abbey of thoronet

Visited when on a cycling holiday. Built between 1160 &1190 this is the oldest of the 3 Cistercian Abbeys in Provence. The day we visited was very quiet, enjoyed our visit.

Charming and interesting place to be seen. I suggest to go well before the closing time because the visit takes a while and the personell starts to close the doors of the site 30/20 minutes before,

At 7€50 a head one might expect to see a more polished display. While the plot has been updated since we last visited over 10 years ago it lacks simples things like information plaques. Most of the rooms are empty and the architecture is fairly simple (as was appropriate for a monastery.) For the money they charge they could make more of an effort to inform.

The abbey is a perfect example of Cisterician architecture and can only be enjoyed for its austerity of decoration. The parts to be visited can easily inspire a notion of how the monks lived and it is amusing to find that the "lay brothers" did all the work while the monks prayed.

The Abbey is certainly an impressive historic monument and well worth a visit just to see the simple grandeur of a restored 12th century Cistercian building. However the 7.5 euros charged for entry is not good value for money. Considering it is an historic monument of considerable global importance and attracts thousands of non-French visitors every year it might be expected that more information be available in English. The guided tours are all in French and the video loop on the screen is also in the local language. It could perhaps benefit from subtitles! As for refreshments they are pricey and OK if you don't mind vending machine coffee. We went into the local village of Le Thoronet to get a cup of REAL French coffee. Disabled access is severly restricted.

This abbey is deserted now, but the main church was very interesting. It was very stark, with only two statues in the entire church, and a very plain altar. You can park across the street; there is a little bar/restaurant there if you need refreshments. We ate our lunch sitting on a large rock. Entrance fee is 7 euro.

About 5km from the picturesque village of Le Thoronet with plenty of free parking opposite. Partly restored, plenty to see and a wonderful place for some quiet reflection. 7€ entry with a short descriptive map on entry.

A beautiful Cistercian Abbey lost in the middle of deep Provence, quite moving, a really nice place to visit, rich in culture and emotions, although the mice droppings in one of the best parts of the building AND the garden in the cloister could be taken care of. However, the extreme rudeness of the young woman / guide who impatiently "escorted" us to the exit from 6:15 was absolutely disgraceful. She must have thought we were foreigners, it's not the case, and she was so insolent and disrespectful. We told her and she answered back. What was supposed to a deep religious experience was spoiled by this woman's attitude.

One of the most remarkable Cistercian abbeys. Quiet place, well restored, hidden in the Provence, a very nice place if you like old, historical places...

While staying in Theoule during the summer, our afternoons are spent seeing the sights of the Cote d' Azur. This year, we came across The Abbey du Thoronet while driving around and boy, am I glad we decided to stop and visit. This medieval Abbaye is nestled in the midst of trees and vineyards. It is a little treasure. This is a great afternoon visit when you don't want to deal with crowds either. I think there were less than ten people strolling the grounds when we visited. You really get an almost eerie but very calming feeling just walking around. It's easy to imagine how the monks were able to live here. The gardens in the courtyard area must have produced some great produce. The olive trees in the back, olives and maybe some olive oil?? As hot as the weather was, there was a nice coolness inside the Abbaye itself. A fountain, which was beautiful (see photos) helped to make the Monk's lives easier. Small seats are also scattered in a stone-fenced in area..it was very reflective with a lone hollyhock in the middle. The Abbaye was also a great place for photos. The little shop as you exit had some great provincial cookbooks too.As an aside--there is a delightful outdoor café just across the road from the Abbaye--the perfect place for a nice citron presse!Seriously--if you want to sight-see at a less crowded place, and one with a ton of history, it is definitely worth the drive!

beautiful abby in the forest, amazing acoustics in the chapel with a guide who will chant.Not too many people, a rare piece of history that will make you think about solitude and prayer.

To add to the other reviews, it is worth noting that on Sundays at midday the Mass is celebrated in the original Latin plainsong. Due to the exceptional accoustic qualities of the Abbey Church, this a remarkable event. Usually there are only three or four voices and the Priest, but they sound like ten times the number. Medeival singing at its finest underlines the atmosphere of this very ancient and sacred place. Entry is free after the tourists have left the site..

A small early Cistercian monastery built in one go between 1130 and 1170. It reflects the austerity which the Cistercians brought to the Benedictine monastic tradition which by then was not all that holy.A perfectly proportioned abbey church with absolutely no decoration and a marvellous acoustic (it's much used a for a capella solo voice concerts). The monastery buildings are very well preserved and restored - there were only 40 or so monks at its height, and you get a feel for their rigorous life in the cloister, single dormitory. communal washing area and chapter house built into the living rock.Go there out of season if you can to get the abbey's pervading sense of peace and purpose. Like most Cistercian abbeys, it's set in remote and beautiful countryside.

Lovely abbey, well restored, set in the forest. We spent a couple of hours here. It is beautiful, there are a few ponds and fountains that add to the beauty. Entrance price 7.5Euros per head. There is a good cafe kiosk in the parking area for the abbey, in the woods on the other side of the road. We just had hot chocolate, but the salads that others had ordered looked amazing.

The abbey is in a wonderful location - but a lot of abbeys are. It is interesting but it isn't very large when compared to some of the abbeys in England which take a couple of hours to go round. We went round le Thoronet in about 40 minutes. We also had the problem with the leaflet in English which didn't help. All in all its quite an expensive outing. We visited in a weekday in September, the car park was full and the cafe wasn't open. There was a gift shop which WAS open, very little tat but quite expensive.