Mont Saint-Michel
Mont-Saint-Michel is a tidal island rising 92 meters from a bay off the Normandy coast, crowned by a Benedictine abbey founded in 708 after Bishop Aubert of Avranches reported a vision of the Archangel Michael. Monks arrived in 966 and built the great abbey whose gilded statue of St Michael reaches 157 meters above sea level. The mount withstood two English sieges during the Hundred Years' War, its tides cutting off attackers, and later served as a state prison from 1731 to 1863.
UNESCO inscribed it in 1979. It is the most visited site in France outside Paris, drawing over three million visitors a year. A pedestrian bridge opened in July 2014 restored the natural tidal flow around the island.
Visitor information
- Location
- Normandy
- Country
- France
- Tier
- S (The absolute cream of the castle crop)
- Coordinates
- 48.636, -1.511
- Official site
- https://mairie-lemontsaintmichel.fr/
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Mont Saint-Michel?
- Mont Saint-Michel is in Normandy, France (approximately 48.636, -1.511).
- Can you visit Mont Saint-Michel?
- Yes — Mont Saint-Michel is open to visitors; see the official site at https://mairie-lemontsaintmichel.fr/ for hours and tickets.
- What tier is Mont Saint-Michel on the Castle Atlas?
- Mont Saint-Michel is rated S tier on the Castle Atlas — The absolute cream of the castle crop.
- What can you see at Mont Saint-Michel?
- Mont-Saint-Michel is a tidal island rising 92 meters from a bay off the Normandy coast, crowned by a Benedictine abbey founded in 708 after Bishop Aubert of Avranches reported a vision of the Archangel Michael. Monks arrived in 966 and built the great abbey whose gilded statue of St Michael reaches 157 meters above sea level. The mount withstood two English sieges during the Hundred Years' War, its tides cutting off attackers, and later served as a state prison from 1731 to 1863.