Notre Dame du Haut, Ronchamp, France

The chapel of Notre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp is one of the finest examples of the architecture of Franco-Swiss architect Le Corbusier and one of the most important examples of 20th century religious architecture. It was built between 1953 and 1955. The chapel is a working religious building and attracts 80,000 visitors each year.

Notre Dame du Haut is commonly thought of as a more extreme design of Le Corbusier’s late style. The chapel is a simple design with two entrances, a main altar, and three chapels beneath towers. Although the building is small, it is powerful and complex. The chapel is the latest of chapels at the site. The previous chapel was completely destroyed there during World War II. The previous building was a 4th-century Christian chapel. At the time the new building was being constructed, Corbusier was not exactly interested in “Machine Age” architecture but he felt his style was more primitive and sculptural. Also, he realized when he visited the site that he could not use mechanized means of construction, because access was too difficult.

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User Reviews

marce acquarone (5 years ago)
A must visit if you are on the road between Lyon/Dijon and Strasbourg or if you just live in France. One of the most iconic constructions of Le Corbusier, and no doubt that is worth visiting it. The interior light game is also great! Easy to reach from Belfort.

Puroza (5 years ago)
Even it was a short visit because we just arrived there 40 minutes before closing (5pm), we could enjoy the church. It’s quite big but there are not many seats. You have a great view on the mountains (with some snow). It’s really clean and there are many places to go.

zeynep kiziltunc (5 years ago)
eccentric yet so beautiful, if you ever go to Ronchamp you should definitely see this monument

Stephen Mark Richards (6 years ago)
A celebration of concrete. Much better than I expected. Very interesting. A cross between organic and industrial shapes. You need to pay an admission fee to see the church which is unusual. The chaplains house looks austere as does the pilgrims lodgings. The chaplain refused to live there and it's hardly surprising. I've included some photos to illustrate.

Raj Gundeti (6 years ago)
Calm place in a lush green surroundings. The architecture is awesome as it is famous for it. You have to pay 10€ to visit the whole place though , which frankly speaking is a bit too much.

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