The beauty of Mont Saint Michel
Mont Saint-Michel is close to the border of Brittany, which has led to Breton claims to the mount. Originally the Couesnon formed the border between the two duchies, and every so often the river would shift its bank, leading to ownership of the mount shifting between them. The river’s bed has now been fixed and Mont Saint-Michel is now firmly in Norman hands.
It is home to the unusual Benedictine Abbey and steepled church (built between the 11th and 16th centuries) which occupy most of the one-kilometer-diameter clump of rocks jutting out of the waters of the English Channel. The church is crowned by a gold leaf statue of St. Michael by Emmanuel Frémiet, reaching a height of 155 metres (510 feet) above the sea.
A UNESCO World Heritage site, the island has deservedly become one of France’s most popular tourist destinations, with all the baggage that comes with that status. You may struggle to find a bargain bite to eat in the atmospheric old town but you’ll be surrounded by some outstanding Gothic architecture, so it’s a workable trade-off.
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