A centuries-old pilgrimage site, Mont Saint-Michel is a gravity-defying medieval abbey settled atop an island in the middle of the bay separating Normandy and Brittany. Begun in the 8th century by the Bishop Aubert, who claimed that Archangel Michael had divinely decided the location, the construction of this abbey spanned centuries. The result is a Benedictine abbey in the middle of a fully fortified, maze-like city. From its inception, Mont Saint-Michel attracted some of Europe's greatest scholars and, for many, bridged the cultural and political gap between France and England. Today, its buildings spill down to the sea, attracting tourists with museums, hotels, restaurants, boutiques, and seaside promenades.
BP 22, 50170 Mont-Saint-Michel, France, Phone: +33 (0) 2 14 13 20 15, Map