In the heart of the flint carving region

Le Grand-Pressigny château’s location meant it was destined to become a Prehistory museum. Between Loches and Châtellerault, south of Touraine on the road from Tours to Poitiers, Le Grand-Pressigny is conveniently close to countless major archaeological sites.

It was also home to the first archaeologists to discover the region’s Neolithic carving workshops.

Prehistoric walks around the museum

Touraine megaliths, within 20km of the museum

Touraine may not be as full of megaliths as Brittany but a trip to the easiest-to-reach landmarks present one of the most famous aspects of the Neolithic Age: megalithic burial architecture. Aside from the one in Saint-Antoine-du-Rocher (75km from the museum, north of Tours) that’s among Anjou’s biggest landmarks, Touraine’s dolmens are relatively small. The disappearance of the tumulus that used to cover the tombs reveals a skeleton of stones in different shapes and sizes.

  • The Pierre Percée in Draché (30km from the museum) is one of very few menhirs in the region exceeding 3m high.
  • The Pierre Chaude dolmen in Paulmy, on the edge of the D100, between Château du Châtelier and Neuilly-le-Brignon lies near Le Grand-Pressigny.
  • Les Palets-de-Gargantua dolmen (Charnizay)
  • Le Chillou du Feuillet dolmen (Descartes)
  • Pierre Levée dolmen (Yzeures-sur-Creuse)

Eperon barré de Murat, Ferrière-Larçon, 12km from the museum

A fortified Neolithic site (relics of a monumental rampart) on a limestone hillside famous for its dry grass and heath in the heart of an environmentally sensitive area. Owned by Indre-et-Loire Council, the site is managed by the Centre – Val de Loire Conservatory of Natural Areas.

Signposted footpath (2.5km) from a car park, “Murat” site, south of the village of Ferrière-Larçon on the RD 50 road.

Some prehistoric visitor attractions near the museum

La Sabline Prehistory Museum, Lussac-Les-Châteaux, Vienne, 68km from the museum
http://www.lasabline.fr/musee-de-prehistoire

Argentomagus Museum and Archaeological Site, Saint-Marcel, Indre, 75km from the museum.
https://www.argentomagus.fr/

Tumulus Museum, Bougon, Deux-Sèvres, 110km from the museum
https://tumulus-de-bougon.fr/
Models plunge visitors into the world of the bygone builders.
An outdoor educational trail adds the finishing touch to your tour of the collections and megalith site.