For those of you who haven’t been to Ronchamp, you get there using …
The World’s Shortest Train
Seriously, it really indicates how tiny the town is. I couldn’t believe it when we arrived at the town’s train station, it looked like a bus stop.
Seeing no taxi stand, we were about to panic. Then we noticed a map on the “bus stand”. Dude, Ronchamp is not just tiny … it’s microscopic! I think there’s only five streets here or something. We arrived at the cathedral after a good 15 minutes walk uphill.
We’ve learnt from the Paris Notre-Dame that even famous historical churches are still used for Sunday services. We timed ourselves so that it will be a Sunday when we visited the Notre-Dame du Haut. You will notice that there are chairs outside the building for Sunday morning mass. So rest assured, 50 years after completion the space outside is still used as designed and intended by the architect. A good hindsight, considering houses are renovated immediately upon purchase these days.
It is immaculate. For those who say that modernism is devoid of any humanistic values or spirituality must see this building in person. The moment you step inside, you’re wrapped in an intense microcosm, best described by the architect himself as, “a place of peace, prayer and silence.” Inside, you hear a constant and rather loud bellowing noise, in the dark space lit by poetry in windows, the church has a real and tangible feeling of calmness, solitude and sovereignty.
Too bad we are not allowed to take pictures inside the church.
Lunch in front of the Notre-Dame…
Is this safe?? BCA ????
Architects who’ve never been here, put this on your next travel itinerary !!
