Pontigny Abbey, 15 km from Chablis
One of the finest Cistercian churches to be seen anywhere in France, twenty minutes from the house.
Architecture on the hinge between two worlds
Rarely has the nobility, purity and momentum of Cistercian architecture reached such perfection. Second daughter of Cîteaux, Pontigny Abbey was founded in 1114 on the banks of the Serein, on the border between Burgundy and Champagne.
The abbey church itself was raised between 1137 and 1150. Its style sits exactly at the transition from Romanesque to Gothic: the porch is groin-vaulted, as are the aisles and the transept arms, while the nave received the first rib vault ever built in Burgundy.
At the end of the 12th century the original flat chevet was pulled down and replaced by the elegant Gothic choir visitors see today.
A European reach
Quickly gaining wide influence, Pontigny founded nineteen direct daughter abbeys which in turn created forty-five more. The church, over a hundred metres long, is today the largest surviving Cistercian church in France.
Useful information
- Distance from the house — 15 km, about 20 minutes by car
- Visit length — 1 h to 1 h 30 for the church and its surroundings
- With children — the vast empty nave makes an impression; follow it with a walk along the Serein
- Combine with — a morning in Auxerre (20 km) or a return through the wine villages
- Best time — late in the day, when the light crosses the Gothic choir
Combine it with
- The region — everything to see around Chablis.
- Noyers-sur-Serein and Tonnerre — the other great heritage outing in the valley.
- Weekend in Chablis — the two-night format that often includes this visit.
- Chablis and its vineyard — worth doing on the way back the same day.
Book the house for your next holiday in Chablis
Available all year round, from a weekend to a full week. Write to us — we answer every enquiry personally, usually within 24 hours.