luxeuil-les-bains is very well-known for being a major ecclesiastical center in the vosges region, and the abbey is a good proof of that. it was once a very influential benedictine abbey with an own priest seminary. the architecture has been developed with exactly this in mind, everything is in line with leading an parochial existence.
while i don't believe in god or any deity, i still find appreciation in the body of work initiated by religiousness, be it art, architecture or music. one of the reasons why i'm always so drawn to religious places is the calmness and the ethereal vibes coming from them, something i can't really explain. maybe the fact that to enter a church or a temple is connected with some kind of solitude feeling, but not the lonely and forlorn bit of solitude, more the peaceful and comforting aspects of it. i could sit inside chapels and churches all day long ( and even more so if there aren't many people around - which for some churches is pretty difficult - especially the big and famous ones that are more publicly noticed by tourists ). it's always a wonderful thing to discover a new church that is not overcrowded, where you can sit down and marvel at the interiors and the windows in full delight, without anyone disturbing you. saint-pierre cathedral is probably one of those churches, but while we were visiting there just had been a funeral and there was still a lot of activity going on, even though we had decided to stroll around the city first. nonetheless, this church was breathtaking. it was gothic in execution, with several neo-classical elements of later construction activities.
part of the abbatial complex of the abbey of st. columban. the abbey was founded by st. columban, an irish monk that settled in the region in 590 ac.
loved these sidewalk details depicting how important the healing waters of luxeuil are. there was a tiny circuit just for getting to know the history behind the spa and the significance of healing spa waters.
another cat crossed our path.
the art nouveau houses in luxeuil were truly one of a kind. especially with those brick facades!
the main entry to the abbatial palace.
who knew that baby blue doors and rose sandstones were such a good fit?
from inside the main entry's courtyard looking out onto the street. this building was so damn monumental.
more baby blue goodness.
seriously, i felt like i entered a wormhole and came out in a different epoch. everything felt so historic and bygone, without actually being it. for some places in this world time stops so gracefully.
there was tiny fountain in front of the cathedral, and before we entered it i spend a little time of trying to capture it, as the water changed its colours constantly.
one more look around the surroundings of the church. those houses made my heart jump.
let's enter st peter's cathedral! the outer structures of the church is rather simple and almost inexpressive, which truly added to the overall effect when you entered the inside and were overwhelmed with sheer magnificience.
when you stepped inside, this was the first view you got.
and then, stepping even further in, you were presented with this view. i cannot describe what i felt upon seeing this, but let me assure you, i was quite a bit flustered. i love those dark church interiors so much, with the high ceiling and arches and the light suffusions originating from the skylight windows. such a simple but at the same time dramatic aesthetic. my favourite church architecture styles are gothic and romanesque, they are simply having the biggest effects on me since they both work with clear lines, illumination and this special kind of grandness.
the light inside this church was literally divine.
the organ was this delicately sculptured piece of art made out of carved wood.
the luster was a pretty detail in the nave.
one of the beautiful side chapels. it's the st. colomban's chapel.
st. joseph's chapel. the chapels were amplified so beautifully, it was a feast for the eyes.
stunning choir.
window details.
a closer look at the luster.
outside the church you could find a statue of st. columban, the founder of the abbey. a pretty modern statue, to be honest, pretty expressive. it was created in 1939 by claude grange.
we finally made our way back to the car and passed by a lot more cute houses and impressive architecture. this entry was especially sweet.
the backyard of the tourist office. contemporary seatings.
what an idyllic place this was.
on our way back to le val-d'ajol we stopped by an hermitage near saint-valbert - a little reclusive retreat of a monk called st valbert who lived here in a grotto. it was truly serene there!
this source is said to be healing. i didn't drink anything, though, haha.
there's a former quarry nearby that looked more like a witchy gathering space.
those rocks looked really pagan to me. loved it!
the building that encompasses the grotto st. valbert lived in.
and that was the adventure of visiting luxeuil-les-bains and the area around it!
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