• Historic site and monument

Notre Dame d'Aulps abbey

Savoie Mont Blanc's choice

Founded in about 1095 by monks that came from the Molesne abbey in Burgundy, the abbey affiliated itself to the Cistercians in 1136 after which it became one of the most powerful in medieval Savoie due its income from property rights.

Historic site and monument Notre Dame d'Aulps abbey Saint-Jean-d'Aulps

About

Saint-Jean-d'Aulps (74430)
Animals not allowed
Unguided individual tours available permanently
Average duration of an individual visit : 01h00

A crossroads for the great spiritual ideas of the late 11th century, a meeting place for saints and a crucible for monastic reform, it was from the abbey of Molesme in Burgundy that a group of monks set off around 1094. Their destination? A small possession of the Counts of Savoy: the Vallée d'Aulps (Vallée des Alpages in Latin), with the aim of founding a monastery in line with their spiritual ideal: "a laboratory of monasticism", as it were, more clearly oriented towards eremitism than cenobitism.

Thanks to numerous land donations, the monastery became one of the most powerful in medieval Savoy.

Since summer 2007, the restored and transformed former monastic farmhouse has been home to an interpretation center. A remarkable scenography, completely renovated in November 2020, allows visitors to discover in a simple and entertaining way the daily life of monks in the Middle Ages, their functions within the community, the relationship between Aulps Abbey and Savoie, the surprising story of its destruction and the secrets of medicinal plants.

    1 1

    Prices

    Adult: 7 €
    Child : 3.50 €
    Group adults: 5.60 €
    Group children : 2.80 €.

    Free entry for children < 6 years.
    Child entry valid for 6 - 16 years.
    Group rate available for > 20 people.

    Methods of payment accepted : Bank/credit card, Check, Travellers Cheque, Cash

    Reception

    Open to children
    Animals not allowed
    Languages spoken : English, French
    Languages of documentation : English, French
    Languages visits : English, French
    Languages informatives signs : English, French
    Languages audio guide : English, French

    Opening

    From 01/04 to 14/06 between 2 pm and 6.30 pm.
    Closed on Saturday.
    Closed exceptionally on May 1st.

    From 15/06 to 15/09, daily between 10 am and 7 pm.

    From 16/09 to 30/09 between 2 pm and 6.30 pm.
    Closed on Saturday.

    From 01/10 to 31/10 between 2 pm and 6.30 pm.
    Closed Saturday and Sunday.

    Labels and rating

    Classified at the monuments and historic sites
    11th C
    12th C

    Services
    • Room hire
    • Shop
    • Tourist brochures
    • Restaurant
    • Leisure Center
    Equipments
    • Restaurant
    • Meeting room
    • Parking nearby
    • Coach parking
    • Free car park
    • Bicycle parking
    • Car park
    • Bar
    • Defibrillator
    • Picnic area
    • Exhibition space
    • Toilets
    Activities
    • Permanent exhibition
    • Temporary exhibition

    Access

    961 route de l'Abbaye 74430 Saint-Jean-d'Aulps

    • Hearing disability
    • Mental disability
    • Visual disability
    • Accessible for wheelchairs with assistance
    • Incline >5% but reasonable
    Information update on 03/06/2024 by Conseil Départemental de la Haute-Savoie