Vallée des grottes de Saulges - Musée de préhistoire
Modern prehistory museum and guided visits to the Margot and Rochefort caves in the Erve valley in Mayenne.
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Over het museum
The prehistory museum, open since 2017, is located in the Erve valley in Mayenne, near the Margot and Rochefort caves. Excavations in these caves have yielded objects, bones and artistic remains from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic, which now form the collections. The site is run by the Communauté de communes des Coëvrons.
The Margot cave, one of 22 caves in the valley, is the only decorated prehistoric cave open to the public in western France and north of the Loire. Laid out for visitors as early as 1861 and listed as a historic monument since 1926, it is 319 m long. In 2003 archaeologists discovered Upper Paleolithic engravings there: horses, woolly rhinoceroses, bison and birds, as well as Gravettian paintings of hands, a bison and a deer.
The Rochefort cave formed in limestone around 300 million years old. An excavation carried out in 2001 uncovered a Solutrean settlement dating back about 22,000 years. The visit descends by miller's ladders to a chasm and an underground lake.
Hoogtepunten
- Margot cave: prehistoric engravings, the only decorated cave open to visitors in western France
- Rochefort cave: excavation site, a 15 m descent by ladders to a chasm and an underground lake
- Prehistory museum with archaeological display cases, touchscreens and a holographic showcase
- Immersive 3D reconstruction of the Mayenne-Sciences cave, closed to the public
- Mixed-reality experiences and a video game developed by the museum team
Vaste collectie
- Collections archéologiques du musée de Préhistoire – Stone tools, objects made of reindeer antler and shells, animal bones, cave art and Neolithic models, with digital modules and a 3D reconstruction of the Mayenne-Sciences cave.
- Opgericht
- 2017
- Beheerder
- Communauté de communes des Coëvrons
Toegangsprijzen & kortingen
| Volwassenen | € 5 |
|---|---|
| Met korting | € 3,50Children aged 5 to 18, adult students, job seekers, people with disabilities, holders of the large-family card, groups of 10 or more, and certain cards (May' Pass, CNAS, COS des Coëvrons, CEZAM, Club Employé, Am Happy), upon presentation of proof. |
| Kinderen & jongeren | € 3,50gratis t/m 4 jaar · Reduced rate for ages 5 to 18; free for ages 3 to 4 (museum on a free visit and visit to the Margot cave). |
| Mensen met een beperking | € 3,50Reduced rate upon presentation of a disability card. |
| Studenten | € 3,50Adult students, upon proof of enrollment. |
| Groepen (vanaf 10 pers.) | –Reduced rate from 10 people. |
| Museum – guided tour (adult and reduced rate) | € 6 |
| 1 cave, museum included – adult | € 12 |
| 1 cave, museum included – reduced rate | € 8 |
| 2 caves, museum included – adult | € 16 |
| 2 caves, museum included – reduced rate | € 11 |
| Outdoor activities | € 3 |
Base rate: museum on a free visit (€5 adults, €3.50 reduced), included in cave tickets. Online booking is mandatory for the caves (limited capacity); tickets may be sold on site depending on availability, but reservations by phone are not possible. Online payment by bank card only; at reception by bank card, cash, check (from €15) or ANCV Chèques-Vacances.
Toegankelijkheid
- Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
- Lift: geen informatie
- Aangepast toilet: geen informatie
- Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
- Hulphonden welkom
- Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
- Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
- Informatie in eenvoudige taal
- Audiodescriptie: geen informatie
The museum is fully accessible, with wheelchair access between the display cases. The caves are not accessible to visitors with reduced mobility or to strollers. An accessible parking space is located next to the museum's lower entrance (ring the intercom and show your disability card). An easy-read booklet is lent free of charge on request at reception. A sensory-focused guided tour of the valley is offered for blind and visually impaired visitors. The valley is classified as Natura 2000 and is only partially accessible.
Kinderen & gezin
Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen
| Bezoekduur | ca. 3 uur |
|---|---|
| Toegang kinderen | gratis t/m 4 jaar |
- Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
- Speurtocht, doeboekje of kinderaudiotour
- Doe- en voelstations
Margot cave is accessible from age 3, Rochefort cave from age 6. Free activity booklets are available at the museum on request (Kit Baby-Sapiens from age 2, booklet for ages 6 to 9, Hamok for ages 10 to 12, upon presentation of a child ticket). The caves are not accessible by stroller.
Bereikbaarheid & parkeren
Met de auto
Gratis parkeren
Free parking on arrival; the walk down to the museum reception and the cave entrances is on foot (except for visitors with reduced mobility). Coaches park at the far end of the parking lot.
- Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
Access by car, on foot or by bike only. Évron station is 25 minutes away by car, Laval station 40 minutes. By car: 40 minutes from Laval (D57 as far as Vaiges), 1 hour from Le Mans (A81, exit 1 Loué, then D357), 1 hour 30 minutes from Rennes. Bike rack beside the restaurant.
Route plannenService & horeca
- Restaurant
- Museumwinkel
Reception and shop at the prehistory museum; a restaurant appears on the valley map, and other eateries are listed nearby.
Evenementen & zaalverhuur
Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.
Je bezoek plannen
| Rondleidingen | ja · duur ca. 45 min. |
|---|---|
| Aanbod voor scholen | ja |
| Fotograferen | Photography is prohibited in the Margot cave; allowed in the Rochefort cave and in the museum. |
| Goed om te weten | Average time to visit both caves and the museum: 3 hours. Closed shoes and warm clothing are recommended for the caves. The museum ticket gives access all day to the collections and the current exhibition. Animals are not admitted to the caves or the museum, except guide dogs; they are welcome outside on a leash. Margot cave: about 40 minutes, 15 people maximum, low passages. Rochefort cave: accessible from age 6, descent by ladders, not recommended for visitors with vertigo or claustrophobia. |
