Mont St-Michel

Approx. Time: 4 hours
Activity Level: Easiest

This dramatic monument will be your most lasting impression of Normandy. The Gothic-style Benedictine Abbey dedicated to the archangel Saint Michael and the village that grew up in the shadow of its walls, Mont Saint Michel was built between the 11th and 16th centuries and remains famous world-wide.

The abby's fascination stems not only from its rocky perch a few hundred yeards off the coast, but from its legendary origins and the sheer exploit of its construction. The abby stands atop of a 264-ft mound of rock; the granite used to build it was transported from the Isles of Chausey and Brittany. The sea separating the rock from the mainland is extremely dangerous, and is subject to tidal movements of up to 45 ft between low and high tides.

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