DIGITAL INTERPRETATION CENTRE "NESTPLORI@"

Google Maps:
43.062319, 0.537961

Type of site:
Interpretation center

Place of location: On the eastern boundary of the Department, between the towns of Lannemezan and Saint-Gaudens.
Village/Town: Aventignan
Municipality: Aventignan (Aventignan)
Region: Occitanie
State: France
Telephone: (+33) (0) 562 988 150
Website: http://www.grottes-isturitz.com/
E-mail: grottes.isturitz@mail.com

Natural Environment:

Gargas Caves are located on the side of a hill between the towns of Aventignan and Tibiran, in the foothills of the Pyrenees, and opposite the Lannemezan plateau. They form part of a karst with numerous cave systems. The tree-covered massif of Monteil dominates the valley of the River Neste, 2km upstream of its confluence with the River Garonne.

Archaeological evidences in the site:

Many archaeological sites are known around Gargas. Excavations have documented the human occupation of the area from the Acheulian (Lower Palaeolithic) to the periods of recent Prehistory (Metal Ages). The caves with rock art (Gargas, Tibiran, Gourdan and Labastide) and with occupation deposits (Lortet, Troubat) comprise an important and very significant group of Upper Palaeolithic sites.

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Opening Times:

September to June: open Tuesday to Sunday, 10.30 – 17.30. July and August: open every day, 10.00 – 18.00.

Booking and access:

Advance booking by telephone: 00 33 (0) 5 62 98 81 50, or by email: gargas.nestploria@nestploria.fr

Nearby cultural destinations:

Grand Site de Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges/Valcabrère. Pays d’Art et d’histoire des vallées d’Aure et du Louron. Gallo-Roman town of Montmaurin. Gargantas de la Save. Aurignac Museum-Forum.

Nearby natural destinations:

Gouffre d’Esparros. Natural Reserve of Néouvielle. Western Pyrenees National Park. Ski resorts in the Pyrenees: Nistos Cap Nestes, Baqueira, Saint-Lary and Peyragudes. “Les ôcybelles” ecological spa – Nestier

Accommodations (Tourism Website):

Restaurants (Tourism Website):

General description of the destination:

Opened in 2010, Nestploria Visitors’ Centre is a new centre, built to exhibit the questions and answers given by scientists to understand Gargas Cave. It has several displays with touch-screens so that visitors can see places in the interior of the caves that, for conservation reasons, remain closed to the public. The themes explored in the centre include hand-prints in rock art, research and study of rock art at Gargas, cave conservation, Palaeolithic engravings, and so on.

History of the site:

The cave was first studied by E. Cartailhac and H. Breuil, while the archaeological deposit is currently being excavated by a French-Spanish team supervised by Pascal Foucher. This work has documented Mousterian (Middle Palaeolithic) and Gravettian (Upper Palaeolithic) occupations.

Museographic resources description:

Opened in 2010, Nestplori@ Visitors’ Centre is a new centre, built to exhibit the questions and answers given by scientists to understand Gargas Cave. It has several displays with touch-screens so that visitors can see places in the interior of the caves that, for conservation reasons, remain closed to the public. The themes explored in the centre include hand-prints in rock art, research and study of rock art at Gargas, cave conservation, Palaeolithic engravings, and so on.