Normandie & Bretagne, France

I think everybody knows but better safe than sorry : Mont-Saint-Michel is a tidal island and mainland commune in Normandy.

Aubert, Bishop of Avranches, had a sanctuary built on Mont-Tombe in 708 in honour of the Archangel. The mountain quickly became an important place of pilgrimage. In the 10th century, the Duke of Normandy settled Benedictine monks here, and a village was built below, which extended to the rock in the 14th century.

The abbey is an essential part of the structural composition of the town the feudal society constructed. On top, God, the abbey, and monastery; below this, the Great halls, then stores and housing, and at the bottom (outside the walls), fishermen's and farmers' housing.

The abbey has been protected as a French monument historique since 1862. Since 1979, the site as a whole – i.e., the Mont-Saint-Michel and its bay – has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is managed by the Centre des monuments nationaux.

With more than 1 335 million visitors in 2010, the abbey is among the most visited cultural sites in France.

So today I went there, since it was raining I took the shuttle bus, which is free from charge and runs round about every 10 minutes.

I was lucky that it was raining and I started at 9 o'clock, so it was not as crowded as it could be.

All in all it's a nice historical location but I think the interesting part is that it's an island. Since we stay on the campside directly at the shore I will go there again this evening when hopefully the clouds and the rain are gone and I can have a look at the island in the sunset.Read more