- Join for free
- Sign In
Latest Vézelay hotel reviews
Pro
Historical
Con
Can be very crowded during tourist season.
In a nutshell
A beautiful town with a spectacular cathedral
Beausoleil Says: Vezelay has been a pilgrimage town for centuries. It still is, both religious pilgrims, history pilgrims and scenery pilgrims. They all receive satisfaction here.As you walk up the hill, you join a crowd of people heading up with you. There are tourist shops, restaurants,...
Beausoleil Says: The wonderful church at Vezelay is not a cathedral which must have a bishop's chair. It is a basilica . . . a fine point for such a magnificent church. After Chartres, this is my favorite church in the entire world. It is not as ornate as, for instance, most Bavarian...
Picnis, Enjoy the Spacious Grounds
ViajesdelMundo Says: There are spacious grounds around the BASILICA; which give fabulous views over the countryside, as well as go around the building to see its nooks. If you had the day, you could plan a picnic after seeing the cathedral, and then walk down the hill browsing the various shops,...
BROWSE ARTISTS' STUDIOS and SHOPS
ViajesdelMundo Says: The street which climbs to the top of the hill and the BASILICA is lined with shops, studios, restaurants, etc.
The Great Tympanum Is Under the Narthex
hquittner Says: Because the original church tympani are under the Narthex, the Revolutionaries did not destroy them very badly. They did vent their rage upon the outer (West) face and portal of the Narthex. The inside ones were finished probably between 1120-30, a handful of years after the...
Enter the Church of Ste.-Magdalene
hquittner Says: The nave is very long (200 feet compared to Notre Dame of Paris’ 198 ft; these are nave only figures; the total length is 394 ft., 30 ft less than N.D.) with an aisle at each side and only a two level elevation (no triforium). A portal precedes the nave and each aisle,...
Don't Forget the Tympani of the N. & S. Portals
hquittner Says: The North Portal Tympanum depicts the Resurrection with Christ appearing to the Apostles, Below on the lintel he meets them on the road and then again at Emmaus. To the right is his encounter with the Magdalene. The South Portal is devoted to the birth of Christ. Above is...
hquittner Says: The Narthex was built between 1140-45. It was created apparently to accommodate the large number of pilgrims arriving. It has a 13C facade in Gothic style that adds a gable above the tympanum. (covered in a Separate Tip) not to be confused with the other three tympani over...
The Narthex: Viollet-le-Duc's Tympanum
hquittner Says: The tympanum on the central door of the West facade of the Narthex was created in 1856 by a sculptor named Pascal under the guidance of Viollet-le-Duc who collected remaining fragments , pictures and pertinent documents. These, plus a deep understanding of Romanesque and...
wandeljp Says: VEZELAY : Basilica Un des joyaux de l'architecture romane, plein de symbolique !
wandeljp Says: VEZELAY: On the way to Santiago de CompostellaVezelay has been a magic place in charge of history at all times, and this for more than thousand years, the pilgrims left the Basilica in direction Santiago de Compostella, Galicia, Spain. In 2004 we were somme of these.The sign...
2 Reviews and 45 Opinions We would have loved to stay more than one night, but in order to be where we needed to be in a week,...
La Dente Creuse: Terrace or inside, your choice
Beausoleil Says: We parked near Hotel de la Post where the tour buses had left a few parking places and checked several menus. None suited so we started up into town where we found La Dent Creuse with an upstairs view terrace . . . sunny and empty . . . and a downstairs dining room nearly...
L'Esperance: Great Service and Interesting Food
saracen Says: It is not every day I go to a 3 star Michelin restaurant, but as I was invited by a client company, I assumed it would be rude to refuse. Forgive me for being a bit wordy about it…Service was outstanding – there must have been one member of staff for each diner, although it...
ATLC Says: So it seems that you need to get up early for the Feast of St. Maria-Madeleine. There's a procession in the early morning and a 2 hour mass afterwards. Then there's a lunch al fresco (to join it costs 7 euro) and then, if I understood right, another procession and then a...
ATLC Says: On July 22 it was the Feast of Sainte Marie-Madeleine in Vezelay. After her the church is named. I didn't quite know what to expect or what the programme was, because I read only a short description in the paper. So when we arrived, there was a long Mass going on and the...
ATLC Says: Park your car where the signs tell you to, at the entrance of the town. Even though the main street is not strictly pedestrian, it doesn't pay to drive in unless you cannot walk. Besides, you want to wander in and out of the little shops on your way to the top.
ATLC Says: Elsewhere on my travelpages you may have noticed my interest in campanology. I am a bell ringer in my own hometown Brielle.So imagine my delight when I found these brand new bells on show in St. Madeleine's church in Vezelay!They had just been blessed, these bells. Maybe...
Helga67 Says: Facing the hill of Vézelay, the château of Bazoches, built in the 12th century, has four towers and a keep around an interior courtyard.Acquired in 1675 by Marshall Vauban, thanks to a bonus from King Louis XIV, Vauban carried out restoration work and transformed the castle...
A Short History of the Basilica Ste-Madeleine
hquittner Says: The Benedictine Abbey of Vezelay was founded in 878. As part of the complex a Carolingian church was built. Early in the 11C relics of the saint were “recovered” from near Aix-en-Provence. Their installation caused a flood of pilgrimages to them. As part of their move to...
The Capitals of the Church Nave Columns
hquittner Says: This is the main attraction of Vezelay. They were created between 1120-40, less than 50 years after the revival of similar sculpting in Moissac and Toulouse (see our Tips). Thses were the second generation of artists and they have increased mastery of their craft. The...
Sponsored Links
Plan a Vézelay vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Vézelay locals
VEZELAY : Basilica Un des joyaux de l'architecture romane, plein de symbolique !
1 member lives in Vézelay
Our members can help!
1
The irresistable pull of Vezelay
Driving back from a holiday deep in the Bourgogne, right through the mighty forests of the Morvan and one hits upon a town, marked in the Michelin guide with 3 stars as being very interesting to...
2
About 10 years ago famous Russian cellist and conductor Mstislav Rostropovich played Bach's suites for unaccompanied cello in the church of Madeleine at Vezelay. "I had always thought that if I...
3
The first view of Vezelay at the top of a hill in Burgundy is heart-stopping. Each time we go, we find this spot and stop and delight in the view. It is beautiful any time of year. There is parking...
4
RICHARD the LION HEART was HERE
The main street of this little town winds up the hill past artists' studios, galleries and shops before it reaches the BASILICA. It is called one of the all-time glories of Romanesque design, "the...
5
VEZELAY We poped into the small old town of Vezalay on our way from Dijon to Tours, and it was worth it!!! The Church of St. Madeline could be seen from far away over Morvan Hills. It is former...
Build your own Vézelay page
Sponsored Links
