Exploring the Mont St-Michel
Spend a full day exploring The Mount
A trip to Mont St-Michel starts with driving over the 1km causeway that links the island to mainland. The original thin natural land-bridge used to be covered during high tide, isolating the Mount, but following construction of the causeway you’re now safely directed to the appropriate car park by the walls where there’s no danger your car will get washed away! Well not if they get it right.
On entering the Mount’s protective walls through the Boulevard Gate, and then the King’s Gate fortified with its portcullis, you continue up the narrow winding Grand Rue (Main Street) which leads up through the medieval 15th and 16th century village. Along both sides are arrayed a variety of boutique and souvenir shops as well as several restaurants including traditional pancake snack-bars right up to 5-star silver service with stunning views overlooking Mont-Saint-Michel bay. There are also a few hotels tucked into the walls if you fancy a truly memorable overnight stay.
Further up you reach the 15th century parish church of St Pierre (the patron saint of fishermen) and then four different museums within the walls of the Mount:
- Archéoscope – The construction and history of Mont St Michel;
- Maritime Museum – Discover the 12m tidal range in the bay and the massive works to restore the maritime character of the Mont Saint-Michel;
- Museum of History – A series of collections of weapons, paintings, sculptures in some of the prisons and dungeons of the Mount;
- Tiphaine’s house – Furniture’s, paintings and tapestries from the 14th century residence that Bertrand Duguesclin had built for his wife Tiphaine.
Finally you reach the Grande Degre (Grand Staircase) which leads up to the Merveille (literally ‘marvel’) the 3-storey 12th century monastery and abbey that crowns the hilltop. You can walk round the abbey either unaccompanied using the supplied guide booklet, or for a small supplement there’s an audio-guide tour available in English as well as French.
Mont St Michel is open every day of the year apart from the 1st of January, the 1st of May and the 25th of December.
