Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey

Mont Saint Michel is a rocky island off the coast of Normandy. It is connected to the mainland by an almost two-kilometer artificial dyke. A monumental, gothic Benedictine abbey rises on the island. Since 1979, the entire island has been inscribed on the UNESCO list.

Mont Saint Michel is now the second most-visited tourist attraction in France after Paris. Tourists come here not only because of the great scenery and monuments, but also to observe very large tides. For part of the day the island is accessible only by a dike, while at low tide you can easily reach it with a dry foot walking on the bottom of the sea. Tides also change very quickly, but at regular times.

The mountain itself was already present in the culture during the Celtic period. There were places of worship here. The Romans used it as a cemetery, and the first church was built here as early as the eighth century. The current abbey with Gothic walls towering over the island and a soaring tower was founded in 966, and its buildings, cloisters and defensive walls were built successively until the 15th century. Currently, you can admire the cloisters decorated with ogival arcades and the refectory, as well as the Romanesque-Gothic Notre Dame cathedral. At the foot of the abbey there is a small village of Mont Saint Michel with stone buildings.