the rock climbing centre for the ariège pyrenees
The area is one of the cradles of
the humanity and Niaux's cave invites you in a moving journey into the
past to find the life, the tracks and the paintings of our ancestors of
13000 years ago. Niaux is one of the rare decorated caves still opened
to the public.
The local caves also
conceal the underground river of Labouiche which can be toured by boat,
offering a cool alternative to the heat of the summer.
The Ariège has always served as a refuge:
For prehistoric man who sheltered in the many caves, for the catholic
heretics who defied the Church, and for resistance fighters, war-time
refugees and downed WWII pilots who eluded the Nazis to escape over the
mountains into Spain. And now for refugees from the stresses of modern
life.