Archeological and Botanical Garden

Solutré-Pouilly, France, France

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The Archaeological and Botanical Park of Solutré (Parc archéologique et botanique de Solutré) in Solutré-Pouilly, France, is a 13,000-square-meter site that combines prehistoric archaeology with botanical gardens, preserving one of Europe's richest prehistoric hunting sites from the Upper Paleolithic period where hunters hunted and butchered thousands of horses and reindeer over 25,000 years.

Created in 2006 by architectural firm Catherine Frenak and landscape designer Catherine Mosbach, the park features a 1-kilometer marked trail with eight information stations covering geology, prehistoric hunting techniques, the landscape during Prehistory, the site's discovery and first excavations in 1866, and contemporary research.

The garden contains a wide variety of plant species typical of the natural environment, including some rare plants, with signage helping visitors identify them along the way. The site was first excavated in 1866, classified as a historic monument in 1942, and opened to the public in 2006 under the management of the Musée départemental de Préhistoire.

Access to the park is included in the museum entrance ticket, and it's open daily except in December, though it's not accessible to people with motor disabilities. The park sits at the foot of the famous Roche de Solutré, a 495-meter rocky outcrop rising above vineyards producing renowned Pouilly-Fuissé wines, within the Grand Site de France Solutré Pouilly Vergisson.