La Roque St-Christophe is the far better site. The Village Troglodytique de la Madeleine is good, but you really are left to figure it out on your own, and the landscape is much less impressive.

At the Château de Commarque there really are just the remains of a few tunnels and other traces of troglodyte colonization.

It's probably worth a close look at some of the exhibits in the Musée Préhistorique to get an idea of what you'll be seeing.

It's interesting that only Belvès is quoted in this extensive article on troglodyte sites in France.

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat_troglodytique

I don't think I've ever seen the ones in Belvès. There are plenty right off the road in Les Eyzies. And there's a fairly big one you can hike to in the hills above St-Léon-sur-Vézere that's not even a commercial site. It just sits there, empty.

And there's a fairly big one you can hike to in the hills above St-Léon-sur-Vézere that's not even a commercial site.

No more. It's a tacky "prehistoric" park with dinosaurs in the mix.

I think that the definition of troglodytic in the article suggests housing dug out of the rock, although they do mention a few structures built in overhangs. For that reason La Rqoue St. Christophe would not qualify as troglodytic except for one small section near the information center.

http://www.tourisme-belves.com/en/

<<No more. It's a tacky "prehistoric" park with dinosaurs in the mix.>>

Are you talking about PrehistoParc, or do you really mean that wonderful "undiscovered" place that you hiked to by crossing the bridge in St-Léon-sur-Vézere, turning left, and climbing high up into the hills? The place with the ancient green door with the hole in it that you had to reach in and unlock from the inside...it's hard to imagine that being a tacky park, as there wouldn't be any way for cars to get there; it was hard enough for people!

I thought the same thing about La Roque St-Christophe, but besides the section near the info center, aren't there traces of an ancient fireplace up under the overhang?

I'll have to check out the Belvès site next time around.

I am talking about turning left and walking into the hill, which leads to a fenced area at the top of the hill and then the path follows the fence to the river, arriving at the river almost opposite the church.

I think we're talking about two different things. To get to the place I'm referring to you cross the bridge and turn left, so that you're walking on the opposite side of the river from the church. You follow the riverside path for quite a ways, and then it veers up steeply into the hill. At just about the crest of the hill there's a big rock structure on the right and a green door with a hole in it. You insert your hand in the hole, find the interior lock, and open the door. At which point you are in what I can best describe as a miniature Roque-St-Christophe. There's a sort of stone foyer, with a curved set of maybe 10-20 stone steps (very worn from traffic) that take you up to a fairly large space under an overhang. There's evidence of a fire pit, and the floor is uneven and smooth stone. There's no guardrail or anything to keep you from slipping over the edge.

If they've turned that area into some sort of park, someone moved a LOT of dirt and rock and must have actually built some sort of road. Not entirely impossible I suppose, as massive travaux take place all the time in the area. Just hard to imagine it.

Wow, lots to think about. Having read the descriptoion of the undiscovered site, tempting though it is, it may not be for me as I'm not sure whether my dodgy knees would be up to it.

I'd come across a fleeting reerence to the site at Belvès which I haven't had chance to check out yet.

To get to the place I'm referring to you cross the bridge and turn left, so that you're walking on the opposite side of the river from the church. You follow the riverside path for quite a ways, and then it veers up steeply into the hill.

That's what I did, unless the walk up the hill is beyond the view of the chateau, as seen here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/5970154935/in/set-72157623164797649

It's way beyond the view of the château. I had to go out last night, but I'm researching it now. There are apparently almost a dozen abris and gisements on or around that hill, and I think we are talking about different ones. I have to look at a map, but I'm pretty sure if you keep walking a ways beyond the one I'm referring to, you end up at the northern end of the Castel-Merle site.

Not near where you'll be staying but I remember seeing troglodyte dwellings very near Chinon. Some good pictures here to enjoy:

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?page_id=169842

I'll try again the next time I am in St. Léon.

We visited La Vallee Troglodytique des Goupillieres near Azay le rideu last Septemeber and were fascinated by the site.

I've decided the logistics of finding St Cirq's undiscovered site are probably beyond us, so will stick to La Roque St-Christophe.....................................................