Sénanque Abbey, Cistercian monastery in Gordes, France.
The stone monastery stands in a secluded valley surrounded by lavender fields, with a bell tower rising above the church and dormitory buildings.
Founded in 1148 by twelve Cistercian monks from Mazan Abbey in Ardèche, Sénanque became the fourth Cistercian establishment in Provence.
The resident monks gather seven times daily for prayers in the church, maintaining religious traditions established in the 12th century.
Guided tours operate Monday through Saturday at 10:30, 14:00, and 15:30, while Sunday tours run at 14:00 and 15:30 with French-speaking guides.
The abbey shop sells products manufactured within Sénanque and items from fifty other monasteries across Europe.
Location: Gordes
Inception: 1148
Architectural style: Cistercian architecture
Address: RD 177a
Website: http://senanque.fr
GPS coordinates: 43.92833,5.18694
Latest update: August 1, 2025 11:33
These European monasteries and religious structures display architecture from medieval to modern times. The buildings showcase different architectural styles and occupy notable geographic locations: on islands, mountain peaks, or among lavender fields. Many of these monasteries remain active religious centers today.
The Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region combines medieval villages, historical fortresses, and natural areas. The region features geological formations like the Demoiselles Coiffées, French Riviera coastal landscapes, and alpine territories. Monasteries, castle ruins, and traditional villages display regional history. Natural landscapes include lavender fields and mountain passes.
Between gentle mountains and stone villages, Luberon encompasses everything that Provence has to offer in its brightest form. Its roads wind through lavender fields, ochre cliffs, and blonde bastides clinging to hills. Here, each village tells a story from a different time, each alleyway preserves the shadow of a medieval past, and each landscape appears painted by hand. In Gordes or Roussillon, the houses play with the light; in Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, the Sorgue springs from an emerald-green abyss; and in the valleys, abbeys and castles watch over the plains.
Fontaine de Vaucluse
4.5 km
Mur de la peste
5.3 km
Musée didactique de Gordes
2.2 km
Château de Murs
5.2 km
Château de Fontaine-de-Vaucluse
4.7 km
Église de Saint-Pantaléon
5.6 km
Caves du Palais Saint Firmin
2.2 km
Château de Cabrières-d'Avignon
5.1 km
Musée Pétrarque
4.8 km
Nestor le Castor
5.9 km
Église de Fontaine-de-Vaucluse
4.9 km
Église Saint-Loup de Murs
5.1 km
Fontaine du Dieu Guérisseur de Fontaine-de-Vaucluse
4.9 km
Abbatiale de l'abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque
24 m
Eglise Saint-Firmin
2.2 km
Église de Joucas
5.2 km
Chapelle des pénitents blancs de Gordes
2.1 km
Église Saint-François-d'Assise des Imberts
4.9 km
Saint Gens
5.7 km
Commanderie de Joucas
5.2 km
Musée du Verre et du Vitrail
5.6 km
Musée du moulin des bouillons
5.1 km
Écomusée des Santons
4.8 km
Église Saint-Vincent de Cabrières-d'Avignon
5.1 km
Maison Lhote
2.2 km
Hôtel Saint-Firmin
2.3 km
Musée du Monde Souterrain de Norbert Casteret
4.7 km
Chapelle Notre Dame du Salut
4.9 kmReviews
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An absolutely amazing visit 😻 I recommend the guided tour and come in early July when the lavenders are in bloom!
An absolutely amazing visit 😻 I recommend the guided tour and come in early July when the lavenders are in bloom!
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