ARIÈGE – the land ARIÈGE – the land that time forgot changed,’ she asks, upping her volume so we can hear the echo. ‘Our ancestors couldn’t see very far with their flaming torches, but they would have sensed that they’d come to a high cavern. Now … keep your lights off, but look towards me.’ Suddenly she turns her own lamp back on, the beam pointed at the floor, and I blink in the brightness. But as the light moves up the wall, my eyes open wide. Galloping across the rocky contours are horses, bison, and ibex, each one so skilfully outlined that I half expect them to canter off into the darkness with a snort and a shake of the head. No wonder we’ve been told not to touch the walls. For these are not replicas, but the real deal, painted 14,000 years ago by Cro-Magnon man here in the ‘Salon Noir’ of the Grotte de Niaux. The cave is open throughout the year, but numbers are closely regulated to preserve the environment, so pre-booking is essential at sites-touristiques-ariege.fr. The Grotte de Niaux is a highlight of any visit to the department of Ariège in the Occitanie region. Today it is one of the most rural departments in France with a population of barely 153,000. But whilst Ariège may not seem crowded now, in prehistoric times the limestone cliffs near the river were positively buzzing. Along with Lot and Dordogne, Ariège is one of the three most important departments in France for prehistoric sites. Not just Niaux but a number of sites including the Mas d’Azil, today a drive-through cave but once a refuge for rhinoceros, mammoths and men, although not, one assumes, at the same time. Foix, the county town of Ariège, is less than 100km from Toulouse airport and just 80 from Carcassonne, and yet many Francophiles have never heard of it. But if you like stunning landscapes and ancient history, character small towns and time-honoured traditions, put Ariège high on your To Do list. My face-to-face with the region’s extinct wildlife took place just outside the small town of Tarascon-sur-Ariège. Here the Parc de la Préhistoire is the perfect complement to the cave at Niaux with its interactive exhibits and demonstrations. And for anyone who doesn’t do dark caves, a replica of the paintings at Niaux brings that Magdalanian magic vividly to life, with the added bonus of artwork found in galleries not often on show to the general public. Mirepoix © Stéphane Meurisse, Tourisme Ariege Pyrenees Nestled beneath the snow-covered peaks of the Pyrenees, Ariège is a department relatively unknown even by the French says Gillian Thornton as she explores its many treasures… Peintures Niaux © Stéphane Meurisse, Ariege Pyrenees Tourisme Standing in pitch darkness deep inside a mountain, I’m not sure what to expect next. A few minutes ago I was in the bright sunshine of the Ariège valley, now I’m inside a cave with only a hand-held lamp to light the way through a gloomy cavern. There are no stalagmites, no stalactites, in fact not very much of anything as we walk along the dry riverbed. And the guide has told our small group to turn off the flashlights. The blackness is absolute and it’s strangely disorienting. ‘Can you hear how the acoustics have Tarascon-sur-Ariege 28 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 29
