La Chaise-Dieu

This pocket-sized village in Haute-Loire is anchored by a Gothic abbey rebuilt between 1344 and 1350 at the request of Pope Clement VI, a former monk there. Inside are a Dance of Death fresco, twelve tapestries, a 17th-century organ, and a choir with 144 stalls. Each August, the abbey hosts a classical music festival founded in 1966 by Georges Cziffra, focused largely on sacred music. A cloister, penitents' chapel, and medieval town surround the complex, and the village has a handful of cafés for its size.

• Population823
• Nearest water from center1.0 km
• Nearest mountain from center6.9 km
• UNESCO within 50 km1