Mont Saint Michel. Impregnable castle Mont Saint-Michel (13 photos) Mont Saint-Michel what makes it special

Castle and Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel (Normandy region)

The Chateau Saint-Michel is one of the most charming attractions France. Mont-Saint-Michel was once a center of pilgrimage for monks who dreamed of visiting here to venerate Saint Michael.

However, not all righteous pilgrim-monks managed to get to the majestic 80-meter rock, separated from the land by water at high tide.

Medieval pilgrims faced death in quicksand or death from rising tides. Natural disasters have claimed many lives. The first buildings appeared here in the 8th century. According to legend, Bishop Aubert of Avranches in 708, at the behest of the Archangel Michael, built a chapel on the rock, which later collapsed.

In the 10th century, a Benedictine abbey was founded here, and in the 11th century, work began on the construction of a new Romanesque church. Gradually new buildings were erected around it. Over the centuries, they were rebuilt several times in Romanesque and Gothic styles, and a fortification system was created around the abbey.

This religious site was never home to more than 40 monks until the Revolution, when the abbey's buildings were requisitioned and turned into a prison. In 1966, exactly one thousand years after the founding of the Benedictine Monastery by Duke Richard I, the monks returned to Mont Saint-Michel. And today there is a small monastic community living here, which follows the traditions established by the Benedictines in 966.

For many years now Castle Saint Michel(the mountain) is not an island in the truest sense of the word. Today Mont Saint-Michel is connected to the mainland by a dam along which an asphalt road runs. Due to the dam preventing the waves from rising, the bay gradually began to become polluted. In the near future, it is planned to destroy the dam and replace it with a pedestrian bridge. This will make it possible not only to easily control the number of tourists, but will also help prevent pollution of the bay, while Mont Saint-Michel will remain an island as before.

Abbey of Mont Saint Michel

The Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel is an architectural ensemble dominated by a church topped with a spire with a figurine of the Archangel Michael and a Gothic monastery complex known since 1228 as “La Merville” (the hall of the knights, the refectory, the covered arcade and cellars). It can be seen from all points of the strait, but as soon as you get closer, it begins to inspire fear.

Here's what Maupassant wrote about it: “I reached a large rock on which stands a small city with an outstanding church. Walking up a steep, narrow street, I entered the most remarkable Gothic building that was ever made for God on this earth. The building is as vast as the city, full of rooms with low ceilings and high galleries, supported by pillars.

I found myself in an amazing gigantic room made of granite, which is so skillfully made that it resembles lace work. Towers and slender bell towers, crowned with chimeras, devils, fantastic animals and monstrous flowers and interconnected by an intricate network of arches, direct their peaks high into the sky.”

The highest point of the mount (castle) of Saint-Michel lies below what is now the transept of the church, where the transition from Gothic to Romanesque style is particularly evident in the naves. To create a church in the traditional form of a cross, with crypts, it had to be built on a hillside, and the entire structure, made of granite from the island of Chozet, had to be completely consistent with the terrain. Space was limited, but the building grew over the centuries with an architectural ingenuity that is especially surprising for its geometry. The construction of the monastery began with the gloomy Great Hall.

It is not surprising that the building of the monastery is not particularly smooth: the church, choir, nave and tower were completed and remodeled. Along with the architecture, the style of decoration also changed. IN medieval era the walls of public rooms, such as the refectory, were decorated with tapestries and frescoes, but now you will see bare walls. To get an idea of ​​the abbey's history, look out for its curious models at the entrance, which depict four different eras.

Rest of Saint Michel Island

The fortifications of the abbey can be penetrated through the Royal Gate, which leads to the Grand Rue. Along its sides are randomly scattered souvenir shops with overpriced goods, which is a continuation of the ancient tradition of leaving pilgrims without money.

Grand Rue ends with a wide staircase with steep steps leading upward. On a plaque next to the stairs it is written that Jacques Cartier was presented here to Francis I on May 8, 1532, and was entrusted with the exploration of the Canadian coast. The Maritime Museum will introduce you to the underwater flora and fauna of the Bay of Saint-Michel, while the Archaeoscope will take you on a 15-minute journey through space and time.

Behind the 11th-century St. Peter's Basilica is the Grevin Museum. Its exhibitions are dedicated to the history of the monastery. Here you can see scenes from the life of former times, recreated using wax figures. Both museums are open from February to mid-November. Huge crowds gather every day at the North Tower to view the strait. Flocks of seagulls, despite the late hour, are mincing along the sand, but soon they will have to fly up to escape the rising water.

Useful information about the castle and abbey of Saint-Michel

On Mount Saint-Michel there is a tourist office below at the entrance to the monastery. A regular bus service connects Mont Saint-Michel with the train stations of Pontorson, Rena And Saint Malo. Although the island has a surprising number of hotels and restaurants, there are still not enough of them to cope with the real influx of tourists. Obviously, most of these establishments offer expensive services, however, almost every hotel still has cheap rooms.

Best known hotel La Mare Poulard. The legendary omelets that Leon Trotsky and Margaret Thatcher enjoyed (at different times) are prepared here, which justifies their extortionate prices. The cheapest option is Du Guesclin, where there is a TV in every room, and the Crois Blanche and Mouton Blanc hotels are of a high standard. It's sad but restaurants It's worse here than anywhere else in France, making it quite difficult to recommend anything.

Additionally, it is worth noting that large hotels and motels are lined up along the D-976 highway closest to the island, each of which has cafe or a restaurant. Among them are Motel Vert, Hotel Formule Verte and Hotel de la Digue. There is even a three-star campsite, Mont Saint-Michel, which is also on the mainland just off the road.

Most visitors to Mont Saint-Michel stay in Pontorson, which is 6 kilometers from the island and has the nearest train station with regular buses to Mont Saint-Michel. The hotels here are not particularly special, but, for example, Montgomery, which occupies an old ivy-covered mansion (13 rue du Couesnon), and Bretagne (59 rue du Couesnon) have very good restaurants. The recently renovated boarding house is located near the cathedral, 1 kilometer west of the station, in the Du Guesclin Center (21 rue du General Patton).

Visiting the Chateau Saint-Michel

Access to the island of Saint-Michel is free and unrestricted. There is a €5 fee for parking either on the highway or in areas that are underwater at high tide. If you come here by car in the summer, it is better to leave your car on the mainland somewhere near Saint-Michel and enjoy a walk (this way you can avoid possible traffic jams).

The Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel is open daily: May-September 9.00-19.00, entrance until 18.00; October-April 9.30-18.00, entrance until 17.00. Closed: December 25, January 1 and May 1. A standard ticket (€9, €6 for 18 to 25 year olds, free ticket for under 18s) entitles you to visit all accessible places on the island and join one of the excursions, which are conducted in various languages ​​(mid-June – mid-September excursion lasts 45 minutes, mid-September – mid-June – 1 hour).

A daily tour schedule is posted at the entrance. There are also more detailed tours that last a full two hours, but only in French (July and August daily 10.30, 11.30, 14.00 and 16.00; September-June Saturday and Sunday 10.30 and 14.00; 5 € extra).

Only in July and August is the Abbey of Saint-Michel open in the evenings. During this time, visitors can take a walk in the gardens (Monday-Sunday 7.00-21.00; admission is free if you have a basic ticket purchased at any other time of the day). Also, when music and video equipment is reinstalled in the abbey, you can stay here until midnight (Monday-Saturday 21.00-00.00, entrance up to 10 €, for persons 13-24 years old - 7 €).

Mont Saint Michel is an island-fortress, striking with its medieval buildings and picturesque location. A huge piece of conical granite, rising almost 80 meters above sea level, has long merged with the powerful walls of the Benedictine abbey, which have withstood storms, tides, Viking raids and religious wars. Mont Saint-Michel is considered one of the main attractions of France, and for me it is also one of the modern wonders of the world.
Mount Saint Michael (this is how the name is translated) is located on the border of Normandy and Brittany, therefore it is a bone of contention between these two historical regions, although it officially belongs to Normandy. In the bay of the same name you can observe some of the strongest tides in the world - fluctuations in water level can reach 14 meters. In this case, the water can recede or, on the contrary, spread deep into the coast for a couple of tens of kilometers.
Before this spring trip, I had already been to Mont Saint-Michel several times, but I had never seen it surrounded by water. This time I planned the trip to coincide with one of the highest tides of the year. See what came out of this in the continuation of the post.

In 1874, the island was recognized as a historical monument, and soon after that a flood-proof dam was erected in the bay (connecting Saint-Michel with the mainland), along which until recently a parking lot for tourists was built. But a few years ago, they decided to demolish the dam, as it posed a threat to the unique properties of the island and the bay - sand sediments delayed tidal waters. A pedestrian bridge is currently being built here, and a shuttle runs along the preserved path.

It is now impossible to get to the abbey itself by car, but you can live very close to the island, and on a very budget. Double room in hotel Formula Verte cost me only 50 euros per night (although they say that this hotel has recently closed). The shuttle stops almost under the windows, runs every 10 minutes, and the journey doesn’t take even five.

In a kind of buffer zone in front of the former dam, there are several hotels and restaurants for every taste. If you stay at one of the hotels, they will send you a code with which you can raise the barrier and enter the territory in your car. Moreover, the code can only be used once: if you want to leave this zone and then enter again, you will have to buy an additional code for a couple of euros. The system is a little strange, but that’s what the company decided Veolia- owner of a new parking lot.

The shuttles are free, gray buses with wooden trim. It’s warm inside, they walk quite often (every five to ten minutes) and practically all day - from half past eight in the morning until midnight. Even if it is very late and the shuttle is no longer running, you can call a special number and they will personally send a mini-bus for you, again free of charge. This is incredibly convenient if you want to take a romantic walk around the abbey by moonlight.

Mont Saint-Michel is always full of Japanese people who appreciate beauty. And in the summer there are no crowds of tourists of all nationalities, so the best time to travel is late spring or early autumn. In winter there are few people because it is quite cold and gloomy.

To find out when the highest tide can be observed, I used the site http://www.ot-montsaintmichel.com/en/horaire-marees/mont-saint-michel.htm. Here are the coefficients for the highest tides in each month. The higher the coefficient, the higher the water rises, and the more spectacular the views of the island. I decided to come at the end of March, when a tide of 104 was expected - the sea level in the bay rose by almost 14 meters. In the near future, the most favorable months are February, March, August and September 2014. Be sure to check the exact tide dates and times (twice daily).

The Couesnon River, which flows into the bay opposite Mont Saint-Michel, serves as the border between Normandy and Brittany.

In recent years, the Association for the Rescue of Mont Saint-Michel has carried out a lot of work to clear the bay of sand deposits, as the tides have become less pronounced over the years. At the same time, the dam at the mouth of Couesnon was reconstructed.

Directly opposite the island there is now a wonderful observation deck made of glass and wood - convenient, beautiful and environmentally friendly.

The water level in Couesnon is regulated by a dam. Heavy shutters protect populated areas upstream from tidal waves and floods. This is what the dam looks like when open:

And so in closed. The water level has risen slightly compared to the previous photo.

On the first day I observed the evening tide, which reached its peak at half past eight, that is, after sunset. The day was rather gloomy, and in the evening it became even colder and more uncomfortable. In addition, the next morning it turned out that a little snow had fallen during the night. In general, the weather was naturally wintry.

About an hour and a half before the peak of the tide, I dressed warmly and left the hotel to watch the rising water in the gradually thickening twilight. Here's how it happened:

Only three minutes passed from the first to the last photo in this series. The water level rises surprisingly quickly, because the tide can reach 6 km/h.

Since I couldn’t see anything new from the observation deck, it was decided to take a shuttle and go to the island. I had never been to Saint-Michel in the evening before. Not everything here has been improved yet, since the construction of a pedestrian bridge is in full swing, but when they finish it, it will be just a sight for sore eyes, judging by the visualizations

Something like this:

Mont Saint Michel at night is something incredible. There are almost no tourists, silence, waves, wind, seagulls... It feels like the medieval city is completely at your disposal - you can climb steep stairs, look into empty chapels, walk along thick fortress walls. Taking photos without a tripod turned out to be a waste of time, so I won't show you the rest of the evening walk. Let me just say that it was very atmospheric.

Not getting enough of Mont Saint-Michel due to the cold and cloudy weather, I went to Brittany, and on the way back I decided to stop by here again. This time the day turned out to be just right - very sunny and positive.

It's a completely different matter. The photo was taken at half past twelve - the peak of the tide. True, the coefficient is lower than on the first evening - 83 versus 104.

The abbey is covered with a light haze, like a veil, but you can still see the details.

On the first evening I only heard the splashing waves, but this time I saw it with my own eyes. The water came close to the stone walls. All that remains is to dismantle the dam, and Saint-Michel will become a full-fledged island.

A shot from a personal archive: this is what Mont Saint-Michel looked like in 2001. At first glance, little has changed, but you can notice a large parking area under the abbey walls. The water level is much lower - these are large “puddles” left after the tide. I couldn’t see the tide itself then, since I had to leave before dark.

Another shot from the archive - this time from 2005.

But this spring I finally saw an incredible picture - the deep Bay of Saint-Michel from the heights of the abbey. The whitecaps of the slightly chaotic tidal waves are clearly visible.

From the archive: the bay at low tide.

Flooded salty meadows where real lambs graze.

From the archive:

The second large island in the Bay of Saint-Michel is Tombelen. At low tide this bird sanctuary can be reached on foot.

Bird Island.

From the archive:

The tranquil cloister of the abbey.

From the archive (walks along the bay):

Thus, another little dream came true - to see how the waters of the Atlantic Ocean wash the walls of the Abbey of Saint-Michel. It seems to me that every traveler should see something like this in his life.

If possible, I will return here in a couple of years, when the pedestrian bridge is completed and the Mount of the Archangel Michael becomes an island again, and then it will be impossible not to include Mont Saint-Michel in the list of modern wonders of the world.

How to get there: by train from Paris (train station Montparnasse) before Rennes(2 hours 20 minutes), then by bus to Mont-Saint-Michel(1 hour 15 minutes). Or by car from Paris in 3 and a half hours.

You can find analogues - but Mont Saint-Michel is absolutely unique. There is simply no rival in the world to a lonely mountain in the middle of a perfectly flat plain; a mountain crowned by a stern monastery and surrounded by impenetrable walls; a mountain whose slopes sheltered an entire medieval city with tiny winding streets; a mountain that the highest tides in Europe twice a day turn into an impregnable island, and the surrounding plain into a raging ocean. The path to get there is not easy, but from year to year millions of people flock here - to feel involved in a true miracle, at least for a few hours.

UNESCO included Mont Saint-Michel on the List of World Heritage Sites, guidebooks proudly call it the “eighth wonder of the world,” and the French themselves simply call their favorite attraction the Mountain.

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How to get to Mont Saint Michel

The easiest and most economical way to get to Mont Saint-Michel is to take a direct bus from Paris. On Saturdays and Sundays, Flixbus buses leave from La Défense early in the morning and return to the capital late in the evening. The journey takes about 5 hours, passengers are taken directly to the walls of Mont Saint-Michel. A round-trip ticket will cost less than 50 EUR, you can book it at the office. carrier's website. Prices on the page are for October 2018.

On weekdays, getting to the Mountain is a little more difficult: first you need to connect to the TGV high-speed train at Montparnasse station, get to Rennes, and then change to a bus from the local Keolys network. A combined train-bus ticket can be purchased at the office. website of the SNCF company, which is in charge of all French railways. The travel time is comparable to the bus option, and for a one-way ticket you will have to pay at least 50 EUR.

The third way to get to Mont Saint-Michel from Paris can easily be considered exotic: at the Rennes railway station you need to change to a local train to the town of Pontorson, and then take a minibus to Mont Saint-Michel (travel time is about 20 minutes, ticket price 2.50 EUR). For those traveling to Mont Saint-Michel from Normandy, this method is quite acceptable: several trains run daily from Rouen to Pontorson.

Mont Saint-Michel can also be reached by car - the road from Paris along the A13 toll motorway takes about 4 hours and costs 15 EUR. The route through Alençon along the free highway N10 is shorter in mileage, but longer in time and very tiring for the driver - the road runs through many towns with narrow intersections, pedestrian crossings and frequent speed limits of up to 50 km/h.

Search for flights to Paris (the nearest airport to Mont Saint-Michel)

A little history

In Gallo-Roman times, a dense forest rustled on the site of the present Bay of Saint-Michel, and the future Mountain was a low hill. The first Christian hermits chose it as a place of solitude and prayer. Local residents brought food to the ascetics and buried their remains in due course. The previously unnamed hill began to be called Grave Mountain. By the 7th century, the ocean swallowed up the land, and the Mountain acquired its modern shape, and in 709 the first monastery was founded on the top. Over the centuries, it grew, changed owners several times, survived many wars and sieges, was once burned to the ground and rebuilt stone by stone - until it was closed during the French Revolution. The monks were expelled, their cells were turned into cells for political prisoners. The darkest period of Mont Saint-Michel lasted almost 100 years, and only at the end of the 19th century the prison was closed and Mont Saint-Michel received the status of a national museum. In 1966, part of the monastery was returned to the Catholic Church, and now the Benedictine brothers celebrate Mass daily in the abbey chapel.

Transport

The transport system of Mont Saint-Michel is somewhat exotic, but very convenient and fully corresponds to the special atmosphere of this place. 3 km from the monastery, next to the 24-hour paid parking (half an hour is free, a day ticket will cost car owners 11.50 EUR) there is a stop for unusual electric buses. They were designed specifically for Mont Saint-Michel, and they do not have the usual “front” and “rear” - the driver’s cabins are located on both sides. They cover the path to the mountain in 12 minutes, making stops along the way at hotels and restaurants in the town of La Caserne on the shore of the bay. Buses run from 7:30 to midnight at intervals of several minutes and travel is free.

For lovers of antiquity, there is an alternative: carriages pulled by a pair of Norman heavy trucks reach the mountain in 25 minutes. Capacity is up to 24 passengers, one-way ticket costs 5 EUR.

Beautiful Mont Saint Michel

Communications and Wi-Fi

There are no problems with mobile communications in Mont Saint-Michel - 3G and 4G networks are available anywhere on the island. The situation with Wi-Fi is less rosy; you can only discover a free access point by chance. In this sense, it is easier for hotel guests and restaurant clients than for tourists visiting for a few hours - free Wi-Fi has long become a standard in such establishments. The password to a hotel chain is usually written either on the wall of the room or on a special laminated card - it is placed on the table before guests check-in. Finding the password to restaurant chains is not always easy - it is not customary to post it openly. Sometimes it is printed at the bottom of the menu, but in most cases you will have to ask the waiter for help.

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Mont Saint Michel Hotels

Local hotels are clearly divided into two groups: hotels from the first are located inside the city fortifications (intra muros), from the second - in the town of La Caserne in the immediate vicinity of Mont Saint-Michel. The hotel rooms are cramped, not the most pleasant smells can be heard from the restaurants downstairs, you will have to first take a minibus to get to your accommodation, and then walk up the Grande Rue, crowded with tourists. But the proximity to all the attractions and the opportunity to watch the tide from your “own” windows are worth it.

Hotels in La Caserne are designed in modern times, there is a higher level of comfort at reasonable prices - with early booking, a room in a 2* hotel will cost only 55 EUR. Among the advantages of staying overnight in La Caserne are convenient hotel parking, a stunning view of Mont Saint-Michel at night, as well as a vibrant and varied nightlife.

What to bring

The choice of souvenirs in Mont Saint-Michel is huge: shops along the main street fight for every client, offering a wide range of goods for every taste and budget - from magnets for a couple of euros to a full set of knight's armor for the price of an average car.

In addition to the usual tourist set, it is customary to take away as souvenirs elegant plates with images of the abbey, small copies of the statue of the Archangel Michael decorating the monastery spire, funny stone figurines of musicians and jugglers made in medieval technology, models of sailing ships, figurines made of Norman porcelain, as well as souvenirs replicas of bladed weapons.

Among the culinary products, the most popular are crispy butter cookies “from Mother Poulard”, “Quin-aman” pies from neighboring Brittany, as well as local salted caramel - it is packaged and sold individually.

Cuisine and restaurants of Mont Saint-Michel

People don’t go to Mont Saint-Michel for gastronomic pleasures; sophisticated, expensive restaurants here would simply go out of business. The local cuisine is simple, tasty and inexpensive - exactly what a weary traveler needs.

All bars, cafes, snack bars and pancake houses are located exclusively on Grande Rue - it is useless to look for food in other places on the island. These establishments are accustomed to quickly serving the tourist flow, and you can count on a short, hearty snack at a price of 12 to 25 EUR. Snacks and sandwiches to take away will cost 3-4 EUR each.

There are few restaurants in Mont Saint-Michel, they exist only at hotels and sometimes live at the pace of the guests - they serve for a long time, but it is there that you can taste the Mountain's signature dish at an affordable price - lamb fillet raised in the local water meadows (it is believed that Ocean salt naturally permeates the meat and gives it a unique flavor). Dinner in such a restaurant will cost 80-120 EUR and will take several hours, but while waiting for food you can watch the ebb and flow of the tides - all restaurants here have panoramic terraces overlooking the bay.

Guides in Mont Saint Michel

Entertainment and attractions

Mont Saint-Michel is a landmark in itself. The majestic fortress city on a lonely mountain, surrounded alternately by the ocean and by a damp sandy plain, invariably makes a strong impression on travelers.

By the way, it was the monastery of Mont Saint-Michel that became the prototype for the fortress of Minas Tirith in the film “The Lord of the Rings”.

Access to Mont Saint-Michel itself is free, and any tourist can enter the city through the Royal Gate, simultaneously examining a cannon from the Hundred Years War, marvel at the two-meter width of the local “Grand Rue” (Grande Rue) and pick up souvenirs there. If your build permits, you can take a chance and climb to the upper tier along crooked alleys - in some places you will have to squeeze through sideways. At the top, after passing the gates of the abbey and walking along the walls, you can thoughtfully select an “observation post” and meet the tide with a camera in your hands. On the way back, it’s worth stopping by the tiny city church and ending the tour with a walk along the fortress walls of the lower tier, returning to the Royal Gate. If you have time and energy left, you can walk along the granite blocks along the island to the small chapel of Saint-Aubert - it used to serve as a place for prayer vigils.

An adult tourist will have to pay 10 EUR to enter the abbey (office site in English), children are admitted free of charge.

The Constable's House, Archaeoscope, Historical and Maritime Museums are somewhat lost against the background of other attractions, but they are also interesting in their own way. A combined ticket to visit all 4 will cost 18 EUR, more information can be obtained at the office. website (in English).

5 things to do in Mont Saint Michel

1. Walk under the echoing arches of the abbey and go down to its heart - the chapel of Notre-Dame-Sous-Terre.
2. Meet the tide while standing at the stone parapet of the upper fortifications.
3. At low tide, go out onto the damp sand of the bay and look at the Mountain from all sides.
4. Buy souvenirs in the shops on Grande Rue.
5. Try the famous omelet “from Mother Poulard”

Weather

The climate in northern France is mild. In general, you can rely on the weather forecast for Normandy, but it is worth taking into account some features of the bay: the ocean has leveled the surface for kilometers around the Mountain, so the westerly wind blows around Mont Saint-Michel as it wants - this is especially felt on the upper observation decks. Tides constantly wet the surrounding sand, so in winter there is a high risk of fog, and in summer high humidity combined with the scorching sun makes many tourists faint.

The ocean not only affects the microclimate of the Mountain - often the life of a tourist depends on it. The tide comes suddenly and moves the water at the speed of a running person, so before going for a walk you should definitely study the tide schedule at the office. website (in English).

Along with the world-famous Eiffel Tower, there is another calling card of France. This time we will not talk about a separate building, but a whole complex that occupies the territory of a small island. This is one of the most picturesque corners of Normandy, which is rightfully considered a real monument to the history of France - this is the island-monastery of Mont Saint-Michel.

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The impressive island, which is made from millions of tons of granite, is only 930 meters in diameter, and the highest point is located at an altitude of just 92 meters above sea level. It was this place that was chosen by the Benedict monks back in the 8th century, who became its rightful owners for many centuries, building a real abbey.

There is a legend according to which the place for the construction of the monastery was chosen here not by chance. In a dream, the Archangel Michael appeared to Bishop Avranches and ordered to build a monastery on the island to commemorate the battle between the bright forces of the heavenly army and the satanic hordes that appeared in the form of a dragon. According to the vision, it was here, on the granite ledges of the island, that the fatal meeting of two eternal opponents took place - good and evil.

The construction of the monastery was financed by the Norman dukes, who saw not only a religious significance in its rough outlines, but also a strategic one. It was the island that was to become the first stronghold of the numerous Viking raids to which Normandy was systematically subjected.

The construction of the central building of the abbey lasted for 500 years, from 1017, when the first stone was laid, until 1520. And by the 12th century, the monastery became one of the main religious centers for numerous pilgrims from Europe. The final touches that completed the image of the modern monastery were made until the 17th century, as a result of which a complex complex of buildings and structures began to rise above the island, the architecture of which overlapped Gothic and Romanesque styles.

Everyone who sees this masterpiece of human creation for the first time will watch with delight and hope the structures literally climbing up the steep slopes towards the sun, the crown of which is the elegant Marvel Church. All this creates a truly mesmerizing landscape, which can only be compared with the famous creation of Eiffel. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that this grandiose complex is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Island crashing into the ocean

Mont Saint-Michel is capable of giving one of the most vivid and unforgettable impressions in the life of everyone who is lucky enough to visit here. It is difficult to find the right words to convey as colorfully and accurately as possible the sensations that you experience every time you sit at a table on a restaurant terrace with a tablecloth whitened to a crisp and greedily absorb with your eyes the endless expanse of the ocean.

And what is the air like here! Simply saying that every breath makes you feel dizzy and your pulse beats faster in your temples will clearly not be enough. He's special here. It is the local air that is best suited to be described as sea air “saturated with centuries-old dampness.” The impressions will be especially vivid during high tide, which, like a leopard stalking its prey, approaches silently and unnoticed.

The island is located in the north-west of France and is part of a group of islands located in the bay of the same name. It is only 2 km from the mainland of the state and at low tide it is not difficult to get to it. Although, due to the local peculiarities of the sea weather, the island sometimes seems like an impregnable fort, the path to which is blocked by huge gray-green waves that crash into the rocks below.

It is interesting that, even despite such proximity to mainland France, as well as to historical Normandy, Britain has repeatedly tried to “redraw” the local borders in its favor and make the island another distant harbor for its numerous ships. This is explained by the crazy popularity of this place, with which only one place can compete with this criterion - the French capital. Because of this, the French, who have never been overly modest, called these places “the eighth wonder of the world.”

How to get there

Of course, after such a vivid description of the local beauties, the image of an ancient carriage with a forged frame, harnessed to a pair of black horses, appears in your head. It is they who must deliver the real adventurer to the wooden suspension bridge, which, descending with a creak, will reveal its secrets and untold riches that have been preserved here since time immemorial. To complete the image of the ancient castle, the only thing missing here is the statues of mythical monsters - chimeras.

Perhaps a couple of centuries ago this is exactly what the path to the world famous abbey looked like. But today you can get to the Abbey of Saint-Michel much more comfortably. For example, buying a ticket for a fast train from Paris to Rennes (approximately 55.8 euros), and then transferring to a regular bus that takes travelers to the foot of the monastery (a little more than 11 euros). There is also a system of discounts, which will be a pleasant surprise for young travelers.

If you want to save money or simply prefer to travel ascetically, we recommend the bus route through Pontorson. The regular bus runs only 6 times a day, but travel costs only 5 euros. But such inconveniences will not be a serious obstacle for true adventurers.

You can go to the holy place by private car. But in order to avoid unpleasant surprises, it is recommended to leave the car in a specially designated place, where it will be safe during the high tide, and walk the remaining couple of kilometers of the journey.

If you decide to go to the island with the aim of replenishing your personal photo album with new photographs and your heart with vivid impressions, we highly recommend not choosing the summer months for your trip. During this period, the influx of tourists to the monastery is simply huge, which does not allow one to fully appreciate the beauty of these places. And, of course, we advise you to purchase a bycatch calendar, using which you can choose the best time for photo hunting and take simply stunning pictures of the landscapes that open from the fortress walls.

Don’t forget to take into account the peculiarities of the local climate, which obviously will not allow you to parade in a colorful sundress and light sandals. The harsh winds, which feel like full-fledged masters of the local expanses, have a negative attitude towards such equipment for tourists. But the most important accompaniment during the trip should be humility. After all, it is the humble tourists who can count on enlightenment within the walls of this holy place.

Entertainment and excursions

When you get tired of looking at the raging ocean and following the endless cycles of ebb and flow, you can go for a walk around the island, during which you will find many more interesting acquaintances and discoveries. But before that, close your eyes for a moment and imagine that this is the heyday of the medieval knightly era, and you are none other than the main character of Dumas’ favorite novel from your youth. Introduced? Then let's go!

The Royal Gate, a little rough, but created with medieval taste, pointed stone vaults, as well as a huge knight's hall and a refectory, where several hundred years ago the deep voices of the island's defenders hummed, as well as numerous winding streets, as if luring into the depths of the island - all this will require a lot of your attention and time.

Do you like mystery and different puzzles? There is more than enough of this goodness here! There are many secret passages in the streets that lead to another part of the monastery, and the iron-framed wooden doors make sounds that are so clearly remembered from the times of watching films about the exploits of knights and medieval castles.

All this, without a doubt, will leave an unforgettable mark in the memory of every visitor to these wondrous places and will beckon again and again to plunge into the beauty and unique charm of the monastery, which is located on the island of Mont Saint-Michel.

Well, how can you ignore one of the most mysterious places on the island - a small vaulted room called “Notre Dame underground”. There are many legends and tales that reveal the history of this mysterious place from different sides. And you should definitely get to know many of them.

Local kitchen

If you decide to go to the island, you should definitely get acquainted with the local culinary traditions. The menu of the restaurants located on the island is represented by national dishes of Breton cuisine, the basis of which is lamb dishes. In addition, lovers of seafood, meat dishes and salads will be able to discover a lot of new things.

Before you order a meat steak or other similar dish, remember that the French prefer medium-rare, almost raw meat. Depending on the order, you will have to pay from 14 to 35 euros for dinner.

You can stay in one of the local hotels, some of which are located on the first floors of buildings that date back to the 15-16th century. From the windows of hotel rooms you can enjoy marvelous landscapes until dusk, and a great mood in the morning is guaranteed by clean sea air, which will saturate your body with healthy salts and minerals in just a couple of nights.

On the border of two French counties, Brittany and Normandy, in the middle of the Cusnon River there is an island-castle with huge rocky shores rising 80 meters above the water surface.

It is called, which is translated into Russian from French as Mount St Michael.

The Legend of the Castle Island

Legend has it that the construction of Mont Saint-Michel, which was an abbey in the Middle Ages, was started by Aubert, a French archbishop, after the Archangel Michael appeared to him three times in a dream in 709. The winged guest said that a fortress should be built on a rock that rises above the sea.

Twice Aubert did not listen to the angel, and Mont Saint-Michel would never have been built if the archangel’s patience had not run out. During the third visit, the heavenly messenger decided to reinforce his words with a click on the forehead, during which the angel’s sword burned through the priest’s cassock. Ober considered this argument weighty enough to overcome his laziness and fulfill Mikhail’s request.

Pyramid in the ocean

Mont Saint-Michel was built by the Normans, contemporaries of William the Conqueror. The kings of all Europe, in search of heaven on earth, made pilgrimages to him. During the Hundred Years' War, the great castle did not surrender to the English conquerors for 30 years of siege.

Twice a year, on the days of the autumn and spring equinox, the water of the Cusnon River rises to the level of the castle walls. The tide comes in extremely quickly, so unwary tourists have a chance of not having time to reach the fortress. The water turns the castle into an island connected to the continent by a causeway.

Visited this magical place Victor Hugo, master of the pen and father of Notre Dame Cathedral, considered the architectural complex “Miracle” located on the island the most beautiful in Europe, and Mont Saint-Michel himself dubbed it a pyramid in the ocean.

Visit to the monastery of Mont Saint Michel

For several dozen centuries, people have been going to this place along a road called the “Way of Paradise.” They go for a reason, but to ask for help and consolation from Archangel Michael.

If you are traveling on a tour package to Paris, then your tour operator can organize you an excursion trip to the island of Mont Saint-Michel, but only for one day.

It’s much better to go there on your own to wander through the medieval streets of this island-castle, discover different hidden corners and imagine how history comes to life before your eyes...

You will have to stay in a hotel with a three-star comfort level, since there is no choice - there is only one hotel in the castle. And this hotel is also involved in history - after all, it was built in the sixteenth century.

Currently, Mont Saint-Michel is visited by crowds of tourists; in its popularity it has clearly eclipsed both Versailles and even Paris. It’s no joke - more than three million people every year!

Recently, restoration work was carried out on this island, and the top of the tower is decorated with a gilded statue of the Archangel Michael, the work of the famous sculptor Fremier.

Mont Saint Michel Castle - tourist attraction

There were troubled times in the history of the Mont Saint-Michel castle - at first it was a monastery, which was closed in one thousand seven hundred and ninety, and instead of a monastery it was turned into a state prison for the most dangerous criminals and repeat offenders.

And for fifty years the castle was not a place of pilgrimage for people, but, as it was called, a “Provincial Bastille.”

But, fortunately, the authorities came to their senses, Mont Saint-Michel was restored, a major overhaul was carried out, after which tourists were again able to visit this beautiful place. But this happened only in one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.

Tourists will be interested to see the abbey, the Gothic complex of buildings “Miracle”, the Grand staircase, which are located in the city of Mont-Saint-Michel, Grand Rue lane.

To get to the inner part of the island, which, by the way, consists of only one street - Rue Grande, you need to pass the Royal Gate.

As you walk through them, you will see small, charming houses standing close to each other on both sides of the street.

Previously, in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, these houses were residential, but now you can find souvenir shops, shops or cafes there.

The most famous miracle of the abbey is the “Monastery Court”, which hangs between earth and sky.

It contains six rooms, as well as a passage to the former refectory, which today is used as a place for various meetings, symposiums or banquets.

Participants in these celebrations can taste the monastery cider.

Stone buildings conceal centuries-old cold. And drafts do their job, so when going to the island of Mont Saint-Michel, you need to take warm clothes with you. It will definitely come in handy, especially for those who want to take a walk outside the castle, for example, to walk around it.

Due to the proximity of the sea, there is a strong wind outside, so it is very easy to freeze, despite the fact that you only need to walk one kilometer to go around the castle.

Going on such a walk is only allowed at low tide, when you can walk on the sand, and not alone. The soil of the island is such that there are voids in it, and if your foot gets stuck there, it will be impossible to get out on your own.

You will need to be sure to know the tide schedule if you plan to walk around the island. After all, the water at high tide can rise fifteen meters!

The schedule, written in various languages, is on a board at the entrance to the city.

An interesting fact - if you think that you have already seen the castle of Mont Saint-Michel somewhere, then you will be right - it was he who served as the model for the fortress of Minas Tirith, from the film “The Lord of the Rings. Return of the King".

Tourists have free access to the island itself, however, parking nearby is paid everywhere. Entrance to the abbey is also paid for adults, but for children it is free. Well, also, organized tours with a guide are paid.

Time to visit:

• summer period, from nine in the morning to seven in the evening;
• winter period, from half past eight in the morning to six in the evening.