Vézelay

Pilgrims have climbed this hill above the Cure valley since the 11th century, drawn by relics of Mary Magdalene, and here in 1146 Bernard of Clairvaux preached the Second Crusade. The Romanesque basilica at the summit and the hill itself are UNESCO World Heritage, and the village is still a starting point of the Via Lemovicensis to Santiago.

Highlights

• The Romanesque basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, former abbey church
• Musée Zervos, with works by Picasso, Calder, Miró and Giacometti (FR)
• The 12th-century town walls, about 1.9 km around
• A walk down the GR 654 to Saint-Père and its church of Notre-Dame
• Vézelay wines, local cheese and ham

Summary based on Wikipedia and Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA), written with AI assistance.