Rock of Solutre

The Roche de Solutre is a wedge of Jurassic limestone standing about four hundred and ninety metres over vineyards, and the walk to the top takes half an hour with the Saone valley and, on clear days, Mont Blanc in view. At its foot is one of the richest prehistoric sites in Europe: a deposit containing the remains of tens of thousands of horses hunted over thousands of years, which gave its name to the Solutrean culture and its finely worked laurel-leaf flint blades. The old story that hunters drove herds off the cliff has been discarded; the animals were killed at the base, where they were funnelled and ambushed.

The landscape

• The limestone prow - a wedge of rock over the Maconnais vineyards.
• The horse deposit - the prehistoric bone bed at the foot of the rock.
• The museum - Solutrean tools and the site's excavation history.
• The summit view - the Saone valley and the Alps on clear days.

When to go

April to October; the climb is exposed with no shade and hard in midsummer heat. Clear winter days give the best long views. The museum opens most of the year.

Things to know

The path is stony and steep in places. There is no shade or water on the rock. The cliff-driving story appears in old books and on some signs but is not supported by evidence.

Nearby

Macon lies east; Cluny is northwest.

Key facts