--- title: "Pontigny Abbey: Visiting the Cistercian Church Near Chablis" description: "Founded in 1114, Pontigny Abbey sheltered Thomas Becket and keeps a long, plain Cistercian church. Allow up to an hour, 1 h 45 from Beaune by driver." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/abbaye-de-pontigny lang: en updated: 2026-09-30 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/things-to-do/abbaye-de-pontigny.png --- # Pontigny Abbey (Abbaye de Pontigny) > Pontigny Abbey: One of the largest Cistercian churches still standing, linked to three archbishops of Canterbury. Pontigny Abbey is in Pontigny (Yonne), 1 h 52 by road (169 km) from Beaune. Allow 45 minutes to 1 hour · Private driver from Beaune: €420 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. In the flat meadows of the Serein valley, north of Chablis, the abbey church of Pontigny rises long and plain. Founded in 1114, Pontigny was the second daughter house of Cîteaux. Its church survived the Revolution and remains one of the largest Cistercian churches in the world, a place of great calm and light. ## Key facts - Type: Abbeys & churches - Where: Pontigny · Yonne - Location: 130 km north-west of Beaune · Yonne - Coordinates: 47.9095, 3.7145 - 1 h 52 from Beaune - Allow 45 minutes to 1 hour - Pontigny - Nearby: [Chablis](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/chablis) - Official website: [abbayepontigny.com](https://abbayepontigny.com/) - From Beaune: ≈ 1 h 52 · 169 km - €420 one way from Beaune with a [private driver](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver) - Or add it to our [long-day wine tour, €880](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/long-day). ## Getting there - [Private driver from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver): 1 h 52 by road (169 km), €420 one way for the whole car. Coming by train or plane? [Transfers from stations and airports](https://www.cote-privee.com/transfers) Estimates per vehicle for up to 4 guests, tolls included. Your price is confirmed when you book. ## History Monks sent by Stephen Harding, abbot of Cîteaux, settled here at the end of May 1114 under Hugh of Mâcon. The abbey grew rich in land, including vineyards at Chablis. Three archbishops of Canterbury came here. Thomas Becket took refuge from 1164 to 1166 during his quarrel with Henry II. Stephen Langton also stayed, and Edmund of Abingdon, known in France as Saint Edme, was buried here. Huguenots pillaged the abbey in 1569, but the relics of Saint Edme were saved. At the Revolution the monastic buildings were sold and largely destroyed, while the church became the parish church. From 1910 the philosopher Paul Desjardins held the Décades de Pontigny here, meetings of writers and thinkers such as André Gide and André Maurois. Since 1954 the church has been the cathedral of the Mission de France. ## What you will see The church is a lesson in Cistercian restraint: long, pale and almost bare, with a 12th-century nave and a later Gothic choir. The effect is serene rather than grand. In the choir, look for the tomb of Saint Edme, with its canopy of the 18th and 19th centuries, and the carved stalls of the 17th and 18th centuries. The tomb of Hugh of Mâcon, the first abbot, is also here. Outside, the lay brothers' building survives near the church. ## Planning your visit Allow 45 minutes to an hour. Pontigny is about 15 minutes from Chablis and about 1 hour 45 minutes from Beaune, so it fits naturally into a Chablis day. The church is a working cathedral, so be discreet during services. The rest of the former abbey estate, sold by the region in 2020 to the François Schneider Foundation, is being restored and is open every day, with guided and audio tours and a café-restaurant. Works can affect access, so check the official website before you go. ## Did you know? Pontigny's monks helped build the Chablis vineyard. From the late 12th century the monks received vineyards there, and their medieval cellar in Chablis, the Petit Pontigny, still stands. ## Around Pontigny Abbey What to combine with Pontigny Abbey on the same day, nearest first. ### Villages - [Chablis](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/chablis) (12 km away): Burgundy's northern outpost, where Chardonnay grows on fossil-rich limestone above the river Serein. - [Saint-Bris](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/saint-bris) (19 km away): Burgundy's Sauvignon village, built over a maze of medieval cellars. - [Irancy](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/irancy) (22 km away): The red wine village of the Yonne, set in a bowl of vines and cherry trees. ### Châteaux - [Château de Maligny](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-maligny) (6 km away): A castle above the Serein north of Chablis, whose name lives on in the Durup family's wines. - [Château Long-Depaquit](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-long-depaquit) (12 km away): An 18th-century château in the heart of Chablis, home of the grand cru La Moutonne. - [Château de Béru](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-beru) (18 km away): A family château above the Chablis vineyards, with a rare sundial and moon dial, and biodynamic wines. ### Things to do - [Musée de la Vigne et du Tire-Bouchon, Domaine Alain Geoffroy](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/musee-de-la-vigne-et-du-tire-bouchon-beine) (10 km away): Nearly 5,000 corkscrews and the old tools of the vineyard in the cellars of a Chablis family estate, with a tasting to finish. - [L’Obédiencerie, Domaine Laroche](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/obediencerie-domaine-laroche) (12 km away): A 9th-century monastic house in Chablis, with a medieval wine press and the cellars of Domaine Laroche. - [La Chablisienne](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/la-chablisienne) (12 km away): The Chablis cooperative founded in 1923, with a tasting cellar covering every level of the appellation. ### Events - **Saturday 24 – Sunday 25 October 2026 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Fête des Vins de Chablis](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/fete-des-vins-de-chablis): Chablis celebrates its new vintage every year on the fourth weekend of October. (Wine festival · Chablis) - **An autumn Sunday, usually in late October, sometimes followed by a second market in November.** · [Marché aux truffes de Noyers](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/marche-aux-truffes-de-noyers): Burgundy truffles, a giant omelette and a clanging bell in the medieval squares of Noyers. (Food & markets · Noyers) - **Saturday, 24 October 2026 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Marathon de Chablis](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/marathon-de-chablis): A festive marathon through the Chablis vineyards, run in costume on the Saturday of the wine festival. (Sport · Chablis) - **A weekend in early December.** · [Marché de Noël de La Chablisienne](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/marche-de-noel-de-la-chablisienne): A weekend of local crafts and festive wines at the cooperative cellar of Chablis before Christmas. (Christmas · Chablis) - **Sunday, 24 January 2027 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Saint-Vincent tournante du Tonnerrois](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/saint-vincent-tournante-du-tonnerrois): The winter wine festival of the Tonnerre growers, hosted by a different village each year. (Tradition · Vézinnes, 2027 host) - **Saturday 6 – Sunday 7 February 2027 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Saint-Vincent tournante du Chablisien](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/saint-vincent-tournante-du-chablisien): The winter wine festival of the Chablis vineyard, hosted by a different village each year. (Tradition · Maligny, 2027 host) - **A weekend in early April.** · [Les Vinées Tonnerroises](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/vinees-tonnerroises): The wine fair of the Tonnerrois, held inside a vast 13th-century hospital. (Wine festival · Tonnerre) - **The last Sunday of April.** · [Balade gourmande du Chablisien](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/balade-gourmande-du-chablisien): A spring walk of about ten kilometres through the Chablis vines, with food and wine stands along the way. (Food & markets · Chablis, route changes each year) - **A few evenings in July.** · [Festival du Chablisien](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/festival-du-chablisien): Summer evening concerts in the churches and barns of the Chablis vineyard. (Music · Chablis and nearby villages) - **Most of July.** · [Rencontres musicales de Noyers](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/rencontres-musicales-de-noyers): Chamber music and masterclasses in a walled medieval village, with local wines poured after the concerts. (Music · Noyers) - **A three-day weekend at the end of July.** · [Gargouillosium](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/gargouillosium-noyers): Twenty stone carvers, three days and a crop of new gargoyles at the old castle of Noyers. (Culture · Noyers) - **Thursday 26 – Saturday 28 August 2027 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Musiques en Tonnerrois](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/musiques-en-tonnerrois): A roving festival of chamber music and new works in Tonnerre, a Renaissance château and village churches. (Music · Tonnerre and nearby villages) ### Guides about Pontigny Abbey - [A Chablis day trip from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/guides/chablis-day-trip-from-beaune) ## Questions about Pontigny Abbey ### How far is Pontigny Abbey from Beaune? Pontigny Abbey is about 1 h 52 from Beaune by road (169 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €420 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### How long does a visit to Pontigny Abbey take? For the visit, allow 45 minutes to 1 hour. ### When is Pontigny Abbey open? Opening days and times change during the year, so check the official website (abbayepontigny.com) before you go. Your driver can plan the day around them. ### Can a private driver take us to Pontigny Abbey? Yes. Your driver collects you in Beaune or at your hotel in an electric Polestar 2 (up to 4 guests), waits while you visit and plans the rest of the day with you. The driver speaks English, French, Mandarin Chinese and Arabic. → [Long-day wine tour, €880](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/long-day) ## Book - [Book a driver here](https://www.cote-privee.com/book?service=driver&place=sight:pontigny): €420 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests ## Sources - - - - - --- Canonical page: