Benedictine Palace Distillery and Museum Tour: Unveil Normandy's Secret Spirits History
4.1
102 Ratings
Fécamp
Unveil the secret spirits history of Normandy on a tour of the Benedictine Palace Distillery and Museum. Explore the centuries-old liqueur distillery, discover the fascinating stories of Dom Bernardo Vincelli and Alexandre Le Grand, and indulge in a tasting of 3 expressions of Benedictine liqueur.
Duration:
1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Palais Benedictine - The Benedictine Palace, an architectural masterpiece of Gothic and Renaissance inspiration, was erected at the end of the 19th century in honour of the Benedictine liqueur by Alexandre Le Grand, a wine merchant from Fécamp, who had found a recipe created in 1510 by a Benedictine monk in a grimoire.
This eclectic building will introduce Bénédictine through a unique experience. They will first explore the museum, which houses rich collections of sacred and ancient art related to Benedictine heritage, as well as a room dedicated to its industrial history. The guided tour then leads to the only Benedictine distillery in the world, with its hammered copper stills of the 19th century, and to the cellars. Visitors then head to La Vérrière where a tasting is offered* of our liqueur
*For adults over 18 years of age only
What's Included
- Guided tour of the distillery
- Multilingual leaflet for self-guided tour (French, English, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, Russian, German)
- Bndictine liqueur-tasting
What's Not Included
- Lunch
- Transport
Additional Information
Savor the flavor of Benedictine, one of the best-kept spirit secrets of France, and unearth centuries of history with this tour of the Benedictine Palace’s liqueur distillery and museum in Normandy. Explore the museum at your own pace and marvel at the wide array of Benedictine artifacts on display. Unravel the stories of Dom Bernardo Vincelli and Alexandre Le Grand, the creators behind this renowned beverage, then accompanied by a guide, tour the distillery and wine cellars. Complete your visit by sampling 3 variations of our luscious liqueur.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Bénédictine tastings: for adults over 18 only
- Alcohol products can be sold to adults over 18 only
- Last admission one hour prior to closing
- Lift for disabled people
Location
110 Rue Alexandre le Grand
Rue Alexandre le Grand
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.1
(102 Ratings)
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Vivienne
Oct 17, 2019
Amazing - this was a dream day for me, the Abbey was amazing. I couldn't believe the art and manuscripts on display, I thought it was just going to be the distillery-which itself was fantastic. The staff are wonderful and it was so educational as well as absolutely beautiful-cant recommend it enough
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bruno_cohen
Aug 22, 2019
A must-do while in Normandy - Fecamp city was a one day trip for us. Everybody advised us to visit the Palais Benedictine which we did in 2h30. My teens are keen on old buildings, historical places and artifacts and we were not deceived. The visit of the Distillery was less impressive but it's very clearly explained (thanks to the video).
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tomiwarsaw_poland
Jun 20, 2019
Business meeting - Great tour,
Beautiful architecture and fantastic drink at the end.
Highly recommended, especially if you like to discover local heritage.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Priscilla
Sep 26, 2019
Huge Palace - We toured the Palais Benedictine in Fecamp. It is the ONLY place in the world where Benedictine is made. (NOTE:Benedictine is an age-old liqueur originally developed by in this palais by monks.)
The tour included viewing the palais and various old artifacts. Some were unique such as a room filled with wrought-iron products of the 1500's and 1600's, including some huge locks and door hinges and door latches. Also many old manuscripts and documents. Was quite fascinating.
Also viewed a replica of the process for making Benedictine and ended with a sample tasting of the product.
Interesting Tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Katriens955
Jul 30, 2019
Impressive building, small museum and tour of the distillery - This enormous 19th-20th century palace complex in neo-gothic and neo-renaissance style houses the religious art collection the family collected, as well as the distillery for the alcoholic spirit Benedictine. One is free to walk through the palace, some of the rooms have quite impressive ceilings, and see the artefacts. There is an audioguide provided for this part, and the rooms above the distillery that detail the history of the company and its advertising. The religious art could be much better displayed, but there are a few pieces that are well worth seeing, and the advertising part is interesting.
The tour of the distillery is with a guide, and is in French and in English. Our guide was very knowledgeable and willing to answer questions. One gets to see the equipment still being used, as well as some of the oak vats used for maturing. At the end there is a tasting of the spirit, and obviously the possibility of buying some.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hilary
May 1, 2019
Beautiful building and interesting visit - We recently visited the Palais Benedictine for a self-guided tour but this also included a guided visit round the distillery. Very informative guide and interesting exhibits in the Museum. Enjoyed 2 tastings at the end as well in a lovely airy tasting room.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alison
Apr 17, 2019
Unique in its history and superbly laid out museum and distillery. - We were permitted to view the antiquities and items in the Museum and well laid out diplays in the carefully labelled rooms. Leaflet gives clear instructions of layout and contents pof every room.
Most informative guided tour given in French and English, which was much appreciated by all who were not native French speakers.
Sampling of liqueurs was informative and also most appreciated.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jobo49
Jul 17, 2022
Lots of marketing, very little history - Don't expect much history! Most of the visit is based on half truths which are hidden or poorly explained. Is this a Benedictine palace? It was built in 1900. Is it Benedictine? The abbey was on another site (this site was a brewery). Is it a Benedictine recipe? The abbey was dissolved 70 years before the current product was invented.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Zoltan56
Jun 4, 2019
Funny old place, well, not so old.... - We come to the Seine Maritime every year for our main holiday, the proprietors of our gite exhorted us to go every year, and at last we went in 2018. It's a strange mixture of victorian wedding cake architecture on the outside with catholic gloom and guilt on the inside, before you get to the actual distillery bit, which is a well organised insight into the process of producing what is, in effect, the french version of Drambuie.
I wander into these places, like Carcassonne, with a childlike innocence, my more shrewd wife however , sleuthlike, manages to work out that they are romantic confections of history, rather than being the hardcore reliquaries of the actual past.
The presentation anf product are perfectly fine, abd it's a good thing to do on a rainy day....don't drive!
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Aureliel485
Apr 29, 2023
Bad experience - Horrible welcome
Not taking into account people with disabilities
Terribly disorganized , not respecting times, staff is rude
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