Campsites in and around Vézelay in Yonne
Only one campsite is located in Vézelay itself; the other campsites we have selected are just a few kilometres from the historic centre, so you can visit the town in the best possible conditions and return to your accommodation at the end of the day to enjoy its facilities.
Camping l'Ermitage in Vézelay is a small campsite open from April to October. It has around forty pitches and an artisanal bollard for motorhomes. There is a leisure centre 2 km away, a forest 1 km away and a river 3 km away. Pets are welcome and the campsite is open from 1 April to 31 October.
Camping municipal Sous Roche *** is located in Avallon, 17 km from Vézelay. It has 96 pitches and around ten rentals. There's an outdoor swimming pool and solarium, as well as an artisanal bollard for motorhome owners. All the necessary comforts are provided, including Wi-Fi, a mini-market, washing machines, TV and fridge. The campsite is open from April to October and until the end of the year for rentals.
Le Petit Port ** municipal campsite in Châtel-Censoir is also 17 km from the village of Vézelay and offers 43 pitches and 3 rentals. There is a tennis court for sports enthusiasts, fishing facilities and pets are welcome. Motorhomes have access to an artisanal bollard inside the site. The site is open from June to the end of September.
What to see in Vézelay
On the heights of the village of Vézelay, the basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine is both a beacon of Christian faith and a jewel of Romanesque art. Completely rebuilt by Viollet-Le-Duc when it was no more than a ruin, it is still the starting point for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela.
The Maison du Visiteur is the perfect place to learn all about Vézelay and its basilica (the secrets of its architecture, the stages in its construction...), all in an exciting and fun way with activities of all kinds such as documentaries, light shows and so on. It's a truly immersive experience that appeals to children of all ages.
The Maison Jules Roy is the home of a novelist who lived all his life in Vézelay. This unique house is a great place to visit. Here you can discover his work, as well as his study, which has been preserved in its original state since his death, overlooking the Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine. Finally, the lovely terraced garden offers an exceptional view of the whole of the Morvan.
The Musée Zervos is an exceptional museum of modern art housed in the house where Romain Rolland died. You can see sculptures by Calder and Laurens, paintings by Miro, Picasso, Kandinsky, Fernand Léger, Nicolas de Staël, Le Corbusier and works by Giacometti, Kandinsky, etc. All the finest works in the collection that Christian Zervos bequeathed to the town of Vézelay at the time of his death in 1970. The museum is open from 15 March to 15 November.
The Musée de l'Œuvre Viollet-le-Duc houses a large number of sculptures, such as those on the façade of the basilica, which are damaged or fragile. You can also admire the architect's pencil drawings, which demonstrate the quality of the reconstruction work carried out at the time. The museum is housed in the former chapter house. It is open from Easter to 30 September on weekends and public holidays from 2.30pm.
Covered with winegrowers' huts and small stone walls, the vineyards of Vézelay are located on both sides of the river Cure, a tributary of the Yonne. Vines have been planted in Vézelay since the end of the first century and underwent a veritable renaissance in 1973, after the ravages of the phylloxera fungus in 1884, and today promise a fine expansion. A stroll through the vineyards and a taste of the fruit is now a must when visiting Vézelay.