Listed as a French historical monument in 1862, the Abbey of Fontenay was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. It was one of the first French monuments to appear on that list, which thus distinguished the exceptional value of both Fontenay’s abbey complex and its natural environment. Since 1820, the Abbey has been the private property of the same family (Montgolfier Aynard), which continues to preserve this exceptional site by opening it up to visitors all year round. A must-see place in Bourgogne Franche Comté, it welcomes around 80,000 visitors a year; in addition to French visitors, 25 other nationalities make up this attendance. The abbey's objective is to participate in the development of the rural economy in Haute Côte d'Or. Several renovation projects are carried out (Colombier, Enfermerie, Chapelle des étrangers, Bakery and its bread oven), the stated goal being to constantly increase the quality of the offer by opening to the public more conventual buildings and creating new experiences of visits.