The tidal island Mont-St-Michel (in English St. Michael’s Mount) is located at the mouth of Couesnon River in Normandy (France). Sometimes, this beautiful place is attributed to the nearby Brittanny as well. In 8th century, St. Aubert, bishop of Avranches, founded a first chapel devoted to St. Michael. Later, the island was converted to a medieval fortified abbey. In 1067, the monastery of Mont-St-Michel supported the duke William of Nomandy (William the Conqueror) in his claim to the English throne.
During the Hundred Years’ War, the English troups made repeated assaults on the Mont-St-Michel island, but the failed due to the abbey’s fortifications. In 1789, the abbey was closed and converted to a prison for about 90 years.
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- The medieaval Abbey
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- Cemetery (Graveyard)
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- English bombarda
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- Old houses
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- Panoramic view
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- La Grande Rue
In 1863 the prison was finally closed and in 1874 was the mount declared as a French historic monument.
Mont-St-Michel is listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site sice 1979 due to its cultural, historical, and architectural significance. More than 3,000,000 tourists visit this place each year.
The causeway will be removed in the near future. Visitors will use small shuttles to cross a wooden bridge which will still be open to pedestrians and unmotorized cycles.
[...] nadarmo je Mont-St-Michel žhavým tipem na jedinečnou turistickou atrakci. Tento středověký komplex, jehož centrem je benediktinské [...]
Good post. While Mont St Michel is deservedly famous there are other corners of Normandy near there that should be visited like this abbey http://caroleschatter.blogspot.co.nz/2011/11/abbaye-de-hambye-lower-normandy-france.html