Notre-Dame des Sablons, Gothic church in Aigues-Mortes, France

Notre-Dame des Sablons is a Gothic church in Aigues-Mortes, southern France. Its tall, flat facade of light gray ashlar and rubble stone has a cylindrical turret with a conical cap at the top left, a large pointed-arch recess with a small circular opening, and a deep pointed-arch doorway with a dark wooden door. Inside, the three-aisled hall church is not vaulted but covered by an open roof truss.

The church was built in the 13th century, at the time when King Louis IX of France was using Aigues-Mortes as a departure port for his crusades. Over the following centuries, the building was altered several times but kept its Gothic character overall.

The name "des Sablons" refers to the sands on which the church stands, and it is the last surviving building linked to Louis IX's embarkation for the crusades. Crusaders of the Sixth Crusade were blessed here on 25 August 1248, and those of the Seventh on 1 July 1270. On 25 August 1992, Louis de Bourbon gave his first speech as heir to the French throne in this church and was made an honorary citizen of Aigues-Mortes.

The church sits right on the central square of Aigues-Mortes and is easy to reach on foot from anywhere inside the town walls. The streets around it are paved with uneven stones, so sturdy shoes make the walk more comfortable.

The stained glass windows inside the church were designed in 1991 by French artist Claude Viallat, known for his abstract style rooted in the Support-Surface movement. These modern windows bring bursts of color into the medieval stone interior, creating a deliberate contrast that many visitors do not expect.