Vauclair Abbey

Remains of a 12th-century Cistercian abbey in the heart of Vauclair forest, with an adjacent medieval medicinal-plant garden.

Founded in 1134 by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux at the request of Bartholomew of Jur, Bishop of Laon, the abbey of Notre-Dame de Vauclair was a major Cistercian foundation in the Laonnois. Largely destroyed during the French Revolution and again during the 1917 battles, only evocative ruins remain today.

An open-air visit

The site is freely accessible year-round. A marked trail leads from the car park to the remains of the abbey church, cloister and chapter house. Interpretation panels recount the history of the monastery and its community.

The medieval garden

Nearby, a medieval garden reconstitutes the monks' working spaces: vegetable plot, medicinal herbarium, conservation orchard. It gathers more than 400 species, including heritage apple and pear varieties.

In the area

The site lies within the Vauclair state forest, ideal for hiking. Marked trails connect to Bouconville-Vauclair and the Californie plateau.

Practical information

Address: Bouconville-Vauclair · 02860
Phone: 05 53 XX XX XX
Website: abbaye-vauclair.org
Opening hours: Site: free access · Garden: 2–6pm, May–October
Rates: Free (donation for the garden)

Directions & access

What to see nearby

The Chemin des Dames

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Heritage · WWI memory

The Chemin des Dames

Thirty kilometres of ridge between the Aisne and Ailette rivers, dotted with memorials, viewpoints and Great War sites.

Caverne du Dragon Museum

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Museum · Historic site

Caverne du Dragon Museum

Former quarry used as a shelter during World War I, now a scenographic museum at Oulches-la-Vallée-Foulon.