Mont Saint Michel, the pride of the French

One kilometer from the coast, on an 80 m high granite rock, one of the most impressive symbols of the French state and one of the most important places of religious character of this beautiful country was built. A century of history and legends intertwine with this place, built on what seems to be an absolutely perfect natural place .

Legend of origin

Legend has it that one of the most famous Christian saints, St. Michael, showed the then bishop the place where the chapel should be built. The obedient and pious bishop heeded the advice, built a settlement around the rocky foundations and it soon became the center of the pilgrimage.

The turbulent history of the sanctuary

Countless attacks, damage and restorations have made this place even more recognizable and beautiful than it was at the early beginning of its existence. First, the Duke of Normandy replaced the chapel with a Benedictine abbey in the tenth century, which was burned down in 1203 by the troops of Philip-Augustus. In order to repair the damage, the conqueror himself immediately ordered the construction of an abbey in the Gothic style, which, with the great efforts made later by Charles VI to complete the work, is still known today. The century-old decline of the abbey culminated during the reign of the famous Napoleon, who turned it into a prison. Fortunately, not long after, they realized its beauty and significance, and in 1874 it was declared a national monument and its detailed restoration began.

Center for mass religious tourism

Mont Saint-Michel has come a long way from building a small chapel on a lonely rock, through numerous ups and downs, demolition and restoration, to today’s splendor and epithet of one of the most visited attractions in France. Pilgrims from all over the world risked their lives to overcome about 1 km of a natural layer of unstable sand and mud. A strong and rapid change of tides threatened to take them into the depths. This problem was solved by the construction of a stable embankment in 1879. Today, the abbey can be reached by steep narrow streets surrounded by souvenir shops and shops of a similar character. Tourists on their way to Mont Saint Michel are advised to visit the La Mervière convent and enjoy a walk at the foot of the hill, and when they want to refresh themselves, there is the Mer Pular restaurant, founded in 1888.