The replica of the Cosquer cave and the Calanques

Europe 1 07:01, June 11, 2022

This morning, direction Marseille, under the spotlight for a week with the opening of the replica of the Cosquer cave...

Long-awaited, it has been installed right next to the Mucem, in the Villa Méditerranée.

We can finally have the impression of diving into this famous cave, which is 37m deep, in the Calanques National Park, the Calanque de Triperie in Cap Morgiou, to be precise.

Do you know Stéphane, when and how it was discovered?

It's a beautiful story, between chance and research.

Henri Cosquer is a diver and in the 80s he began to explore holes, cave entrances, faults in this area, therefore creeks... Until in 85, he entered a 130m long, very narrow trench , very dark… After several attempts, he finally tumbles into a vast room half-filled with water.

It feels like Lascaux but underwater, right?

Exactly and that's why it is rightly called the "underwater Lascaux".

Cosquer is a bubble of underwater memory: already with regard to parietal art - it is the only decorated cave in Provence - on the artistic level, we know more about the mode of expression of the groups paleolithic hunters, and then on a scientific level: it is a concrete indication of the rising waters.

Hence the importance of the replica of the cave.

So for that, the cave was scanned, on the same model as the replicas of the Lascaux and Chauvet caves, and it is from this data that we were able to build it identically.

And so we visit it how this cave, there is a particular scenography?

Yes, thanks to exploration modules!

We climb aboard small six-seater vehicles, which wander between the walls, brush against them without touching them, pass under the ceilings which are quite low... So the sensations are well restored.

And what's great is that we are quite close to the walls and the drawings.

The advantage is that we are always oriented in the right axis of each engraving.

Some are difficult to read, because they are very fine… And it would be difficult to identify them without this scenography.

The feeling of being in the original cave is quite well reproduced, yes you have headphones for the 40 minutes of visit, but the audio commentary is accompanied by a real white noise, like in a cave with from time to time, small drops of water that fall and resonate...

And once back on the surface, if you want to take the opportunity to stroll precisely in this National Park of the Calanques, any proposals?

Yes, but before giving it to you, it is important to realize that it is a natural treasure, which attracts far too many people in the summer, and therefore that it must be protected by favoring out-of-season visits as much as possible. and weekdays.

Without forgetting of course the eco-gestures.

Too many people, hence the gauge of 300 people which was established to access the Calanque de Sugiton.

So I suggest you start from Cassis, where there are several routes depending on your level.

An easy level that is done on foot: the Sentier du Petit Prince which represents a 1 hour loop on the peninsula.

You overlook the Calanque of Port Miou, you see the one with its hundreds of sailboats.

In addition, you will have a sublime view of Cap Canaille on one stage.

And all along, the path is punctuated by 11 panels on the history of the old stone quarries, the fauna and flora of the Calanques...

And then if you really want to put your head under water and stay in the theme "Caves and creeks": turn to the diving clubs of Cassis and Marseille such as Cassis creeks diving and Dune.

Accommodation ideas?

The Red shutters in Cassis on the road to Gineste: a bubble of nature.

Or the Tuba aux Goudes south of Marseille.

A former diving club which welcomed Jacques Mayol, but also Cousteau, transformed into a hotel.