About this site
My name is Élise Marty. I’m 41 years old, I was born in Cahors and grew up between Cabrerets and Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, where my mother ran a guesthouse. I’ve visited the Pech Merle cave about fifteen times, the first when I was in fourth grade. This site is my answer to the questions I’ve been asked for twenty years: should you book, how long does it take, how to get there without a car, and is it as good as Lascaux.
What this site is not
This is not the website for the Pech Merle Prehistory Center. The official website is pechmerle.com, the official ticket office is reservation.pechmerle.com, and the Center’s phone number is +33 5 65 31 27 05. I have no affiliation with them, I do not sell tickets, and I cannot modify or cancel a reservation. For today’s opening hours, please check their site—not here: I provide the hours for information only, and they are subject to change.
What this site does
He explains the cave as it is, based on what the Centre de préhistoire publishes, the work of Michel Lorblanchet and the writings of Abbé Lemozi, and he compares the GetYourGuide excursions that allow you to visit it without a car, particularly the excursion from Cahors, which includes entry and transport. I also mention what’s not so great: the introductory film is dated, the shop is expensive, Saint-Cirq is packed in the late afternoon in summer, and the visit is short compared to the journey. When an excursion has no reviews yet, I write about it instead of making them up. My way of reading reviews is described on the reviews page.
How the site is funded
Through the GetYourGuide affiliate programme: if you book an excursion after clicking a link on this site, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This covers hosting and the time spent. It doesn’t influence my recommendations, and the simplest proof is that I direct you to the official ticket office whenever you have a car and don’t need an excursion. Full details are on the affiliation page.
A mistake, a correction, or a changed schedule? Write to me.