We decided to take a weekend trip to Mont Saint Michel which is a beautiful island of the coast of the Normandy region of France. This village still resembles the middle ages and plays a huge role in the Christian history. The small island measures just about 240 acres and is one of France's most popular tourist attractions. It is said that Mont St-Michel was founded back in 708 by a bishop named Saint-Albert. Overtime the Abby of Mont St-Michel was built and became the centre of pilgrimage, prayer, and devotion. The Gothic-style Abby is now 1300 years old.
Back in the Middle Ages books were the only source of written content and were very valuable. Anyone with access to books were considered privileged as they were a source of useful information to a very curious civilization. In some cases books could take years to to complete and a lot of hard work. Bookmakers were known to be at the monastery in Mont St-Michel giving it the name "The City of Books".
Things to Do In Mont St-Michel:
- Visit Le Mervielle // Mont Saint Michel Abby
With more than 1.335 million visitors in 2010, the abbey is among the most visited cultural sites in France.[3]
- Do photography or videography
Mont Saint Michel is magical place that is is like no other. Capturing its beauty through a lens is is an activity one it's time. The village has so many unique details that date all the way back to the year 708.
- Explore "La Grand Rue" also known as "The High Street"
This is Mont St-Michel
- Watch the tides rise around the island
We thought it would be such a fun idea to watch the tides flow in around the island. And we did love the experience! It was very peaceful and scenic to see the water rising at a slow pace. There are rumours that the tide rises so high that the island is no longer accessible at night but this is not true. The island has a bridge that allows 24/7 access to the island.
Travel Tip: Do not walk along on the beach as the sun is setting as this is when the tides rise. It's very dangerous and we noticed many security monitoring the area making sure pedestrians were not in danger.
- Grab a beer or drink in a tavern
The taverns in Mont Saint Michel are just so amazing! A lot of them have giant fire places with a cooking pot in the middle to really resemble the middle ages. It was a real vibe - in fact it is a wonderful atmosphere to have a drink. Bars close pretty early on the island so be sure. to go before the sun sets. We actually grab a beer last minute and toured the village at night.
-Tour the village at night
Mont Saint Michel is like a ghost town at night. It's complete the contrast to the village during the day. We were roaming the village around 9pm with a beer in hand and there was absolutely no one.
Places To Eat In Mont St-Michel:
There's only once notable place to try on Mont-Michel and it is called La Mere Poulard. Dating back to 1888 when Annette and Victor Poulard opened their famous inn which is call Le Mere Poulard Annette Poulard devoted her life to preparing meals for pilgrims, visitors, and the famous figures. Her most famous dish was her omelette cooked in a skillet over an open fire which is still being served today.
Travel TIP: There are not many restaurants on the island and La Mere Poulard is quite popular so we recommend to reserve a table if you are planning to eat lunch or dinner on the island.
Where To Stay 1 Night in Mont St-Michel:
We do recommend to stay over night in Mont Saint Michel as we thought it was a magical experience. Most of the hotels on the island are very old style inns we stayed in Auberge Saint Pierre which is a very old style inside which we loved. Our window also opened up onto the Grande Rue which was such a nice experience. We heard a little cat fight at night but other than that not a single noise disturbance.
This is the outside of the inn.
This was our room that was tiny and traditional.
Our stay in Mont Saint Michel was a solid 10/10 I don't recommend staying longer than a night unless you're there for photography. If you have any other questions about Mont Saint Michel please leave them in the comment section below!
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