Mont Saint Michel, France

mont saint michel, France

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Mont St Michel, an island, is in Normandy on the north coast of France, near the border with Brittany. Although the site is unbearably touristy, it is still wonderfully atmospheric, especially in misty weather, though perhaps it looks better from a distance?
The Mount's prime attraction is of course, the Abbaye du Mont St Michel at the top of the Grande Rue.

The island is separated from the mainland by about a kilometre of marshy water at high tide.
Pilgrims could access it only on foot at low tide until 1879 when a causeway was built. Soon this 125-year-old road, overloaded by thousands of cars and buses everyday will be replaced with a pedestrian bridge and a shuttle, in order to prevent the Mount from been landlocked. So by 2008 visitors will have to park 2.5 km away and travel to the site on foot or catch a shuttle bus.

Guided one day trips from Paris take more than 15 hours by bus - ridiculous, non? Otherwise the nearest town is Pontorson [9 km south], an ideal base.

Low tide photo by Jean Daniel Sudres, Maison de la France