Noël à l’abbaye de Fontenay
A giant crèche, illuminated gardens and a Christmas market at a UNESCO-listed Cistercian abbey.
- Christmas
- Marmagne
- 1 h 14 from Beaune
€265one way from Beaune with a private driver
Book a driver for this dayAdd to calendar
At a glance
- Venue
- Fontenay Abbey
- Entry
- Paid or by invitation
- Organised by
- Abbaye de Fontenay
- Official website
- abbayedefontenay.com
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 1 h 14 by road (99 km), €265 one way for the whole car.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About the event
In winter the Abbaye de Fontenay dresses for Christmas: its gardens are illuminated and a large traditional crèche is set up in the cloister. On one weekend in December the abbey also hosts a Christmas market and guided visits by torchlight. The illuminations last from mid-November to mid-February.
What to expect
Walk through the lit gardens and into the cloister to see the crèche, then, on the market weekend, browse stands of local food and crafts, with food served on site. On the Saturday and Sunday of the market, torchlit guided tours at nightfall, on booking, show the abbey in a very different light.
History
Bernard of Clairvaux founded Fontenay in 1118, and the abbey keeps its main 12th-century buildings. It was listed as a historic monument in 1862 and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981.
After the Revolution the abbey became a paper mill. In 1906 the Lyon banker Édouard Aynard bought the site and began removing the industrial buildings, and Fontenay is still a family property today.
Good to know
Tips for the day
The illuminations and crèche can be seen from 10 am to noon and from 2 pm to 5 pm. The entry ticket covers the abbey, the illuminations, the crèche and, on the market weekend, the market; book torchlit tours in advance on the abbey's website. Fontenay is about 1 hour 15 minutes from Beaune, and a driver makes it easy to stay for a torchlit tour on a dark December evening.
Around here
What to combine with Noël à l’abbaye de Fontenay on the same day, nearest first.
- Food & markets
Marché aux truffes de Noyers
An autumn Sunday, usually in late October, sometimes followed by a second market in NovemberNoyers - Christmas
Les Fééries de Noël de Dijon
Usually from the last Saturday of November to the first Sunday of JanuaryDijon
- Tradition
Fête de la Bague
The race is run every 31 May, whatever the day of the week, amid about ten days of festivities in late May and early JuneSemur-en-Auxois
Questions
Noël à l’abbaye de Fontenay 2026 takes place in Marmagne (Fontenay Abbey): Monday, 16 November 2026 – Tuesday, 16 February 2027.
Did you know? Fontenay was founded by Bernard of Clairvaux in 1118 and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981.
Sources
A private driver for the day
No parking to find, no one left as the designated driver: everyone enjoys a glass.