Montbenoît's Renaissance-style tower – emblazoned with a horseback knight – instantly impresses. Inside, explore the old abbey's double-columned cloisters and a 12th-century church, whose wooden stalls bear ornate carvings. Sculpted in the 16th century, several decorations 'warn' monks against the temptations of women (look out for a humiliated Aristotle, being ridden like a pony). Tours are led by the adjoining tourist office.
© Dimitri Croquet/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Abbaye de Montbenoît
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