Mont Saint-Michel
Description
Mont Saint-Michel
Mont Saint-Michel, a granite island off the coast of Normandy. At the top of the cliff, at a height of almost 80 meters, the walls of the old abbey rise upward. All around the sea. Only a two-kilometer long dam connects the island with the mainland. Mont Saint-Michel is the most popular attraction in France.
This massive fortified island is located on the northwest coast of France, in the Normandy region of the Manche. On our route, from Caen to Mont Saint-Michel, about an hour and a half by bus, and the next city to visit, Saint-Malo, is just an hour away.
Mont-Saint-Michel from Above. Just video
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Mont-Saint-Michel
Due to its amazing natural location, the city and the monastery have never in their entire history been captured by either the barbarians, or the British, or by anyone else who at the time were considered enemies. Therefore, in the eyes of the believers, the monastery became a symbol of an indestructible Christian stronghold, and pilgrims and people who decided to serve God came here from all over France.
The inaccessibility of the rock made it possible to preserve intact the medieval city, monastery buildings in the Gothic style, narrow, winding streets, gardens, terraces and military fortifications.
Before getting to the island itself, both groups and individual tourists must park in a spacious parking lot located a couple of kilometers from the island. Parking is paid. You can get to Mont Saint-Michel using the free shuttle bus.
You can pay for a short ride with a horse-drawn carriage. You can of course take a walk, which will take about half an hour.
One more film about Mont-Saint-Michel. Just video
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Видеофильм о Мон-Сен-Мишеле
Mont Saint-Michel today is a small town on a cliff, with a church and an Abbey (monastery) on top. Climbing up the narrow streets, you will pass by numerous shops, cafes and restaurants.
From the history of Mont Saint-Michel.
The dam connecting the island with the mainland was built not so long ago - in 1879. In the middle ages, the island was a secluded and inaccessible place, which soon attracted the attention of monks, who built a small chapel at the foot of the mountain and remained the only inhabitants of the island until 708. In 708 AD, the Archangel Michael appeared to Aubert, bishop of the coastal town of Avranches, and later to Saint Aubert, and ordered to build a chapel on Grave Mountain.
Three times the guard of the heavenly gates had to appear to the bishop, since he was not sure whether he interpreted the sign correctly. And only after, according to one legend, the archangel Michael tapped him on the head with his finger, and according to another he burned the cassock to the bishop with a sword - Aubert ordered the monks to start construction.
The island was renamed Mont Saint Michel, and the new chapel was dedicated to Saint Michael. The construction was accompanied by a number of miracles, for example, the place for laying the foundation was outlined by morning dew, the missing cow was found at the place where the first granite stone was supposed to be laid, the baby moved a huge boulder that was interfering with the construction, Archangel Michael once again appeared to Bishop Auber in a dream and indicated fresh water source.
The miracles that happened on the island attracted many pilgrims to Mont Saint-Michel, and already two and a half centuries later, in 966, on the top of Mount St. Michael, the construction of a grand Benedictine monastery was begun, which was built for almost 500 years.
At the very top of the cliff, in 1020, construction began on one of the wonders of Mont Saint-Michel - the monastery church, which has survived to this day. The construction on the sheer cliffs was extremely difficult, so it was not completed until a hundred years later.
Despite the fact that the church was rebuilt many times, this structure has largely retained its Romanesque appearance with rounded arches, thick walls and massive vaults, although the choir, completed in the 15th century, is already a Gothic style.
The second miracle of the island is the Gothic monastery (abbey) of La Mervey. It was ordered to be built in 1211 by King Philip II of France. This was a way to make amends for the fact that in 1203 he burned down part of the Church of St. Michael, trying to recapture the island from its owners - the Dukes of Normandy.
The monastery, in one of the halls of which the council of the knightly order of St. Michael, established in 1469 by King Louis XI, and the whole island was not always calm and separated from the world.
In the Middle Ages, the interests of numerous warlike kings and dukes intersected in this place, and in the fifteenth century, during the Hundred Years War, the island was turned into a fortress, which successfully withstood more than one long siege of the British.
Under Napoleon, the island was renamed the Island of Liberty and, most paradoxically, a prison was organized on the island, which remained there until 1863, when the island was declared a national treasure of France.
Top 5 attractions in Mont Saint-Michel
- Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel
- Gothic monastery of La Mervey
- Main street of Grande Rue
- Inn of Mother Pulyar
- Grevin Wax Museum
Where to eat and the cuisine of Mont Saint-Michel
In Mont Saint-Michel, you will find a wide variety of restaurants from gourmet to small cafés. Lunch at a pancake house will cost you about 15 euros, but you won't be able to dine for that amount - the minimum price for dinner is 25 euros.
Butter, sour cream, cheese and apples are the main gastronomic gifts of Norman villages. Many dishes are cooked in Norman style sour cream sauce. From local meadow sheep, a local specialty of meat is prepared here - anyeu-de-pre-salé, fried on the wood; we also advise you to try the omelet of eggs and cream De la Mare Poulard, which is very popular here; be sure to try the local delicacies: foie gras, seafood, lobster.
La Mere Poulard Restaurant is a great place to relax in a great atmosphere. It is located at the central entrance to the Saint-Michel Mining Museum. Mother Poulard has spent nearly 70 years at the stove and has created about 700 recipes, including, of course, her famous omelet. Here you can experience the cuisine of the Normandy and Brittany regions while admiring the enchanting views of the bay.
Shopping in Mont Saint-Michel
here are 25 souvenir shops on Mount Saint Michael. On the only main street of the city, Grande Rue, in the main, all tourist activities are concentrated - shops, cafes, museums. And the inn of Mother Poulard (La Mère Poulard) is not only a restaurant, but also a gift shop.
For more information on the history and geography of Mont Saint-Michel, you can read on the official site: https://www.ot-montsaintmichel.com/index.htm?lang=en
Mont Saint-Michel — Fougeres with Abbey Visit & Cider Tasting