The Royal Abbey of Fontevraud is open all year (closed on December 25 and January 1): admission costs €13 at the full rate until December 31, 2026, it is free for under-18s and students under 25, and the abbey recommends three hours for your visit. Founded in 1101 by Robert d’Arbrissel near Saumur, it houses the tomb effigies of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry II and Richard the Lionheart, a unique Romanesque kitchen and, since 2021, a modern art museum. This page brings together the official hours and prices, the ticket office, the rules to know and a month-by-month table of sunset times. For a circuit on the Touraine side, our guide to Château d’Amboise complements this visit.
Fontevraud lies at the western edge of the château region: see our guide to visiting the Loire Valley to plan your route.
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Fontevraud Abbey: key facts
- Hours: 10 am – 7 pm every day until November 1, 2026; 10 am – 6 pm after that (closed on Tuesdays from November 2 to December 18) — checked on 23 October 2026 on fontevraud.fr
- Last purchase and last entry: one hour before closing.
- Full price (October 5 – December 31, 2026): abbey €13, Modern Art Museum €8, abbey + museum €17; online advance sale €11 for the abbey.
- Free entry: under 18s, students under 25, holders of the French mobility inclusion card (and a companion if the card says so), recipients of the French RSA benefit, among others.
- Booking: not required for a self-guided visit; the online ticket office offers a cheaper advance-sale rate.
- Recommended time: 3 hours, according to the abbey.
- Address: Fontevraud-l’Abbaye (Maine-et-Loire), parking lots at place du 8-Mai-1945, rue du Logis-Bourbon and place du Grand-Clos.
Opening hours of Fontevraud Abbey
The abbey publishes its hours by period. These are the ones shown on the « Practical information » page at the time of our check; the 2027 hours were not yet online.
| Period | Royal Abbey | Modern Art Museum |
|---|---|---|
| August 24 – November 1, 2026 | 10 am – 7 pm, every day | 10 am – 7 pm, every day (closed October 5 to 30, 2026) |
| November 2 – December 18, 2026 | 10 am – 6 pm, closed Tuesdays | 10 am – 6 pm, closed Tuesdays |
| December 19, 2026 – January 3, 2027 | 10 am – 6 pm, every day except December 25 and January 1 | same |
Note the closure of the Modern Art Museum from October 5 to 30, 2026 (dismantling of the summer exhibition): during this period only the abbey can be visited. The museum reopens on October 31, when the online ticket office offers the abbey + museum ticket again.
Tickets and prices
| Ticket | Full | Reduced | Advance sale / group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Abbey | €13 | €7.50 | €11 |
| Modern Art Museum | €8 | €5 | €7 |
| Abbey + museum | €17 | €10.50 | €15.50 |
| Guided tour (supplement) | +€5 | +€5 | +€5 |
| Educational workshop (supplement) | +€2 | +€2 | +€2 |
- Free entry: under 18s, students under 25, people with disabilities holding the French mobility inclusion card, recipients of the French RSA benefit, holders of the Pass Patrimoine or the French Ministry of Culture and ICOM cards, tour guides.
- Free Sundays: entry is free for everyone on the last Sunday of the month in the shoulder season; in 2026 this covers February 22, March 29 and November 29.
- Low-carbon travel: a partner rate applies if you buy on site and show a bicycle helmet, a same-day bus or train ticket, or the details of a carpool trip.
- Neighboring châteaux: partner rate on presentation of a full-price ticket for the châteaux of Brézé, Montreuil-Bellay or Montsoreau.
- Passes: individual 1-year pass at €39, duo pass at €65.
- Cancellation: tickets can be exchanged but not refunded.
The official ticket office is billet.fontevraud.fr, linked from the abbey’s website. This is where the advance-sale rate applies; a reseller will not save you time, since a self-guided visit does not need a timed slot.
What to see at Fontevraud Abbey
According to the abbey, it is the largest monastic city in Europe. The self-guided route passes through the monastery’s main spaces, complemented by contemporary art installations.
- The abbey church: the spiritual heart of the monastery, with its painted chapels, wooden choir stalls and the grille that separated the nuns’ choir from the brothers’ (17th-century decoration).
- The Plantagenet tombs: Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry II, Richard the Lionheart and a fourth effigy in polychrome wood, long attributed to Isabella of Angoulême. Wikipedia notes that a 2024 study attributes it instead to Joan of England.
- The cloister: it links the church, the chapter house and the communal living areas (refectory, dormitories).
- The Romanesque kitchens: the abbey’s most recognizable silhouette. Their use was long debated; the abbey says an archaeological study confirmed in 2020 that they were a kitchen.
- The Modern Art Museum: the national Martine and Léon Cligman collections, more than 800 works (Toulouse-Lautrec, Corot, Derain, Soutine, Germaine Richier, Maurice Marinot glassware), in the former Fannerie.
- For families: seven « Passages temporels » installations included in the ticket and a free-access Lego room, in the Saint-Benoît courtyard.
Nine centuries in five dates
- 1101: Robert d’Arbrissel founds a double monastery, with men and women under the authority of an abbess.
- 1204: Eleanor of Aquitaine, retired to Fontevraud, dies at Poitiers; she is buried at the abbey.
- 1804: a decree of Napoleon I turns the abbey into a prison.
- 1840: listed as a historic monument.
- 1963: the prison closes, according to Wikipedia. The abbey notes that it is now, together with the Loire Valley, part of UNESCO World Heritage.
Self-guided or guided visit?
Guided tours of the abbey last 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes and cost €5 on top of the ticket. From August 24 to November 1, 2026, they leave at 11 am, 2:30 pm and 4 pm; the online ticket office then offers them until December 18. With three hours recommended for the whole site, a self-guided visit leaves time to add the museum and a break at the Terrasse gourmande, set in the former orangery.
Rules that surprise
- Animals: not allowed, except guide dogs and assistance dogs.
- The Modern Art Museum: bags, food and drink are not allowed; lockers are provided at the abbey entrance.
- Arriving late: no sales or entry in the last hour before closing, whereas a full visit takes about three hours.
- Tuesdays in November and December: the abbey and the museum are closed on Tuesdays from November 2 to December 18, 2026.
- Refunds: a ticket can be exchanged, but not refunded.
When to visit Fontevraud Abbey
The abbey is open all year, except two days. To choose a season, the table below combines the Météo-France normals at Tours (the reference station for the Loire Valley, further east) with the sunset time calculated at Fontevraud.
| Month (15th) | Max temp | Min temp | Rainy days (≥ 1 mm) | Sunset at Fontevraud |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.7 °C (46 °F) | 2.5 °C (36 °F) | 11.0 | 5:36 pm |
| February | 9.0 °C (48 °F) | 2.3 °C (36 °F) | 9.8 | 6:23 pm |
| March | 12.9 °C (55 °F) | 4.3 °C (40 °F) | 9.3 | 7:04 pm |
| April | 16.0 °C (61 °F) | 6.0 °C (43 °F) | 8.9 | 8:48 pm |
| May | 19.6 °C (67 °F) | 9.4 °C (49 °F) | 9.0 | 9:28 pm |
| June | 23.4 °C (74 °F) | 12.6 °C (55 °F) | 7.6 | 9:57 pm |
| July | 25.9 °C (79 °F) | 14.4 °C (58 °F) | 6.7 | 9:52 pm |
| August | 26.0 °C (79 °F) | 14.3 °C (58 °F) | 6.6 | 9:11 pm |
| September | 22.1 °C (72 °F) | 11.4 °C (53 °F) | 7.5 | 8:12 pm |
| October | 17.0 °C (63 °F) | 9.0 °C (48 °F) | 9.8 | 7:12 pm |
| November | 11.4 °C (53 °F) | 5.3 °C (42 °F) | 11.4 | 5:24 pm |
| December | 8.1 °C (47 °F) | 2.9 °C (37 °F) | 11.5 | 5:10 pm |
How to read it: July and August are the least rainy months at Tours (6.7 and 6.6 rainy days) and the warmest (highs of 26 °C, or 79 °F). From November to January there are more than 11 rainy days a month and the sun sets before 5:30 pm: a winter visit works best in the early afternoon. The abbey publishes no monthly attendance figures.
Getting there and parking
- By car: three parking lots for the abbey and the museum (place du 8-Mai-1945, rue du Logis-Bourbon, place du Grand-Clos); charging points at the first.
- By bus: Ogalo urban network lines from Saumur.
- By train: the abbey refers visitors to the TER Pays de la Loire website for timetables.
- By bike: Fontevraud is on one of the Loire à Vélo routes; bike parking, lockers, repair station.
- Payment: bank cards and checks; French holiday and culture vouchers are also accepted.
To stay on site, the abbey houses the 4-star hotel Fontevraud L’Ermitage and a restaurant, reached via rue Saint-Jean-de-l’Habit.
Accessibility
According to the abbey, the Modern Art Museum and Fontevraud L’Ermitage are accessible to visitors with reduced mobility; the abbey is only partly accessible. A wheelchair can be lent on reservation, and « easy to read and understand » (FALC) booklets are available on request. Baby-changing tables and luggage lockers are provided.
What to see nearby
Fontevraud combines with the other stops in our Loire Valley guide: Château de Chenonceau, Château de Chambord, Clos Lucé in Amboise or ZooParc de Beauval. Closer by, the abbey itself names the châteaux of Montsoreau, Brézé and Montreuil-Bellay, partners of its ticket office. For entry requirements, see entry requirements for France.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to enter Fontevraud Abbey?
€13 at the full rate for the abbey from October 5 to December 31, 2026 (€11 in advance sale), €17 with the Modern Art Museum. Entry is free for under-18s and students under 25.
Do you need to book to visit Fontevraud Abbey?
Not for a self-guided visit. Buying online gives you the advance-sale rate. Some activities (family tours, events) are booked through the ticket office.
How long does it take to visit the abbey?
The abbey recommends three hours. Guided tours last 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.
Who is buried at Fontevraud?
The tomb effigies of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry II and Richard the Lionheart are in the abbey church, with a fourth effigy attributed to Isabella of Angoulême or, according to a recent study cited by Wikipedia, to Joan of England.
Is the abbey open on Tuesdays?
Yes until November 1, 2026; it is closed on Tuesdays from November 2 to December 18, 2026, then reopens every day during the holidays (except December 25 and January 1).
Are dogs allowed?
No, only guide dogs and assistance dogs are admitted.
Our sources
- Royal Abbey of Fontevraud (fontevraud.fr): « Practical information » pages (hours, prices, access, rules), « The Royal Abbey of Fontevraud », « Fontevraud, the Modern Art Museum », « Family visits » and the article on Eleanor of Aquitaine; ticket office billet.fontevraud.fr, consulted on 23 October 2026
- Wikipedia: « Fontevraud Abbey » article (historical landmarks, tombs, prison), consulted on 23 October 2026
- Météo-France: Tours climate sheet (37179001), 1991–2020 statistics
- Sunset: Destination de Voyage calculation, NOAA solar algorithm, Europe/Paris time zone, coordinates of the abbey, on the 15th of each month (year 2027)
- Our methodology
Updated November 2026. Prices, hours and access rules may change: check the official website before you go.