The monastery complex includes a hermitage, chapel, and church cloister. Just outside the monastery walls sits the 12th-century Chapel of the Holy Cross, built to house the monastery’s most famous relic: a fragment of the True Cross, said to be the cross that Jesus was crucified on. Montmajour Abbey is also famous for panoramic views of the Provençal countryside from its defense tower. The vista over the foothills of Arles even attracted the gaze of Vincent Van Gogh—once a frequent visitor.
If you’re interested in visiting other historical attractions in Arles, consider the MyProvence pass, which offers free entry for every full-price purchase of an admission ticket, or the Pass Avantage, which offers discounted entry to six UNESCO sites and three museums.
You can only see the True Cross relic once a year, during a festival known as the Feast of the Finding of the True Cross. It is kept in a private treasury room for the remainder of the year.
Dutch artist Van Gogh lived in Arles and was inspired by the scenery surrounding the abbey. Check out his painting “Sunset at Montmajour” to see the monastery in the background.
Children and teens under the age of 18 get free admission. Residents and passport-holders in the EU ages 18-25 can also enter the monastery free of charge.
While visitors with disabilities and an accompanying adult can enter the site for free, the abbey complex features numerous steps and uneven ground, making it inaccessible to people with mobility issues.
Located three miles (five kilometers) outside of Arles, you can reach the city by regional intercity train from Marseille and Toulouse and by high-speed TGV from Paris and Avignon. From there, bus service links the Montmajour Abbey to downtown Arles. You can also drive there (take D17 to Fontvieille from Marseille, Lyon, or Montpellier.) You will find free parking directly in front of the abbey.
The Montmajour Abbey is open every day of the week from April until September from mid-morning until early evening, except national holidays. From October until March, it is closed weekly on Mondays; from October until May, the abbey also closes late afternoon. You can enter the abbey free of charge the first Sunday of the month in January, February, March, November, and December.
Vincent Van Gogh called Arles home for about 18 months. Visitors interested in following in the footsteps of the famous post-impressionist artist can pursue this art-themed itinerary. Downloadable online, the route features dozens of real-life locations that inspired or were featured in 300 paintings and drawings that Van Gogh produced during his time in Arles. These include the Quai du Rhône, featured in “Starry Night”, and the Roman necropolis known as Les Alyscamps.