Staying in a monastery is not everybody's idea of holiday fun. What with the prayers and the silence and the getting up at 2am and, of course, the total lack of a swim-up bar, it can be an education in austerity. But at least you get to meditate in a stress-free environment, while surrounded by gorgeous old architecture - right?
Not if you stay in the Monastery of Le Couvent Sainte Marie de La Tourette. Built by the French-Swiss architect Le Corbusier, this modernist structure looks like a cross between a multi-storey car park in Bracknell and, well, another multi-storey car park in Bracknell. And yet, a few nights here can provide the spiritual experience of a lifetime. And you don't get many of those in Bracknell.
The monastery sits in the middle of the rolling Beaujolais region of the vast Rhône valley, about 80 miles and two autoroute hours from the fleshpots, brasseries, baroque churches and renaissance mansions of Lyon. It isn't easy to find. The best and only signposted route is down a winding lane that leads from the pretty little town of L'Arbresle, and that threads through oakwoods, dog-legging past a disused wine château. In other words, quintessential France. Then, at the last, the lane gives out on to a wide sweeping meadow, fringed by trees. And in the centre of this nice sunny greenery sits this ... thing.
It is truly bizarre. For a start it is almost uniformly grey. The only colour comes from various big windows with bright red and orange curtains; the clash with the penitential drabness of the rest of the building is peculiar.
Look a bit longer and other curious aspects come into view. A concrete pyramid juts from the centre of the building. From the outside some corridors seem to slope, drunkenly. The whole building is supported on one side by a bank of grass, and on the other by spindly and irregular concrete legs.
Inside, it's even eerier. The monastery is inhabited by 20 Dominican monks, down from the original 90 who assumed control of the monastery in the 1950s, once Corbusier had finished his work. This attrition is apparently a result of the building itself: many of the original brothers found the concrete construction too oppressive.
You enter through a concrete box at the back. From here, daily visitors start their guided tours; likewise, if you have opted to stay for one or more nights, this is where the monks will meet you before escorting you to your allotted bedroom.
These cells are seriously claustrophobic. The beds are narrow, as are the windows. Moreover, due to some quirk in the concrete fabric, every sound in La Tourette is massively amplified: at night you can hear a friar chuckling over his laptop (these monks are quite worldly) from the other end of the building.
It is refreshing to get out of your room and wander. In fact, this is encouraged by the remaining monks, who are seriously proud of their building. And it's when you wander that you begin to see what an amazing place La Tourette is.
A visitor's first stop should be the top of the monastery. Le Corbusier had a predilection for designing flat roofs. The particular attraction of the roof is that it is grassed over. Standing on the lofty lawn, staring at the surrounding vineyards and forests, is a bit like being in a garden unexpectedly close to God.
Another attraction is the refectory. All meals are served in one place, to visitors, guests and monks alike (and the price of meals is included in your daily fee). The food is good, and the local wine is delicious. What's more, chances are your fellow diners will be a varied and intriguing lot: with its status as a modernist icon, the monastery receives visitors from across the world, so you may have a smattering of architecture students, mystics and writers on retreat, all sharing your table.
But still, you're not here to hobnob and gourmandise; rather, for that intense spiritual experience. And for that you must go right down to the bowels of the building, to its religious and emotional core.
The chapel is reached via one of those sloping corridors. As you stroll along, the huge bronze door of the chapel swings open, until its metal spine forms a crucifix with a bright lateral window beyond. It's a spine-tingling effect. Regular masses are conducted in mellifluous French while soft light filters through curious long slots in the wall.
From the side of the chapel, a short final staircase leads down to the most extraordinary and intense room of all, the Lower Crypt. At one side, a concrete wall curves sinuously away. On the other, seven white concrete altars ascend the gently sloping floor.
Above it all, three coloured windows seem to float in the darkness, like UFOs hovering over a silent tomb. Remarkably, this most modernist of rooms achieves a spellbinding piety. Here, you can begin to understand the famous words of the Dominicans' founder, St Dominic: "Late have I loved thee, beauty so ancient, and so new."
Which isn't bad for a building that looks like a multistorey car park.
Way to go
Getting there: Air France (0845 0845111, airfrance.com) flies Heathrow-Lyon from £150 return. EasyJet (0905 821 0905, easyjet.com) flies Stansted-Lyon from £29.99 one way.
Where to stay: Hotel College (+4 7210 0505), in Lyon, doubles from about €100. A night at La Tourette (couventlatourette.com) costs €45. You have to apply in advance to stay there. You can stay for a week or longer, with permission, but the monks recommend one or two-night visits. Overnight stays at the monastery may be restricted or prohibited at certain times in the next few months, as restoration gets underway. The monastery will always be open for visits and guided tours, with the chance to have lunch or supper with the monks. Food and wine is free.
Car hire: Holiday Autos (0870 400 0010, holidayautos.co.uk) from £119 per week.
Further information:
Maison de la France (09068 244123, www.franceguide.com).
Country code: 00 33.
Flight time London-Lyon: 1hr, 45 mins.
Time difference: +1hr.
£1= 1.40 euros.
Stony silence: more monastic hideaways
Mount Athos, Greece
A week in the monasteries of Mount Athos, Greece, is one of the world's premier spiritual experiences. There is little to do on this remote peninsula in the Aegean, except wander along the coastal footpaths and attend lengthy Orthodox services in Greek. You stay and eat with the monks; no women are allowed. Lodging is free but a donation is 'expected'.
· Telephone or fax 0030 3031 861 611, at least six months before your intended visit.
Metta Gardens, California
Located in an avocado orchard on a hill surrounded by the mountains and chaparral of northern San Diego county, Metta Forest Monastery offers the opportunity for lay people to enjoy individual retreats. In addition, it offers the opportunity for men to 'train in the practices of the Thai Forest Tradition'. Lodging expenses depend on the means of the individual visitor.
· 001 619 843 8461, mettaforest.org.
Mount Koya (Koyasan), Japan
Centre of a Buddhist tradition which was introduced to Japan in 805 by Kobo Daishi (aka Kukai), the spectacular monastery of Koya-san is, in fact, a complex of 100 temples in a small town on top of a well-wooded mountain. About 50 temples in the area function as shukubo, where tourists are welcome to overnight, try shojin ryori, the vegetarian cuisine of monks, and participate in the morning prayers.
· 00 81 736 56 2658, koyasan.org. ¥9,500 (just under £50).
Orval Monastery, Belgium
One of the great beer brewing monasteries of Belgium, Orval also features splendid ruins and a remarkable lineage - there are records of monasticism in this area going back to the eighth century. The beer is strong but you will also be expected to participate in early morning prayers. Guests (men and women) are requested to bring their own sheets or sleeping-bags. One night costs about €30, but may be waived for pilgrims.
· 0032 61 32 51 10 (9-11am, 2-4.30pm), orval.be.
The Sanctuary of Oropa, Italy
This is one of the great Marian shrines of Europe. High up in the Alps, at 1,200m, the serenely awesome scenery is said to be a great aid for prayer and contemplation, rather than a distraction.
· 0039 015 2555 1202. From €20.