Karst areas are marked by the diversity of their heritage. One of their peculiarities which characterize them is their underground geosites. The first scientific explorations of caves are undertaken by J. W. Valvasor during the seventeenth century. Many other scientific studies will follow this first step, karstology becoming a new research field at the end of the nineteenth century. If the exploration of the caves participates in the understanding and the observation of geological phenomena that are witnesses of the Earth's history, since the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, caves are no longer only restricted at their geological values. The discovery and recognition of rock art have given a new cultural dimension to the caves. They are home to an ancient heritage : engravings and cave paintings but also traces of human occupation (footprints, archaeological artefacts) are contributing to the knowledge about the history of mankind. Just like caves with beautiful speleothems as the Padirac or Orgnac caves, "prehistoric" caves as Combarelles, Rouffignac Cave, etc., were arranged to allow the visiting public. So appeared a local tourism and an economic development based on these new tourism resources that are painting caves. These ones can be considered as cultural geosites. Indeed, this cultural dimension is inseparable from the offer of underground geotourism. We endeavor to define the place of this cultural dimension and how it can participate in transforming the perception of karst areas. This reflection will also help to define the contours of the concept of underground geosite that is finally both the natural and cultural heritage sphere. Our work studies three examples : (i) Niaux Cave and The Prehistory's Park (Ariège, Pyrénées, France) : with 52,500 visitors in the Prehistory's Park and 32,000 visitors in the Niaux Cave in 2011, these two sites constitute the touristic pole dedicated to prehistory. And this pole is the second tourist attraction in Ariège, after the castle of Foix. It so can be considered as a true lever for tourism and economic development of the Ariege's territory ; (ii) Altamira Cave (Santillana del Mar, Spain) : the implementation of the Altamira Museum in 2001 is an action of development based on the interpretation of the endokarstic cultural heritage, that allowed to overcome the closing to visitors of a major natural and cultural tourism site whose paintings required a drastic protection ; (iii ) Chauvet Cave (Ardèche, Rhône-Alpes Région, France) : the famous cave containing the oldest paintings of the Humanity (32, 000 BP) is closed to massive tourist visits. Selected as "Grand Project Rhône-Alpes", the project of Chauvet Cave's interpretation center also includes a territorial accompanying pane to facilitate the integration of the project in the territory and get maximum and lasting impact (people, activities, jobs, mobility, etc.). An application for classification as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO is under investigation in the category of cultural property. Studying these examples also participates to show the links between natural space and interpretation centers or museums where the question of dissemination of the knowledge and the pedagogical approach is central.
Cet article propose d'aborder les géosites à travers leur dimension culturelle. Le terrain d'étude retenu est le ressant plus précisément à la richesse préhistorique qu'il renferme et qui est constituée principalement de rupestres. A travers trois exemples, les grottes de Niaux, d'Altamira et de Chauvet, la place de ce patrimoine développement touristique est étudiée afin d'identifier différentes constructions de géosites culturels. karst, en s'inté-représentations culturel dans le
