Skip to content

Abbaye des Dombes

Le Plantay Ain Founded in 2001

Mixed
Lodging30 rooms
StayFrom 1 to 7 nights

Notre-Dame des Dombes Abbey, a former Trappist abbey in the Ain department, has been led since 2001 by the Chemin Neuf Community, which succeeded the Cistercian monks who had been present there for more than 140 years. Fifty members from around twenty different countries share a life of prayer, agricultural work, and hospitality: about ten couples and some thirty consecrated brothers and sisters, each state of life respected. A Catholic community with an ecumenical vocation, Chemin Neuf brings together Christians from several denominations in service of unity.

At the heart of la Dombes and its plateau of a thousand ponds, less than an hour from Lyon, the abbey offers a lush and very peaceful setting, conducive to silence and recollection. The brothers and sisters welcome anyone seeking a change of scenery and rest.

Learn more about this place

What awaits you

Silence and recollectionA lush and peaceful setting, conducive to contemplation and prayer.
Life of prayerLiturgical offices and daily Mass · access to the church and a private oratory.
Full boardThree meals prepared from produce grown in the kitchen garden and orchard.
Spiritual guidance availableA conversation with a brother or sister is available on request.
Farm workYou may participate in the upkeep of the grounds, the farm, or the orchard.

Practical information

Meals

Full board is included: breakfast, lunch, and dinner are prepared by the community using seasonal produce from the vegetable garden and orchard.

Accommodation

Around thirty rustic and comfortable rooms overlooking the farm and park. Single or shared rooms (1, 2, or 3 single beds), three rooms with a double bed, and a dormitory. Each room has a sink; shared bathrooms are available on the floor.

Arrival & departure

Individual retreats run from Tuesday afternoon to Friday evening. Group stays (including scout groups) are also possible.

Manual work

Guests are welcome to help the community with park maintenance, farm activities, or work in the orchard, including apple picking in the fall.

Hiking

From the abbey, hiking trails wind through the ponds of la Dombes. The Parc des Oiseaux de Villars-les-Dombes is a 10-minute drive away. The village of the Curé d'Ars is 25 minutes away.

Community

Fifty members of the Communauté du Chemin Neuf live at the abbey, representing around twenty countries. The community is Catholic with an ecumenical vocation, bringing together couples, families, and consecrated members.

Getting there

Train

Take the train to Villars-les-Dombes station (the community can pick you up)

Car

A42 between Lyon and Geneva

Bike

Weaving through the thousand ponds

Location