Fodor's Expert Review Abbaye de St-Michel de Cuxa

One of the gems of the Pyrénées, this medieval abbey's sturdy, crenellated bell tower is visible from afar. The remains of its cloisters are divine in every sense of the word—if they seem familiar, it may be because you’ve seen the missing pieces in New York City's Cloisters museum. A hauntingly simple, six-voice Gregorian vespers service held (somewhat sporadically) at 7 pm in the monastery is medieval in tone and texture; next door, the 10th-century pre-Romanesque church (France’s largest) has superb acoustics that make it an unforgettable concert venue.