Visit the ruins of a 12th century Abbey!? Count me in! This historical site is free and open to visitors without reservations. We followed the clear road signs, parked for free along the street, and took an easy flat walk around the grounds. It was peaceful and beautiful.
There's a visitor center with public restrooms and a little shop. Lots of people were here with kids, dogs, and strollers. We could just roam around and explore and photograph at our leisure. We loved this place!
From Wikipedia:
"The Hundred Years' War and the 16th-century French Wars of Religion heavily damaged Vauclair, though it managed to survive until the French Revolution in 1789, when it was finally demolished and sold as "national property". Its geographical location very near to the Chemin des Dames led to what was left of its buildings being almost totally destroyed in 1917 by direct artillery bombardment. Only ruins now remain.
Following excavations[1] in 1966 by a local association led by a young Belgian Jesuit, Père René Courtois, who lived in the abbey from 1966 until his death in 2005, the site was made a monument historique in 1970. The site now also includes an arboretum of apple and pear trees and a medicinal herb garden planned by Courtois and opened in 1976." read more