December 1st, 2009 | 
Author: The general council of the Dordogne department has announced that it will intercede in the dispute surrounding some of its most popular archaeological attractions.
Concerns have been raised over what will happen when the current lease for the archaeological sites near Les Eyzies expires in 2013. Germinal Peiro, the deputy general counsel, described the property situation as “complex”.
Many of the locations, driveways and parking lots serving the attractions are owned by different operators and the council is concerned that with the end of the lease will come the end of the relationships which have made the area such a success for tourism in the region.
Currently the sites are operated by Semitour, who manage the Grand Roc Caves and the Laugerie Basse excavations sites. They attract nearly 80000 visitors a year and are a popular attraction for holidaygoers in France with a passion for history and nature. It is estimated that their combined turnover is somewhere in the field of 1.2 millioneuros.
To keep the site running smoothly and to help preserve the region’s reputation for heritage and prehistory, the General council has launch a process of expropriation. It is hoped that this programme will bring vital facilities under the direct control of the department and ease tensions between independent commercial operators who hold leases to other tourism sites in the region.
The Grand Roc Caves demonstrates some of the most unique geological features among the Dordogne valley. As well as stalagmites and stalactites there are triangular formations of crystallised rock, developed over hundreds of thousands of years of natual processes. It opened in 1927 and uniquely, its entrance is situated half way up a cliff face. However access has been made easier over the course of the century, with stairs an early addition to the site.
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