Mont Saint-Michel is a Benedictine abbey situated in the bay between Normandy and Brittany. The abbey and supporting village
sit on a granite rocky outcrop, about 1 km from the coast.
In the old days the island was only accessible at low tide, and the tide
of 12 meter made the abbey easily defendable.
It all started in 708 with a small church dedicated to Archangel Michael and was
turned into a Benedictine abbey in 966.
In the following centuries the abbey was further enlarged and the uncertain times of
the 100 Years War required construction of strong fortifications.
In the 18th century the number of monks dwindled and the abbey was
closed during the French Revolution and made a prison. In 1874 Mont St Michel was declared a national monument.
A project to reduce
accumulated silt from the bay started in 2006 and in 2014 an open bridge replaced the old causeway.
Horsedrawn carriages and buses transport the 3 million visitors per annum to and from this impressive UNESCO site.
We joined the crowd in May 2019.
