cave or Rock Shelter
Country: France (Midi:Ariège (09))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 11th Sep 2005
Grotte de Lombrives submitted by durhamnature on 18th Nov 2012. Section of the cave at Lombrives, from "Anthropologie" via archive.org
Site in Midi:Ariège (09) France
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Log Text: This is said to be the biggest cave in Europe, and has a complex arrangement of 25 different types of visit. Or in my case, none at all !
Cap-Del Pouech Dolmen
Trip No.205 Entry No.71 Date Added: 15th Jun 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Midi:Ariège (09))
Visited: Yes on 10th Sep 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4
Cap-Del Pouech dolmen submitted by thecaptain on 13th Dec 2003. Cap-Del Pouech dolmen near Mas D'Azil, Ariege, southwest France.
I am not 100% sure whether this is the Cap del Pouech dolmen or another. I parked at the Southern entrance to the cave and followed a marked walking trail up and over the hill above the cave, following signs to the dolmen. There were other dolmens signposted in the area.
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Log Text: Decided its silly to have come to Mas d'Azil and not gone to visit the dolmen, as it is signposted from the village, and you can drive up a narrow windy lane almost right to it, and theres a place to park just a few hundred metres from the dolmen.
It looks to me to have been re-erected at some point in the past, with one of its little supports possibly being concreted in. A large limestone capstone, 3.5 metres by 2.5 metres, sits high on top of 4 support stones, one backstone, one large and two smaller side stones. The chamber is 2.5 by 1.5 metres, and positioned on a little limestone outcrop with possibly some traces of a cairn around it.
Unfortunately, the poor thing has succumbed to the usual problems of graffitti and broken beer bottles. The dolmen de Brillaud is signposted from here, and I am tempted.....
Grotte de Niaux
Trip No.205 Entry No.77 Date Added: 15th Jun 2020
Site Type: Cave or Rock Shelter
Country: France (Midi:Ariège (09))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 11th Sep 2005. My rating: Access 4
Grotte de Niaux submitted by thecaptain on 14th Aug 2008. Bison inside the Grotte de Niaux.
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Log Text: The world famous cave, known for its tremendous paintings of bison and horses, is easily found just up a small valley to the west of Tarascon, and is signposted from all around, you can hardly miss it. The cave is up the hillside from the village of Niaux with its museum, and is situated opposite to the Grotte de la Vache.
The modern day entrance, with its rusting iron "artwork" is high up the hillside in an enormous opening, which was not the original entrance to the cave in ancient times, which was further down in the valley. Visits are year round, but only a few people are allowed in on any day to help preserve the conditions inside, so it is usually necessary to book your visit in advance.
Grotte de Mas D'Azil
Trip No.200 Entry No.25 Date Added: 18th Jun 2020
Site Type: Cave or Rock Shelter
Country: France (Midi:Ariège (09))
Visited: Yes on 24th Apr 2005. My rating: Access 5
Grotte de Mas D'Azil submitted by thecaptain on 13th Dec 2003. The southern, upstream, entrance to the magnificent cave at Mas D'Azil, Ariege, southwest France.
The river takes a shortcut through the hillside here, and has created a massive cave, which is so big that a fairly large road also runs through the cave.
Within this cave were found signs of life going back tens of thousands of years, and indeed the world famous Faon aux Oiseaux spear thrower. The finds here gave the name Azilian to an entire prehistoric culture.
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Log Text: A lovely sunny day to explore the Ariege mountains. Puivert castle. Fontestorbes. Montsegur Castle. Pass de ? closed. Plain de ? Ax-les-Thermes, Col de Portel, scary roads. The usual drive through of Mas D’Azil on the way home to impress visitors. Get back to Toulouse late.
Montségur
Trip No.200 Entry No.36 Date Added: 18th Jun 2020
Site Type: Ancient Village or Settlement
Country: France (Midi:Ariège (09))
Visited: Yes on 14th May 2000
Montségur submitted by thecaptain on 16th Feb 2005. Montségur Pog, seen here from the southwest, has been inhabited and defended since neolithic times.
But it is more well known for its Cathar castle, and as the site of the slaughter of the last of the Cathars by the catholic church in 1244.
The Castle dungeon has a strange solar event each summer solstice, as the first rays of the rising sun shine right through the two arrow slots on one side, and straight out through two others on the far side. Was this built into it deliberately ? One mi...
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Log Text: Dad over to Toulouse for a long weekend. Explore Mirepoix. Montsegur, Couiza, Rennes-le-Chateau, very strange place. Gorges St George upper Aude valley, Col de Pailleres (2001m). Ax-les-Thermes, Tarascon, Foix, and back to Toulouse.
Musée Fenaille
Trip No.203 Entry No.183 Date Added: 19th Apr 2020
Site Type: Museum
Country: France (Midi:Aveyron (12))
Visited: Yes on 29th May 2005. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 5 Access 5
Musée Fenaille submitted by thecaptain on 4th Jul 2005. The Fenaille museum in Rodez, Aveyron, which has the most wonderful collection of statue menhirs from the region.
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Log Text: This magnificent museum is found in the old city of Rodez, inside a beautiful old building which is as much part of the museum as all the collections of items within it. The museum is perhaps best known for its superb collection of statue menhirs, extremely well presented on the top floor, but there is much more besides.
Genévrier Dolmen
Trip No.203 Entry No.153 Date Added: 16th Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Midi:Aveyron (12))
Visited: Yes on 26th May 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4
Genévrier dolmen submitted by thecaptain on 4th Jul 2005. Genévrier dolmen 1, Salles-la-Source, Aveyron.
The village community of Salles-la-Source, is known to have 66 burial mounds and dolmens within its boundary. There are probably more, which makes it the richest parish in the whole of France.
But most of them are not much more than piles of stone with a chamber inside, like this one.
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Log Text: Up on the causse above Salles-la-Sources are supposed to be 66 dolmens. There is supposed to be a dolmen trail with map and information available. But I found no such thing. I couldn’t even buy a 1:25000 map of the area (which is notably right on the corner of four. But there is a lovely cascade down over a cliff edge, with a splendid pool at the bottom, and caves going back into the rock. Theres lots of that calcitic stuff that you get like those falls in Croatia. I spent quite some time here in the shade, watching the swallows building and feeding young on the cliffs.
There is a signpost towards this dolmen, but when you get nearby, there are no more signs. I found a mound nearby the road which was larger than most of the other multitudes of mounds round here, so stopped for a look. The mound is probably about 25 metres in diameter, and up to 4 metres high. There is the remains of a chamber in the centre, about 5 metres in length, 1.5 metres wide, with a nice capstone in place. it opens to the east at 085°.
Buzareingues dolmen 2
Trip No.203 Entry No.169 Date Added: 16th Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Midi:Aveyron (12))
Visited: Yes on 26th May 2005. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4
Buzareingues dolmen 2 submitted by thecaptain on 28th Nov 2005. Buzareingues 2 dolmen, these days not much more than a broken capstone.
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Log Text: This dolmen is a wreck, just really the broken remains of a capstone, although the remains of one of the side slabs can be made out. As with its much better condition neighbour, it aligns towards the east, facing directly to a significant hill, the Puech de las Fadès, with a cliff face and what looks to be a shaped top.
Buzareingues Dolmen 1
Trip No.203 Entry No.168 Date Added: 16th Apr 2020
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Country: France (Midi:Aveyron (12))
Visited: Yes on 26th May 2005. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4
Buzareingues dolmen 1 submitted by thecaptain on 28th Nov 2005. Buzareingues 1 dolmen is a nice little thing, still almost completely contained within its mound.
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Log Text: This is a lovely little dolmen sitting on top of a nice little mound, which is still a couple of metres high, but which is not much larger than the by now standard chamber 4 metres long, 1.8 metres wide, facing 104°. It aligns directly to a significant hill, the Puech de las Fadès, which has a significant cliff face and what looks to be a shaped top, to which many legends are attached. It is quite easily found, and signposted, but there isnt anywhere to park a camper van without obstructing the track, so I was in a bit of a hurry here.
Puech de las Fadès
Trip No.203 Entry No.170 Date Added: 16th Apr 2020
Site Type: Hillfort
Country: France (Midi:Aveyron (12))
Visited: Saw from a distance on 26th May 2005
Puech de las Fadès submitted by thecaptain on 29th Nov 2005. Puech de las Fadès, or Hill of the Fairies in the local Occitain language.
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Log Text: A significant hill of the region, which at the top has some significant cliff faces, making it an obvious place for a defended settlement in ancient times. Puech de las Fadès means Hill of the Fairies in the local Occitain language, and many stories and legends abound about the fairies who live on the hill, who are said to have built the nearby Buzareingues and Galitorte dolmens.