Just south of Tarascon, by the aluminium plant, the D8 cuts up right into the green valley of the Vicdessos past the riverside remains of a Catalan ironworks. The hamlet of NIAUX lies in the valley bottom, 5km further on. The tiny settlement has an interesting Musée Pyrénéen (daily: July & Aug 9am–8pm; Sept–June 10am–noon & 2–6pm; €7), with an unrivalled collection of tools, furnishings, old photos and odds and ends illustrating the vanished traditions of peasant Ariège.But the real reason people descend on the little hamlet is for the Grotte de Niaux, a huge cave complex under an enormous rock overhang high on the south flank of the valley (by reservation only, April to mid-Nov daily; mid-Nov to March Wed–Sun; tel 05.61.05.88.37; €9). There are about 4km of galleries in all, with paintings of the Magdalenian period (circa 11,000 BC) widely scattered throughout, although the twenty people allowed in the cave at any one time are led through just a fraction of the complex. The paintings you can see are in a vast chamber, a slippery 800-metre walk from the entrance of the cave along a subterranean river bed. No colour is used to depict the subjects – horses, ibex, stags and bison – just a dark outline and shading to give body to the drawings, which have been executed with a "crayon" made of bison fat and manganese oxide. They are an extraordinary mix of bold impressionistic strokes and delicate attention to detail: the nostrils, pupils and the tendons on the inner thighs of the bison are all drawn in. Reserve as far ahead as possible – this is deservedly the Pyrenees' most popular cave. The village of ALLIAT, right across the valley from Niaux, is home to La Grotte de la Vache (Easter–June & Sept daily except Tues 2.30–4pm; July & Aug daily 10am–5.30pm; Oct–Easter by appointment, tel 05.61.05.95.06; www.grotte-de-la-vache.org; €7), a relatively rare example of an inhabited cave where you can observe hearths, bones, tools and other remnants in situ. If you want to stay locally, there's a well-equipped but somewhat expensive campsite, Les Grottes (tel 05.61.05.88.21; closed mid-Sept to May), in the village. Although it can't compete with visiting the caves themselves, the Parc Pyrénéen de l'Art Préhistorique (April–June, Sept & Oct Mon–Fri 10am–6pm, Sat & Sun 10am–7pm; July & Aug daily 10am–8pm; €9), a few kilometres west of Tarascon on the road to Banat, provides a remarkable overview of cave art. Highlight is the "Grand Atelier", a compelling multimedia exploration including recreations of Niaux's inaccessible Clastres system, with its enigmatic footprints, and the famous "Salon Noir" as it would have looked to its creators 10,000 years ago. The surrounding landscaped park, complete with Magdalenian flower meadow, footprints stream and hunting panorama, continues the prehistoric theme.
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