74 Churches to Explore in France

Checkout places to visit in France

France

France, including its overseas territories, has the most number of time zones with a total of 12 time zones. France has long been a global center of art, science, and philosophy. It hosts the world's fourth-largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is the leading tourist destination, receiving around 83 million foreign visitors annually.

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Churches to Explore in France

Abbaye de Beauport

A beautiful maritime Abbey Built on high ground founded by the Prémonté order in 1202 in Paimpol’s cove. One of the beautiful architectural wonders in this area and also the main pilgrimage centers in this area. You can stroll through the grounds and enjoy the views over marshland, moors, reed beds, and pasture, plus the orchard collections, walled garden, and cloisters. The long chapterhouse is a fine example of the Anglo-Norman Gothic.

Abbaye de Cluny

The Benedictine Abbey of Cluny was founded in the 10th century. Over the centuries, its vast Abbey church extended its influence over the whole of Europe. The abbey was constructed in the Romanesque architectural style, with three churches built in succession from the 4th to the early 12th centuries. The earliest basilica was the world's largest church until St. Peter's Basilica construction began in Rome.

Abbaye de Fontfroide

The Abbey of Fontfroide is a Cistercian abbey located on the territory of the commune of Narbonne a, in the department of Aude in France. Initially a Benedictine abbey, it was incorporated into the Cistercian order between 1144 and 1145. Today, the Abbey of Fontfroide is a member of the Charter of Cistercian abbeys and sites in Europe. The Abbey of Fontfroide is currently a private monument held by the descendants of Gustave and Madeleine Fayet.

Abbaye de Jumièges

Jumièges is one of the most famous abbeys in Normandy which was founded Founded in the 7th century by Saint Philibert. It was transformed into a stone quarry after the French Revolution, the remains are magisterial and offer an unforgettable vision. Jumièges Abbey was called “the most beautiful ruin in France”, and benefited from the image of an outdoor site impregnated with Romanticism.

Abbaye De Lérins

Abbaye De Lérins is a Cistercian monastery situated on the island of Saint Honorat off the coast of Cannes. A monastic culture has existed there since the 5th century. The monks are planting vineyards today, making wine and liqueur.

Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque

The Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque is one of the purest examples of primitive Cistercian architecture Located deep in its Provençal valley.

Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud

The Royal Abbey of Our Lady of Fontevraud is one of the largest surviving abbeys dating from the middle ages, located in the village ofFontevraud-l'Abbaye, near Chinon, in the former French duchy of Anjou. From 1804 to 1963, the complex of monastic buildings acted as a prison. The Abbey is situated in the Loire Valley which is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Abbaye Saint-Victor

Saint-Victor Abbey is a former abbey situated in Marseille. It was founded during the late Roman period and named after the saint and martyr of the local soldier, Victor of Marseilles.

Abbey of Saint-Germain d'Auxerre

This monastic complex, located outside the fortifications, was founded by Queen Clotilde in the 5th century. This monument is witness to sixteen centuries of the history of Auxerre. Although composite, it offers an architectural ensemble of great interest. The abbey church is Gothic in style. In the late twentieth century, the abbey's residential and service buildings were remodeled as a museum, presenting prehistoric, Gallo-Roman, and medieval finds from Auxerre.

Abbey of Saint-Savin

Known as the 'Romanesque Sistine Chapel', the Abbey-Church of Saint-Savin contains many beautiful 11th- and 12th-century murals which are still in a remarkable state of preservation. The cruciform church carries a square tower over its crossing. The transept was built first, then the choir with its ambulatory with five radial chapels in the polygonal apse. Below the church is the crypt of the martyr brothers St Savin and St Cyprian, decorated with frescos depicting scenes from their lives.

Aix Cathedral

Aix Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church and a national monument of France located in Aix-en-Provence of southern France. The church was designed using a mixture of three architectural styles (Romanesque, Gothic, and Neo-Gothic).

Ajaccio Cathedral

A majestic roman catholic church which was located in Ajaccio, Corsica. The house of God is the clerical seat of the Bishop of Ajaccio, a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Marseille. The cathedral has been a monument Historique since 30 October 1906. This Cathedral is built in the style of the Counter-Reformation with ocher. The cathedral also houses a large pipe organ built in 1849 by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll and later restored and electrified by Joël Pétrique.

Avignon Cathedral

Avignon Cathedral is one of the renown Roman Catholic church situated in the Avignon commune of France. It was built in the twelfth century. It features a roman style of architecture and a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary atop the bell tower.

Basilica Cathedral of Saint Denis

The Basilique Royal de Saint-Denis is a large former medieval abbey church and present cathedral in the city of Saint-Denis. It is also the burial place of French royalty in Paris. It is a necropolis, a stunning edifice to the dead, full of hauntingly beautiful funeral sculptures, mausoleums, and tombs. Featuring over 70 recumbent statues and monumental tombs from the Renaissance, the basilica contains within its walls the largest collection of funerary sculptures from the 12th to the 16th cent

Basilica of Saint Martin, Tours

A stylish neo Byzantine basilica was built in the year 1886 and It was at first served by a community of monks under an abbot. One of the beautiful church which is famous in this area and is also a good example of the architecture of France.

Basilica of Saint Michael, Bordeaux

The Basilica of Saint-Michel is a Catholic church located on Place Canteloup. This historic square was located close to the Pont de Pierre bridge. it features a cruciform church building and a separate bell tower. The impressing height of the tower makes it visible across much of Bordeaux. It is also a UNESCO world heritage site which was built at the end of the 14th century. One of the main pilgrimage centers in this area and also a tourist attraction too.

Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde

Notre-Dame de la Garde is a Catholic basilica in Marseille city. The basilica is located at the south side of the Old Port of Marseille, on the highest point in Marseille- a 149-meter high limestone outcropping. It was built on the foundation of an ancient fort.

Basilique Saint Nazaire

The Basilica of Saint-Nazaire-et-Saint-Celse is a Catholic church located in the city ​​of Carcassonne, France. Former cathedral, it has the rank of minor basilica since 1898. It was built between the ix th century and the xiv th century. As Jules de Lahondès wrote in the report of the Archaeological Congress of France in 1906, “The jewel of the City is its church”.

Basilique Saint-Sernin de Toulouse

The Saint-Sernin basilica in Toulouse is a sanctuary built to house the relics of Saint Saturnin , the first bishop of Toulouse, martyred in 250 . Saint-Sernin is one of the largest preserved Romanesque churches in Europe, along with the cathedral in Speyer , Germany. It was served from the ix th century at the latest until the French Revolution, by a canonical community.

Bernadette Soubirous Nevers

Espace Bernadette Soubirous Nevers is a former convent and the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of Nevers in Nevers, France, and is where the body of Saint Bernadette reposes. In 1970, it was converted into a sanctuary run by volunteers and a few sisters who administer to pilgrims and manage the building. There is also a museum that highlights the various steps in Bernadette’s life: the cachot, the grotto, Hospice of Lourdes and her time in Nevers. Some photographs and artifacts depict her

Map of Churches to explore in France