Decorated Cave of Pont d’Arc, known as Grotte Chauvet-Pont d’Arc, Ardèche
Cultural
1426
2014
Cultural
Decorated Cave of Pont d’Arc, known as Grotte Chauvet-Pont d’Arc, Ardèche is a UNESCO World Heritage cultural, inscribed in 2014 (WHS 1426).
Criteria & Perimeter
Inscription criteria
(i)(iii)
Category
Cultural
Summary
Located in a limestone plateau of the Ardèche River in southern France, the property contains the earliest-known and best-preserved figurative drawings in the world, dating back as early as the Aurignacian period (30,000–32,000 BP), making it an exceptional testimony of prehistoric art. The cave was closed off by a rock fall approximately 20,000 years BP and remained sealed until its discovery in 1994, which helped to keep it in pristine condition. Over 1,000 images have so far been inventoried on its walls, combining a variety of anthropomorphic and animal motifs. Of exceptional aesthetic quality, they demonstrate a range of techniques including the skilful use of shading, combinations of paint and engraving, anatomical precision, three-dimensionality and movement. They include several dangerous animal species difficult to observe at that time, such as mammoth, bear, cave lion, rhino, bison and auroch, as well as 4,000 inventoried remains of prehistoric fauna and a variety of human footprints.
Monuments in the Zone
Selection of protected monuments
- Immeuble de Châteaudun — Châteaudun
- Maison de Aubigny-sur-Nère — Aubigny-sur-Nère
- Domaine de Saint-Brisson — Saint-Brisson-sur-Loire
- Eglise paroissiale Saint-Martin — Rilly-sur-Vienne
- Château de la Bourgonnière — Bouzillé
- Halle de Aschères-le-Marché — Aschères-le-Marché
- Eglise de Réaumur — Réaumur
- Fuie de Saint-Sornin de Saint-Vincent-sur-Graon — Saint-Vincent-sur-Graon
- Voie gallo-romaine dite voie de Jules César ou chemin de Chartres (également sur communes de Verdes, Membrolles et La Colombe) — Semerville
- Eglise de Beaumont-sur-Sarthe — Beaumont-sur-Sarthe
- Menhir du Pré-Doux de Notre-Dame-de-Riez — Notre-Dame-de-Riez
- Maison de Blois — Blois
- Eglise Saint-Pierre de Vimory — Vimory
- Chapelle Saint-Etienne — Nantes
- Moulin Tosset de Griselles — Griselles
Appellations of the Landscape
Most-reviewed Loire appellations
| Appellation | Avg score | Reviews | Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sancerre | 89.3 | 554 | White |
| Muscadet Sèvre et Maine | 88.6 | 237 | White |
| Pouilly-Fumé | 89.6 | 153 | White |
| Vouvray | 88.4 | 153 | White |
| Touraine | 86.3 | 85 | White |
| Chinon | 88.7 | 72 | Red |
| Menetou-Salon | 87.3 | 69 | White |
| Crémant de Loire | 87.5 | 54 | Sparkling |
| Val de Loire | 85.6 | 41 | White |
| Saumur | 88.4 | 40 | White |
| Anjou | 87.6 | 36 | White |
| Rosé d'Anjou | 84 | 35 | Rosé |
Data source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre (data.culture.gouv.fr). Last updated: April 14, 2026.