Notre Dame des Dombes Abbey

Le Plantay

Cistercian abbey founded in 1863 by Bossan, architect of the basilicas of Fourvière (Lyon) and Ars-sur-Formans, and entrusted to the Chemin Neuf community in 2001. Atrium, church and oratory of icons.

Notre Dame des Dombes Abbey

Getting there

Visit

Notre Dame des Dombes Abbey

Eglise de l'Abbaye Notre Dame des Dombes au Plantay

Couloir du Cloître de l'Abbaye Notre Dame des Dombes

Oratoire de Tibhirine - Salle des Icônes dans l'Abbaye

Building of typical Dombes architecture
Neo-Byzantine abbey church.
Tibhirine oratory

In September 2001, the Chemin Neuf Community took over from the Cistercian monks who founded and inhabited Notre Dame des Dombes. Loyal to monastic tradition, it continues the work and prayer of the monks. Founded in 1973, the Chemin Neuf Community is an ecumenical Catholic community that brings together members of different Christian churches. It is made up of unmarried men and women, priests and families. Guided tours for groups of 10 are available on request. These tours provide access to certain areas of the abbey that are not accessible to unaccompanied visitors, notably the cloister and the farm.

Church service times: 12pm on weekdays, 11am on Sundays and religious holidays. Lauds at 7:30am (except Saturday and Sunday). Vespers at 6:30pm.

Events organized throughout the year:

From Farm to Farm in April: visits to the abbey, the farm, the honey factory… Free. –
Heritage Days in September: more comprehensive tours (farm, honey house, icon workshop, abbey). Free. –
Apple-picking weekend in September: apple picking, apple-related activities.

Notre Dame des Dombes Abbey

The origin

150 years of history

Founded in the 19th century, when the Dombes was still quite marshy, the Abbey has contributed, through the work of its monks, to changing the landscape and cleaning up this region of Ain. Cistercians from the Aiguebelle community in the Drôme settled here and cleared, drained and developed the land entrusted to them. By draining some of the ponds and developing fish farming, the monks considerably improved living conditions at the time.

Tour

of the Abbey farm

The farm at Notre-Dame Abbey

From the outset, the abbey farm had a dairy vocation, which it has since diversified. On the 200 hectares or so of land farmed by the community, 6 different production activities co-exist in harmony:

Cheese dairy
Fishing and ponds
Honey farm
Livestock
Vegetable gardening

Farm products (cheeses, sweets, etc.) are on sale at the store located at the abbey entrance.

The store at

the abbey

Abbaye Notre Dame des Dombes store

Practical info
Prices
Contacts

Opening hours

The abbey and the shopwelcome visitors every day (except Tuesday) between 10am and 12pm and between 2:30pm and 6pm. You can visit the Church, discover the icons at the Tibhirrine Oratory and pop into the Abbey shop. If you wish, you may also join us in prayer.

Self-guided tour: free

Guided tour: €5/person (Free for children).

Website:

dombes.chemin-neuf.fr

Telephone:

+33 (0)4 74 98 14 40

Address:

Abbaye des Dombes – 01330 Le Plantay

Email:

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