Abbaye Notre-Dame de Belchamp, Medieval abbey ruins in Voujeaucourt, France.
Abbaye Notre-Dame de Belchamp is a monastery ruin beside the Doubs River with surviving stone foundations and wall sections. The archaeological remains display rectangular stone blocks and openings that reflect the original layout of the religious complex.
The abbey was founded between 1142 and 1145 by Count Thierry II of Montbéliard as a new religious settlement. After surviving various conflicts and fires over centuries, it was finally abandoned following a major fire in the early 1700s.
The Premonstratensian community shaped daily religious life here through their buildings and spiritual practices that molded the surrounding landscape. Visitors can still sense how this monastic order organized work and prayer within these now-silent walls.
The ruins sit near the Doubs River and can be reached from the riverbank, though modern development has affected some sections. Wear sturdy shoes and watch your step among the exposed archaeological fragments scattered across the site.
The riverside wall displays distinctive stone masonry patterns from the 16th century that differ noticeably from other medieval construction methods in the region. This different building technique hints at specific craft traditions that the abbey's masons employed.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.