Taizé Community (Communauté de Taizé)
An ecumenical community of brothers in a Burgundian village, where visitors may join the daily prayer.
- Abbey or church
- 1 h from Beaune
- Allow 1 to 2 hours
- Taizé
€210one way from Beaune with a private driver
At a glance
- Official website
- taize.fr
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 1 h by road (75 km), €210 one way for the whole car.
Or add it to our full-day wine tour plus two hours, €700.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About the place
In the small village of Taizé, north of Cluny, lives an ecumenical monastic community of around eighty brothers from nearly thirty countries, from Catholic, Anglican and Protestant backgrounds. Each year tens of thousands of young people come for week-long international meetings. Day visitors are welcome to join the community prayer, held morning, midday and evening.
What you will see
Visitors can walk freely around the site and enter the Church of Reconciliation, a concrete building with coloured windows, extended over the years to hold large crowds. The sung community prayer is the heart of any visit; you can simply sit and listen. A welcome team of young volunteers can show a short film about Taizé, and an exhibition room sells pottery made by the brothers.
History
In 1940 Roger Schutz, the 25-year-old son of a Reformed pastor, left Switzerland for France to help people in difficulty during the war. In Taizé, close to the demarcation line that cut the country in two, he sheltered refugees, particularly Jews. He had conceived the idea of a community during a long illness, and the community that grew around him became known worldwide. Brother Roger remained its prior until 2005.
Brother Alois succeeded him as prior from 2005 to 2023, followed by Brother Matthew. The brothers live solely from their own work and accept no donations or legacies for themselves. The Church of Reconciliation was designed by one of the brothers and built in 1961 and 1962 with the help of young German volunteers, whose organisation worked for reconciliation after the Second World War.
Planning your visit
Tips for your visit
Taizé is a place of prayer rather than a tourist site, so dress simply and keep noise low. For a short stop, arrive late in the morning to take part in the weekday midday prayer, or come for the Sunday Eucharist. A simple meal can be shared with the young people. Taizé lies about 10 kilometres north of Cluny, so the two combine easily.
Around here
What to combine with Taizé Community on the same day, nearest first.
Questions
Taizé Community is about 1 h from Beaune by road (75 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €210 for the whole car, up to 4 guests.
Did you know? The Church of Reconciliation was inaugurated on 6 August 1962, the feast of the Transfiguration and also the anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
Sources
Taizé Community with a private driver
€210 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests