Vezelay
Vezelay ('most beautiful villages of France') is 50km south of Auxerre, in Burgundy
Tourist Information and places to visit
Vézelay is an attractive village, in an imposing position strung out along the crest of a hill, with far-reaching views over the 'Monts de Marvan'. An attractive village founded in the 12th century, the village is on the edge of the Morvan Regional Park.
The village is more or less one long, steep street that rises up to Vezelay Abbey at the top of the hill. Many of the houses along the main street are now cafes, galleries and gift shops.
(I was pleased to see almost none of the 'tack' along the road that occupies many a tourist town - if you 'need' carved zebras, coloured fluffy toys and lollies saying "je t'aime" you will need to looke elsewhere... This is a big plus in Vezelay's favour!)
You will notice the shells set in the ground - these are the symbol of the French pilgrims who set off to walk from France to the church of St James at Santiago de Compostella (Spain). One of the four main pilgrim routes starts from the abbey.
There are also a few narrow winding streets leading off the main street, hemmed in by ancient houses featuring many examples of the local architecture, and the original village ramparts that still surround Vezelay. When we visited these side streets were curiously quiet and empty despite the large number of visitors in the village just a few metres away - be sure to amble along a couple and take a look.
In addition to being a 'most beautiful villages of France', Vézelay and surroundings and the abbey are listed by UNESCO as being a World Heritage Site.
Vezelay Abbey
The highlight of the village is without doubt the Abbey of St Mary Magdalene, an awe-inspiring building with soaring decorative vaults. The abbey contains the relics of Saint Mary and was historically a starting point for pilgrims following one of several French plgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostella.
From the 12th century, the abbey passed into severe disrepair, until it was restored in the 19th century to the splendid abbey that you can now visit.
The most notable event in the history of the abbey took place when Richard the Lionheart and Phillippe Auguste embarked on the 3rd crusade from this abbey.
There is a Visitor Centre to explain more about the abbey about half way along the street, in an attractive half-timbered building
Also to see
Jules-Roy House
The writer Jules-Roy lived in Vézelay, and his house can now be visited, next to the abbey. The gardens at the house are very beautiful and peaceful, well-maintained, and have far-reaching views - worth a look even if you don't know of Jules-Roy himself.
Museum of the work of Viollet-le-Duc
Rooms above the cloister of the abbey now house some medieval sculptures that have come from the basilica and area.
Note: parking in Vezelay is below the village and a small charge (2 euros for 2 hours or 3 euros for all day) is made.
Visit also the nearby village of Saint-Pere - a small village with an exuberant church!
See also photos of Vezelay
Visit Vezelay (Burgundy, Yonne) travel, gites and hotels
Best Prices on Hotels in Vezelay - Guaranteed
(see guarantee details) Reserve online, pay at the hotel
The Vezelay hotels listed feature descriptions, guest reviews, ratings, location maps, online booking etc. as well as the 'best-price' guarantee. The search for hotels in Vezelay is provided by booking.com. General holiday / vacation options- See Burgundy gites for Vezelay holiday rentals Holidays nearbyLooking for something close by? See a wide choice of hotels, holiday villages and holiday rentals at: VisitSee Visit Vezelay for places to visit near Vezelay including: a detailed map, villages in bloom and most beautiful villages DiscussAsk questions or leave a comment about Vezelay in our Burgundy forum Vezelay property for saleSee Burgundy property for sale
|
|
||||||||||||
Tourist Classifications for Vezelay
- Listed UNESCO World Heritage Site
Places to visit near Vezelay, France
Explore places of interest within about 70 kilometres on a map at places near Vezelay.
Some places to visit within 30 km: 
18 km: Avallon (Town) 25 km: Clamecy (Burgundy town) 24 km: Corbigny (town) 37 km: Noyers-sur-Serein (Most beautiful village)
See also Vezelay (version Francais)
