Where to stay near Vézelay

Perched atop a hill that Maurice Druon called "the eternal one", Vézelay has watched over Burgundy for nearly a thousand years.

The Sainte-Marie-Madeleine basilica, a masterpiece of Romanesque art, was among the first five French monuments inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1979. At the foot of the nave, one of France's Most Beautiful Villages unwinds its cobbled lanes, its craft workshops and its wine cellars.

Vézelay is the furthest excursion we recommend from Maison Jazey: 60 km, about an hour's drive at the gateway to the Morvan. The Sainte-Marie-Madeleine basilica is open to all, free of charge, from 8 am to 8 pm — set off early, lunch on the hill and keep the late afternoon for Semur.

History

A thousand years of pilgrimage and faith.

Vézelay owes its rise to the Benedictine abbey founded in the 9th century, soon to hold the supposed relics of Mary Magdalene. The village became one of the great spiritual centres of the medieval West. It was here that Bernard of Clairvaux preached the Second Crusade in 1146, here that Richard the Lionheart and Philip Augustus met before setting out on the Third.

Vézelay also stands as one of the four French starting points of the Way of Saint James to Santiago de Compostela, the via Lemovicensis. This twofold calling — Marian sanctuary and stage on the pilgrims' road — makes the hill a European spiritual crossroads, of which the basilica remains today the resplendent witness.

The Visit

Romanesque art in all its light.

The basilica, a long 62-metre Romanesque nave, astonishes with the clarity that floods it and the delicacy of its carved capitals. The tympanum of the narthex, where Christ sends his apostles to evangelise the world, is among the most striking of the 12th century. The Gothic choir contrasts with the Romanesque momentum of the nave.

Below, the village lines up old houses, galleries, craft workshops and ramparts. From the apse of the basilica, the eye takes in the valley of the Cure and the hills of the Morvan.

Our Angle

Vézelay is earned by a slow arrival. You leave the car at the bottom of the village and climb the rue Saint-Étienne on foot, so that the basilica reveals itself at the final bend.

Maison Jazey

The detail not to miss

The path of light.

On 21 June and 25 July, the feast day of Saint Mary Magdalene, a luminous phenomenon known as the "path of light" crosses the nave: nine pools of sunlight align precisely down the centre of the main aisle, from the narthex to the choir.

A Romanesque architect's calculation turned into a small marvel of sacred geometry. Our guests prefer to visit early in the morning or in the late afternoon, when the slanting light crosses the nave and the coaches have left.

Staying near Vézelay

Maison Jazey, your base for visiting Vézelay

An hour's drive from the basilica, in the very heart of the medieval town of Semur-en-Auxois, Maison Jazey offers two spacious apartments in its hôtel particulier, a private mansion. Secure parking included, a concierge to plan your visit, and a refined breakfast to set off in the morning before the crowds.

Book direct and you enjoy the best rate guaranteed and a personal welcome to plan your day in Vézelay — from the basilica to the cellars of the neighbouring vineyards.

See our rooms

Practical information

Visiting the Vézelay basilica: opening hours and access.

Address: Basilique Sainte-Marie-Madeleine
Place de la Basilique
89450 Vézelay (Yonne)
From Maison Jazey: 60 km · 1 hr
Via the D 954 then the D 957
Basilica hours: Every day, 8 am – 8 pm
Visiting not recommended on Sunday between 10.30 am and 12.30 pm (Mass)
Admission: Free entry
Guided tours from 4 April to 31 August, every day at 2.30 pm (booking recommended)
Tourist office: 12 rue Saint-Étienne, 89450 Vézelay
+33 (0)3 86 33 23 69
Parking: At the foot of the village
On foot up the rue Saint-Étienne
Official website: basiliquedevezelay.org