Where is altamira spain

Home Art and culture. The Times of Altamira. Save favourite. Remove favourite. Go to my favourites. In the s and early s, water vapor and carbon dioxide produced by the tourists created a damp environment that damaged the paintings. It was closed for renovation in and reopened in but with limited access. In , some of the paintings exhibited signs of green mold prompting authorities to shut the cave completely.

In , a replica cave museum was built nearby with similar art. There are also replica collections in museums in Madrid, Munich, and Japan. In , plans to reopen the cave were shelved by the Spanish Ministry of Culture after experts revealed that conservation conditions improved after the closure.

We have just returned from a three week road-trip to the Iberian peninsula. Our route across northern Spain included a stop in Queveda. I chose this town, instead of Santillana del Mar because I hoped it would be quaint and rural. To our great surprise, it is small and quiet.

We stayed in the most lovely Posada de Pereda y Villa. It is only about 10 minutes down a country road to Altamira. The replica cave is part of the Altamira Museo, and is truly extraordinary. Visitors must not miss the five minute easy walk to the real cave. You can only look at the entrance, but in this beautiful pastoral setting, it is quite a moving experience.

Our visit also included a half hour trip to the Cave de el Castillo. This cave complex is such a different experience than Altamira. You actually take a walking tour down into a cavern network that goes on and on.

They have some symbols and partial etchings, but nothing like the beautiful paintings at Altamira. I would recommend a visit to both. They are both unique and fascinating in their own ways. We will never forget the feeling when inside this blessed region. To view the bison inside Altamira and share with friends, from the Cantabrian region of Spain, who miraculously obtained tickets for our visit.

Cannot express our sincerest gratitude for the blessing. Your email address will not be published. The Story of Altamira The cave itself was discovered in by a local hunter, but it was just over ten years before the true magnificence of what was in the cave would come to light.

Getting a Ticket to see the original cave In February pilot study was carried out during which each week for a year five members of the public were chosen at random and given a very short tour of the cave. New applications to join the waiting list are not being accepted. Why seeing the Replica is as Good as the Original The ceiling in certain area of the cave is very low — at places less than a metre above the floor.

Where to Stay and Where to Eat? Next Desktop Wallpaper for March About The Author. Thomas Dowson Having visited over countries on six of the seven continents I am often surprised by the limited information available for archaeological sites in many travel guides. To ensure their conservation, the cave structure and paintings have been painstakingly reproduced, using the same painting techniques, in the Altamira Museum's Neo-cave.

Visitors can marvel at the details of the great ceiling with its polychrome bison, and visit the painters' workshop, where they can hear an explanation of the techniques used to create this masterpiece of rock art.

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