Mont St Michel Print

Description

Mont Saint Michel is not just a church on a rock; it is a whole medieval city, one of the few places in France to have preserved intact its medieval walls and defences.

This remarkable medieval walled city, crowned by its great gothic abbey, is built on a small granite outcrop standing all by itself in the flats of the estuary of the  river Couesnon

The bay is one of the most steeply tidal points in Europe, with a tidal variation of almost 50 ft or 15 metres. During the highest tides (spring tides) the sea can completely surround the mount, except for the insubmersible causeway.  During periods of neap tides (when the tidal variation is least) the Mount is not surrounded by water at all, even at high tide. Find out more.