Mont Saint-Michel

One of the world's top pilgrimage sites is a small island off the coast of Normandy, France.  An important destination for Christians for over a thousand years, Mont Saint-Michel continues to draw throngs of visitors and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Mont Saint-Michel, Normandy

View from the Bridge

Visitors can cross a bridge to the island on foot, by shuttle bus or by horse-drawn carriage. The adventurous should use caution and hire a guide when setting out on the mudflats at low tide. The Bay of Mont Saint-Michel is known for dense fog, dangerous tides and quicksand.

Bridge to the Island

Horse-drawn Carriage

Walkers on the Mudflats at Low Tide

The Village

Next to a drawbridge, La Mère Poulard still tempts hungry travellers with the fluffy omelettes created in 1888 to feed the pilgrims.

Village Drawbridge

La Mère Poulard, Famed for its Omelettes

The village's only street is lined with tourist shops and hotels. The crowds thinned out a bit as we began our ascent to the abbey.

Main Street of Mont Saint-Michel

The Abbey

The Benedictine Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel was founded in 966 and dedicated to the Archangel Michel.

The Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel

Abbey Church

Abbey Cloister

Cloister Arches

Relief Sculpture of the Archangel Michel

For a period of time, the abbey was used as a prison and a large treadwheel powered by inmates hoisted heavy loads up the mountain.

Prison Treadwheel

The Ramp from Above

The Ramp from Below

Back in the village, we stopped for an aperitif before returning to the mainland.

French Apéritif Kir

Despite brooding skies, the rain held off until evening and my day at historic Mont Saint-Michel ended with a magnificent sunset.

Sunset at Mont Saint-Michel

For more information, visit the Mont Saint-Michel Normandy Tourist Office website.