Skip the Line: Abbaye de Fontenay Admission Ticket
99 Reviews
Beaune, France
Things to do hosted by Abbaye de Fontenay
2 hours (approx.)
Up to 15 travelers
Meet everyone at the start point
Offered in English
About
- Admission to Abbey of Fontenay
- Food and drinks
- Transportation to/from attractions
What's not included
Pickup point
Multiple pickup locations offered. During checkout you will be able to select from the list.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop atAbbaye de Fontenay
Fontenay Abbey in Burgundy was founded in 1118 by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, a leading French saint, and is the oldest preserved Cistercian abbey in the world. Recognized as French historic monument in 1862, it was declared World Heritage by Unesco in 1981. It was one of the first French monuments on this list, which has distinguished the exceptional interest of the Abbey and its natural environment. After the French revolution, which led to the departure of the monks, it was converted to an industrial use which preserved all the buildings of the Romanesque period: the Abbey Church, the Dormitory, Cloister, Chapter Room, the Common Room, and the Forge. The Abbey is decorated with a landscaped park which was listed in 2004 as "Remarkable Garden" by the National Council of Parks and Gardens. Located in northern Burgundy, it is nestled in a fully preserved valley which extends over 1,200 hectares. Since 1820, the Abbey of Fontenay has been the private ownership of the same family, which continues to preserve this exceptional site opening to public visit all year round. The Abbey welcomes 100,000 visitors each year who come to admire the beauty and purity of architecture unspoiled for 900 years, and enjoy the quiet of a place designed for spirituality.
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Included ts gardens and the lapidary museum.
Cancellation Policy
Free Cancellation: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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Reviews
99 Reviews
Total review count and overall rating. We perform checks on reviews.
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Magnifique - Simply gorgeous, not to be missed
loika469, Dec 2024
Sans aucun doute l’une des plus belle abbaye cistercienne ! L’ensemble des bâtiments et les jardins sont remarquables. Parfaitement restauré et entretenu, le site vaut le détour !
Without doubt one of the most beautiful Cistercian abbeys! All the buildings and gardens are remarkable. Perfectly restored and maintained, the site is well worth a visit.
Wonderful Abbey and park
Rolf W, Dec 2024
Wonderful abbey to visit. Ample space to walk around. Buildings are in good shape, wonderful park to spend hours to relax.
Must see place when you stay in Burgundy.
Ample parking lots close by.
Worth the trip!
Charles-Louis_C, Dec 2024
A bit out of usual Burgundy circuits, this place is more than worth to do the trip.
Just amazing and more than justified to be classified by UNESCO.
A beautiful monastery complex in a lovely setting
Ali_travels2, Dec 2024
What a beautiful place! It is really pretty and very charming (even on a rainy day to start with). The whole complex is beautiful with the cloisters standing out as particularly nice. Entry was 10€ for an adult which considering the size of the place seems pretty reasonable. The information leaflet provided is good but a tour in English would have been great (they seemed to only do French tours).
Beautifully restored abbey in peaceful setting
Googly2010, Dec 2024
On a sunny Wednesday in early June the Abbaye was so quiet, with barely a handful of visitors - this made our self-guided tour very peaceful and relaxing. (The guided tour had just left when we arrived but the brochure in English is adequately informative so there was enough background information.) First impression is of the magnificent honeyed stone buildings set amid formal and informal gardens, a tribute to the restoration works carried out by the Montgolfiers and later the Aynard family who still live there. The abbey is over 1000 years old and was built by Bernard of Clairvaux, an adherent of the most austere form of Cistercian worship. Consequently the church, a wonderful Romanesque building, is very plain inside - a few remains have been gathered together more recently - but this just impresses on the visitor the harshness of the monks’ lives. In the huge first floor dormitory with its 15thC “ship’s hull” wooden roof we found a dead bat and swift, which my wife placed on the floor in front of the altar. The monks’ rooms and cloisters are all superb as is the later forge building where a fascinating replica of a 13thC water-powered hammer has recently been built. The abbey makes for a very pleasant 1-2 hour visit. Note that although a small outbuilding is signed “cafeteria”, this simply contains dispensing machines.
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