File:Vézelay_-_Basilique_Sainte-Marie-Madeleine_-_Extérieur_-_03.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Vézelay
Vézelay () is a commune in the department of Yonne in the north-central French region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. It is a defensible hill town famous for Vézelay Abbey. The town and its 11th-century Romanesque Basilica of St Magdalene are designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
AI overview
Vézelay is a hilltop town in central France that is home to the Basilica of St Magdalene, an impressive 11th-century Romanesque church. Both the town and its basilica are recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites due to their historical and architectural significance.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Weather now
cached 8h ago16°clear sky
87% 3.0 m/s OpenWeatherMap
7-day forecast
via Open-Meteo
Place details
- Locality
- Vézelay
- Region
- Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
- Country
- France
- Population
- 520
- Timezone
Travel guide
Understand
thumb|Front view of the basilica The town of Vézelay (fewer than 500 inhabitants) is associated with the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. For centuries, pilgrims departed from this town or passed through it during their pilgrimage. These days, Vézelay is visited by hundreds of pilgrims every year. Nevertheless, these pilgrims represent only a fraction of the total number of people visiting the city. Their visit is not without reason. The dominant Basilica Sainte-Marie-Madeleine de Vézelay, located on the highest point of the city, is a distinctive landmark and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979.
Get around
You can easily go around on foot. Drive or take a taxi if you want to visit the beautiful Église Notre Dame in the nearby village of St. Père, which is just below the hill that Vézelay is on top of.
See
thumb|upright 1.25|Tympanum of the basilica
Do
thumb|upright 0.8|The basilica's long nave A guided tour. More information at the tourist office. Walk trail GR654-II from Vézelay to St. Père and visit the local church Église Notre Dame.
Buy
Religious art Regional products (Vézelay wine, cheese, jams)
Eat
There are a lot of restaurants to serve the large numbers of tourists. This is a small random selection:
Go next
thumb|upright 1.25|Château de Bazoches Morvan Regional Natural Park – Vézelay is in the far north of this 290,900 ha big park with only 50,000 inhabitants in 117 communities. It’s a relative quiet hilly area with forests and lakes. In summer some lakes like Le Lac des Settons are popular tourist destinations. The old fortress city Avallon is just 17 km east of Vézelay
Travel guide from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0)
~13 min read
Article
11 sectionsContents
- History
- Ancient history
- Middle Ages
- The abbey of Vézelay
- Decline of the abbey
- Wars of religion
- Wine
- Gallery
- See also
- References
- External links
Vézelay () is a commune in the department of Yonne in the north-central French region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. It is a defensible hill town famous for Vézelay Abbey. The town and its 11th-century Romanesque Basilica of St Magdalene are designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
==History==
Gallery (10)
On the map
2 mapped locations