L’Abbaye de Fontenay

In the vicinity of Chablis is the memorable Abbaye de Fontenay that was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1981.

L’Abbaye de Fontenay. Set against a backdrop of forest, this beautiful abbaye, its fountains and gardens will prove a highlight of your trip. (Open all year). Founded in 1118 by St Bernard this is a perfect example of a Cistercian abbey. It has endured dramatic changes with each century. It became the Royal Abbey in 1269, was pillaged by Edward III in 1553, during the French Revolution saw the last eight monks leave in 1790, and then was sold by the revolutionaries to an industrialist who installed a paper mill. It was then purchased by the Montgolfier family whose descendent in 1906 decided to dismantle the industrial buildings and bring the abbey back to its original medieval glory. You can tour—on your own or with a guide— and visit everything from the bakery to the dormitory and the Cloister, which remains one of the most wonderful examples of Romanesque architecture.