EKAINBERRI (REPLICA OF THE EKAIN CAVE)

Discovered in 1969, the Ekainberri cave is home to dozens of representations of horses, alone or in herds, as well as bison and deer, all dating from around 14,000 to 10,000 years ago. For reasons of conservation, the original cave cannot be visited, but you can take comfort in the beautiful replica set up under the gigantic blockhouse built in 2008, when the cave was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site, and which contrasts fiercely with the bucolic atmosphere of the valley.

Once you've bought your tickets at the village booking office, you'll need to follow a pleasant footpath through the fields to reach the site (less than 30 minutes). It's a great way to immerse yourself in the green landscapes and landforms of the late Palaeolithic.

The immersion continues in the replica itself, as humidity, temperature and light conditions have been recreated as in the original cave. On the other hand, it's much easier to get around the cave, with a pathway adapted for people with reduced mobility. The transition from daylight to darkness is gradual, giving your eyes time to adjust. You can then stroll along the itinerary, keeping your eyes peeled for the shape or line that will betray the presence of a drawing or engraving. The lighting and staff are there to help you interpret the shapes, which are often very clear, but can be a little tricky for the uninitiated.

The Ekainberri cave is to horses what Lascaux is to mammoths. No fewer than 59 drawings have been recorded, 39 of which are of horses. Short-legged, with straight manes and a few welts on the legs: there's no doubt about the silhouettes, these are Prjevalski horses. This species, considered extinct until the Russian explorer Nikolai Mikhailovich Prjevalski discovered a few specimens in Mongolia at the end of the ^19th century, was indeed very present in Europe in prehistoric times. Horses are depicted here in herds, forming "the finest group of painted horses from the Quaternary", according to French archaeologist André Leroi-Gourhan. Some of them, hit by arrows or spears, seem to indicate that, failing to domesticate them, man fed on them. Other paintings and engravings in the cave include rhinoceroses, bears, deer, bison and, more rarely, fish.

On yourway out of the blockhouse, be sure to take part in one of the many workshops on offer. You'll learn how to shoot arrows and thrusters at animal reproductions, Paleolithic painting techniques and the science of fire.