Abbaye de Hautecombe

Hautecombe Abbey stands on the western shore of Lac du Bourget in Savoie and ranks among the most historically significant monastic complexes in the Alpine region. Founded by Cistercian monks in 1101, it served for centuries as the necropolis of the House of Savoy — over 40 Savoyard princes and sovereigns are interred here, including King Carlo Felice and Maria Cristina di Savoia. In the 19th century King Carlo Felice commissioned a sweeping renovation in the Style troubadour, a Romantic-era reinterpretation of Gothic and Romanesque forms, which gave the church its current ornate interior. The abbey is today run by the Chemin Neuf Community, which holds regular services and spiritual retreats open to visitors. Arriving by boat across the lake — a service still offered seasonally — frames the white-stone church against wooded hillsides in one of Savoie's most distinctive vistas.