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Why
Mont-St-Michel is special
This medieval abbey in France sits dramatically atop a large
conical outcropping that rises conspicuously above the
surrounding sea and coastal flatlands.
A twice-a-day island
Mont-St-Michel used to become an island on a twice-daily basis
when the high tide encircled it. To go to and from
Mont-St-Michel, pilgrims took a boat. Or, more often, they
waited for the region's high and swift tides to recede
sufficiently to "safely" walk across the freshly exposed sands.
Many miscalculated the tidal cycles and drowned. Some were
swallowed by the area's perilous quicksand.
Today, Mont-St-Michel seldom becomes an island. The causeway
that was built about a century ago silts up the bay, damming the
incoming water.
Tribulations
Mount-St-Michel experienced other distressing times over its
nearly 1,000-year lifespan. Portions of its aging sheer walls
collapsed on several occasions. During the French Revolution,
Mont-St-Michel was converted into a prison, giving it a "dreary
dungeon" image.
The village below
A well-preserved medieval village is nestled at the bottom of
the Mont-St-Michel geological mount. You walk up its steep and
narrow cobble-stoned street to reach the monastic compound.
What leading travel books say about Mont-St-Michel
Mont-St-Michel rises magnificently from its pinnacle of rock.
France
National Geographic
Traveler
Mont-St-Michel is the most splendid of all the abbeys in France.
France
Michelin Green Guides
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