Wanted to alert anyone planning a stop at Vezelay on their France itinerary. We visited for an afternoon and overnight the last week of May, 2019. The basilica -- the Cluniac abbey, which is the main reason for any visit to Vezelay -- is undergoing a major continuing restoration. The facade with its two towers is enshrouded in scaffolding, and workers are loudly and busily at their estimated 2-year task. Disappointingly, the entire narthex is closed off from view, including the famous tympanum over the central and two flanking portals. Nave and grounds are still open to visitors, and remain impressive in their Romanesque spirituality notwithstanding the intermittent power tool soundtrack. But no portals! Quel dommage!
We lucked out, however. A small notice near the visitor entrance clued us in that, beginning the very next day, guided tours of small groups (12 people) would be conducted on the half hour for 2 euros. Thanking our lucky stars we'd planned an overnight stay, you'd better believe we were first in line the following morning. Two experts in the basilica restoration led us behind the plywood and up two levels of scaffolding, and suddenly we were eye-to-eye with Christ, his bedazzled apostles, and the fantastical array of humanity and beasts in carved stone for which the tympanum is known. The guides explained the relief and the aims of the restoration -- true, mostly in French (the rest of our group was all French), but they answered our questions in English and their enthusiasm and love for the masterpiece was palpable. Quite an unexpected treat! While the overall impact of the portals and the tympanum as works of art was compromised, the close-up view was memorable, a far more unique experience than a walk-by at ground level would have been. I don't know if or how long these tours will continue, so it may be a gamble to depend on one if you visit. But they dramatically reversed a major disappointment for us.
I will put in a plug for the hotel we stayed in, Hotel Sy la Terrasse, literally a stone's throw from the basilica. At their restaurant we had one of the best dinners of our entire 17 days in France. Neither are in the RS France guide for Vezelay, but I'd recommend both.