Beat the Euro – Stay In Beautiful French Monasteries For Only $40 a Night
Posted: Sunday, March 18, 2007
by Eileen Barish
Anacapa Press
Do as the French and Europeans have been doing for centuries. Stay at a monastery, convent o
One of the regions often overlooked by many travelers from the United States is Alsace-Lorraine, a setting of significant beauty, a land of rolling meadows and vineyards bathed in sunshine and mountain forests that grow right up to the banks of the Rhine. Here you will find a patchwork of beautiful landscapes, outstanding architectural heritage and handsome, region-based crafts that have been made for centuries.
Alsace stretches like a narrow ribbon from the Swiss border in the south to the German border north of Strasbourg. The famous Route du Vin winds its way through seventy-five miles of storybook villages past houses with gabled roofs and chimneys topped with stork nests. Influenced by the German language, architecture and cuisine and cradled by the Vosges and the Rhine, it represents an altogether alluring milieu.
The Monastere de Benedictines du Saint-Sacrement offers hospitality to single women, families or groups. Recently renovated, there are 30 rooms. Baths are outside the rooms. And talk about affordability. This particular monastery only asks for a voluntary contribution per person. Contact: Monastère de Bénédictines du Saint-Sacrement, 1 rue Saint-Benoit, 67560 Rosheim, France.
Tel: 0033 (0)3 88 50 41 67, Fax: 0033 (0)3 88 50 42 71
The monastery was used as a spa until 1862 at which time a group of Benedictine nuns from Lorraine took up residence and founded the monastery. The 18th century complex has a chapel embellished by a 16th century Pieta. The monastery is in Roshein, a city that has been inhabited since the Neolithic era. The first mention of the city dates to 778 AD when it was called Rodasheim. The towers and portal have survived the centuries and bear witness to the high status of Rosheim during the Middle Ages. In the Mittelstadt, the old quarter, the antique houses are embellished by pots of geraniums and quaint shop windows.
If you decide to take the Route du Vin, Molsheim is a charming old town near the north end. The town has remains of ramparts and an ancient fortified gateway. It shelters the Metzig, a Renaissance building erected in 1554. Truly Alsatian in design, the structure is accented by gables, a perron (an outdoor stairway leading to a building entrance), a graceful balcony and loggia. A belfry crowns the latter where two angels strike the hours. The first floor is now a museum, the ground floor devoted to wine tasting, Riesling, of course.
In Lorraine you can choose to stay in Sanctuaire Notre-Dame built in the 17th century – one of the oldest pilgrimage sites in Lorraine. The origins of the sanctuary date to1180. Under the care of the friars, the pilgrimage developed and important religious and political dignitaries visited the site. Lorraine is a border region that has been contested for centuries. Its heritage survives in medieval fortresses, 17th century bastions and countless battlefield memorials. A beautiful blending of forests, mountains, cornfields and vine-covered slopes, the countryside is laced with rivers and canals. It is also a region that cherishes good food and superb wines.
Heading southeast from the sanctuary, the quaint town of Bar-le-Duc is officially recognized as a “Ville d’Art et d’Histoire." The Ville Haute, a Renaissance district perched on a promontory is an appealing mix of quaint streets and alleyways. Egllise St-Etienne, heralded as a jewel of Flamboyant Gothic style, houses the Transi, a masterpiece of 16th century sculptor Ligier Richier. The artists worked with highly prized fine-grained limestone from nearby quarries. To imitate marble, he created sculptures in stone and then covered them with a type of wax polish, which produced a smooth and shiny appearance, much like marble.
Between Rambluzin-et-Benoite-Vas and Bar-le-Duc is an area of rich architectural heritage and natural beauty. It is a setting of old bridges and graceful buildings constructed from honey-colored stone and here and there an occasional half-timbered house typical of the neighboring Champagne region,
Lodging at the Sanctuaire Notre-Dame cost 15.00 to 31.00 Euros per night. Half board is 21.00 to 41.00 Euros per night. The minimum and maximum depend on the type of accommodation. Write to Sanctuaire Notre-Dame, 55220 Rambluzin-et-Benoîte-Vaux, France.
Tel: 0033 (0)3 29 80 52 35, Fax: 0033 (0)3 29 80 59 00
For additional information: http://www.monasteriesoffrance.com.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Thank you for this information. I will be travelling with a friend in July through France and hope this information will help us beaut the Euro. Thanks again.Hi Cathy Thanks for your note and yes. staying in a monastery will help you "beat the euro." Get the book that will help ... LODGING IN FRANCE'S MONASTERIES. Bon voyage, Eileen
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