Abbaye de Montmajour, near Arles

Enormous Benedictine abbey

featured in Sights & sites

The Montmajour abbey was founded in 948 by the Benedictines. It sits on a large rock and is surrounded by protected surrounding countryside.

It's an impressive set of buildings, wonderfully restored and looked after, and is an ideal spot for those seeking a moment of peace and contemplation.

Van Gogh was fascinated by the abbey and produced many paintings of it from 1888 to 1889.

The Montmajour site offers stunning, panoramic views across the Alpilles mountains and the Crau plain – a marsh in the Middle Ages and now used as grazing land for horses and bulls, as well as for rice-growing. The area is part private property and part land managed by the Conservatoire du Littoral.

Visitor comments

"I believe that during our stay in Provence, we took more photos at the abbey than all our other stops combined. It was a characteristic Provencal morning: a searing blue sky framed every view like a painting." - Trip Advisor
"We passed this Abbey several times and were not able to stop. I am so glad that I finally made it a point to stop for a few minutes. The abbey is much larger than it looks from the street. My elderly mother was able to walk through it and enjoyed the visit too." - Trip Advisor
"Lovely setting for this vast ruined monument. Easy to imagine this building when it was buzzing with people going about their monastic business. Beautiful church building,dining hall and dormitory. Climb the tower for great views over the countryside and nearby town of Arles. There is a presentation ( in French) in the tower and an exhibition ( with some English information) Nice gift shop and plenty of parking" - Trip Advisor