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The largest Cistercian abbey in the world hosts concerts, a festival, conferences and exhibitions.
Founded in 1114, Pontigny Abbey is the largest Cistercian abbey in the world (4,000 m² in floor space and over 121 meters in length), and its Gothic bell tower still dominates the valley. Now the village's parish church, it is surrounded by a vast estate, of which the converses' dormitory and part of the cloister remain. In the 20th century, the philosopher Paul Desjardins launched the famous "Décades de Pontigny", which brought together such literary greats as André Gide and François Mauriac. Today, the site is still alive with cultural events organized by various associations throughout the year: concerts, conferences, exhibitions and the Les Heures musicales festival. Just a stone's throw from the vineyards, it's an unmissable visit to both heritage and culture. The boutique, meanwhile, focuses on products linked to the land and the region: Yonne wines, gourmet treats, books and handicrafts. Since its purchase in 2019 by the François Schneider Foundation, the estate has been undergoing a major transformation. The ambition is not to create a tourist complex, but to make Pontigny a cultural venue dedicated to the Earth in all its forms, blending history, contemporary art and ecology. Since September 2024, a tour route enriched by 3D sound immersion has been on offer, and the first restaurant space has opened its doors to offer an experience as complete as it is enriching.
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Members' reviews on ABBAYE DE PONTIGNY
The ratings and reviews below reflect the subjective opinions of members and not the opinion of The Little Witty.
Knap restaurant met nette toiletten.
Wij hadden entreegeld betaald (2025: 10 euro p.p.) maar we zijn nergens gecontroleerde en de kerk (hoogtepunt) liep je zo in. Hopelijk gebruiken ze het entreegeld voor het achterstallig onderhoud. Zonder audiotour (alleen franstalig) ben je met kerk, klooster en tuin 1 a 1,5 uur bezig. Naast het complex, buiten de muur nabij begraafplaats, is een veldje met picknicktafels (via hoofdingang tegenover entree van de tuinen)
Bij gebrek aan andere bezienswaardigheid kan je dit klooster bezoeken.