Point de Vue du Mont Vézelay

The viewpoint at the top of the hill of Vézelay is one of the finest panoramas in Burgundy. The town stands on a long ridge, rising some 100 metres above the valley of the Cure river, and from the terraces by the basilica and along the old ramparts you look out over a landscape of fields, hedgerows and woods that stretches south toward the Morvan, the granite massif that forms a regional natural park. The hill is sometimes called the eternal hill, la colline éternelle, a name that suits the long, calm outline of the ridge and its view.

The Morvan is a region of rounded hills covered in forests of beech and oak, with lakes, streams and meadows grazed by white Charolais cattle, and it is one of the least populated parts of France. On a clear day the horizon seems to open up in all directions, and the effect is of being on an island above a green sea. The best light is in the early morning and in the evening, when the shadows lengthen and the hills turn blue, and sunset from the terrace attracts photographers and walkers. The view is free, and a short walk from the town centre leads to it, up the steep street to the basilica and beyond.

The viewpoint is part of a larger experience. The Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine at the summit is a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture, and Vézelay was a place of pilgrimage from the Middle Ages, with its relics of Mary Magdalene, and the starting point of one of the French routes to Santiago de Compostela. Bernard of Clairvaux preached the Second Crusade here in 1146. The hill and its monuments are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, and the site works as a place of learning, with guided visits and workshops that teach visitors how to read the sculpture and symbolism of the stones, suitable for families and school groups.

The country around Vézelay offers more to explore. The Château de Bazoches, a few kilometres to the south, was the home of Vauban, the great military engineer of Louis XIV, and can be visited, and the vineyards on the slopes near the town produce white wine from Chardonnay. Paths lead from the town down to the valley and into the Morvan, and a small museum and the ramparts offer other places to explore.

The viewpoint suits walkers, photographers and anyone who wants a moment of calm after the busy streets. Allow thirty minutes, longer if you walk along the ramparts. Wear good shoes, since the streets are steep and cobbled.