Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.

Detour Worth Making: The Underground Church of Saint-Jean at Aubeterre-sur-Dronne

by Willy Volk (RSS feed) on Apr 27th 2007 at 5:02PM

In south-central France, close to the Perigord -- one of Europe's wildest spots -- lies the village of Aubeterre. Though the village itself is beautiful -- featuring winding cobbled alleys and verdant landscapes, just how you'd imagine a rural French village would look -- the most impressive feature in the community lies semi-hidden underground. Hand-hewn from the surrounding rock, a subterranean cavern rests beneath the Church of Saint-Jean.

Centuries old, the glorious cathedral-like structure -- 88 feet long and 52 feet wide -- features arched ceilings more than 60 feet high. Interestingly, in 1958, locals discovered a necropolis containing more than 80 sarcophagi, hollowed out of the floor.

You can visit the underground church 7 days a week, from 9.30 to 6.00 pm (the church closes at midday). If you can't make it to France, you can still check out some awesome images of the place. I can't even begin to imagine the amount of work that went into hollowing out such a large space.

Filed under: Arts and Culture, France

Search Travel Deals

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Marilyn Terrell Apr 28th 2007 9:54AM

Wow! I thought this church was small until I saw the tiny person down there.

Ian Mure Sep 21st 2007 1:38PM

This Church is truly fantastic, a real hidden gem in a lovely village and a very beautiful area. Came across it by accident 7 years ago. There are also some remarkable caves close by high up in the cliff face.

Add your comments

Your comments:

Remember me

E-Mail me when someone replies to this comment

Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments.

When you enter your name and email address, you'll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment, just use that password.

To create a live link, simply type the URL (including http://) or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br /> tags.

Gadling Features

EPISODE 5 OF TRAVEL TALK TV...
* features a Santa Cruz beach adventure;
* explains why Scottish money is no good;
* and shows how to cook brats the German way!

ASK A FLIGHT ATTENDANT
Q. What's the etiquette for switching to an open seat? Should I ask the flight attendant first?
A. Go for it! Switch seats, but be aware of the 3 reasons flight attendants won't allow you to switch seats in flight.