I must admit that the church of Notre-Dame in Tavaux became my new favourite church among the fortified churches of the Thiérache during our visit. And not because it has particularly remarkable fortifications; on the contrary, you have to look very closely to find any.

But the aesthetics of this building – especially in the fantastic weather we had that day – really touched me. The radiant sun completely illuminated the white stone from which it is built. And it’s not for nothing that Notre-Dame is considered one of the most beautiful Romanesque churches in Thiérache.

Is it really a fortified church? In any case, the first Romanesque church was built in the 11th century, although the large bell tower with its fantastic arcades probably dates from the 12th century. It had already been remodelled in the Gothic period before it was “fortified” in the 16th century: a turret was added to the north of the tower and some embrasures can be seen. Further restoration work took place in the 16th and 19th centuries, so that today only the bell tower remains of the old Romanesque church.

Unfortunately, this church is also locked and there is no sign of a key. As a result, we were also unable to admire the beautiful 12th century bluestone baptismal font. But even “just” the view from the outside is well worth a visit to this church.