Mont Saint-Michel

About Mont Saint-Michel
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Le Mont-Saint-Michel
Avranches, France 50170
33 / (0)2 33 89 80 00
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Causeway
Chapel
Historical Town Center
A rocky tidal island off the coast of Normandy, the first site of Mont Saint-Michel is quite spectacular. Formed during coastal erosion, Mont Saint-Michel is a 80m granite rock outcropping that resisted the wear and tear that broke down the other nearby rocks.  Once connected to the mainland via  thin natural land bridge part of the time, an accumulation of tidal silt has meant that the nowadays, the tidal island is almost always connected to land.

Construction on the granite rick started in 708, when a dream led the bishop of Avranches to create a shrine to Saint Michel on site, leading it to become a major pilgrimage destination.  In 966, the Benedictine monks of Saint Wandrille took control of the sanctuary, and constructed a Romanesque monastery on top of the hill.  When the abbey was partially destroyed in 1204, it was replaced by the "bâtiment de la Merveille," a Gothic style Benedictine Abbey built between the 11th and 16th century. 

The abbey is considered a representation of medieval architecture, and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.


the Mont St Michel is a small rocky island close to the mainland, in Lower-Normandy.
On its slopes a small town and an Abbey were constructed.

The island is reachable via a small landbridge that was fortified into a causeway. At low tide it can also be reached by walking across the resulting "beach", although at personal risk, as the tides there are famous for their magnitude and the speed of their arrival.
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Getting there:
If traveling by car, Mont Saint-Michel is located approximately 200 metres away from the car park.  Otherwise, organized tours can be arranged from the town of Avranches or St-Malo.

From Saint-Malo:
Take exit #2, secondary roads D155 and D797 towards Pontorson, then secondary road D976

From Caen: exit #8, main road N175 towards Rennes, up to Pontaubault, then secondary raods D43, D75, and D275 towards Mont Saint-Michel.
Last edited on Mar 24, 10 11:41 PM.
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33 Reviews of Mont Saint-Michel  
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First To Review: Roy Y.
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5.0 star rating
Oct 29, 2008
very tourusty place, be sure not to visit in July or August. BUT it is worthwhile to visit because it is so beautiful... and inspiring. make sure you know when the tide is coming (it's a spectacular sight from top of the rock) and never walk alone beyond the rock - join a group with a guide.
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Aug 14, 2008
48° 38′ N , 1° 31′ W

Der Mont Saint-Michel ist eine felsige Insel im Ärmelkanal an der Mündung des Couesnon etwa 1 km vor der Küste der Normandie , nahe Avranches und der Grenze zur Bretagne . Die Insel ist berühmt für das auf ihr erbaute Benediktinerkloster , das die nur ca. 55.000 m² (Umfang ca. 830 m) große Insel dominiert. Es ist eines der besten Beispiele für französische mittelalterliche Architektur und für eine befestigte Abtei. Mont-Saint-Michel ist auch eine Stadt ( Département Manche , Region Basse-Normandie ), die schon 708 gegründet wurde, im Mittelalter von Pilgern und heute vom Tourismus lebt. Im Kloster leben und arbeiten noch heute etwa ein Dutzend Benediktinermönche , und der Mont hat sich wieder zu einer großen Touristenattraktion und auch erneut - noch in geringem, aber wachsenden Umfang - zu einem Pilgerort entwickelt, unter anderem im Zusammenhang mit dem Jakobsweg . Er wird jährlich von etwa 3,5 Millionen Menschen besucht. Dies zeigt, wie attraktiv der Ort (wieder) ist; als Kehrseite der Medaille muss die extreme Belastung, der die baulichen Einrichtungen ausgesetzt sind, erwähnt werden. Der Berg und seine Bucht gehören seit 1979 dem Weltkulturerbe der UNESCO an. Zusätzlich wird er auch seit 1998 als Teil des Welterbe „ Jakobsweg in Frankreich“ aufgeführt. Der Mont Saint-Michel kommt auch in der Artussage vor: Hier soll ein Riese gelebt haben, den Artus erschlug.

The Mont Saint Michel is a rocky island in the English Channel in the mouth of the Couesnon about 1 km before the coast of Normandy, close Avranches and the border to Brittany. The island is famous for on her built Benedictine's cloister which dominates only approx. 55,000 m ² (extent approx. 830 m) big island. It is one of the best examples of French medieval architecture and of a fastened abbey. Mont Saint Michel is also a town (Département some, region bass Normandy) which was already founded 708, in the Middle Ages lives on pilgrims and today on the tourism. Still today in the cloister about one dozen Benedictine's monks live and work, and the Mont has developed again to a big tourist attraction and also once more - still in low, but growing extent - to a pilgrim's place, among the rest, in connection with the Jakob's way. He is visited yearly from about 3.5 million people. This shows how attractive the place (again) is; as a reverse of the medallion the extreme load to which the architectural facilities are put out must be mentioned. The mountain and his bay belong since 1979 to the world cultural heritage of UNESCO. In addition, it is also performed since 1998 as a part of the world heritage „Jakob's way in France“. The Mont Saint Michel also seems in the Artussage: Here a giant whom Artus killed should have lived.
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5.0 star rating
Oct 13, 2008
Mont Saint-Michel A rocky tidal island off the coast of Normandy, the first site of Mont Saint-Michel is quite spectacular. Formed during coastal erosion, Mont Saint-Michel is a 80m granite rock outcropping that resisted the wear and tear that broke down the other nearby rocks. Once connected to the mainland via thin natural land bridge part of the time, an accumulation of tidal silt has meant that the nowadays, the tidal island is almost always connected to land.

Construction on the granite rick started in 708, when a dream led the bishop of Avranches to create a shrine to Saint Michel on site, leading it to become a major pilgrimage destination. In 966, the Benedictine monks of Saint Wandrille took control of the sanctuary, and constructed a Romanesque monastery on top of the hill. When the abbey was partially destroyed in 1204, it was replaced by the "bâtiment de la Merveille," a Gothic style Benedictine Abbey built between the 11th and 16th century.

The abbey is considered a representation of medieval architecture, and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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5.0 star rating
Nov 15, 2009
Medival walled city that at high tide is surrounded by the tide. There are a few Bed and Breakfasts that you can stay at. During the day bus loads of tourists descend like a plague of loctus, but if you stay at a BnB its very enjoyable and you have the place prettymuch to yourself. We saw an episode of Rick Steves - Travels through Europe and he recommended to eat at La Mere Poulard - they must have had a different chef the night we were there. They are known for there omlets, ours were still raw and not cheap. I can still remember the way they were beating the eggs they do it to a rhythm and I still remember it to this day, wish I could forget it.
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5.0 star rating
Sep 12, 2008
This is the most popular tourist attraction for French natives...on a little "ilot" stands an ancient walled town with a cathedral at the top...the steps wind up around the walled town...Go to "La Mere Poulard" for traditional French omelettes made in copper pans...go to a local restaurant or cafe for the local lamb chops which are naturally seasoned by the sea grass that they munch...Very tasty! Careful where you park, be aware of high and low tide schedule...there are areas of quicksand around Mont-Saint-Michel. Safe for women,families, everyone to visit this town... just don't go into the bay to check out the sands and try to get a better photo of the tiny island.
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