Mont Saint-Michel, France 🇫🇷

Mont Saint-Michel — Unsplash @dereksutton

Situated a little over half a mile (1 km) off the coast of Normandy it’s this fortified island is home to its famous Benedictine Abbey atop the rocky outcrop.

The island is completely inaccessible on land during high tide with the highest tidal range in Europe spanning 49 ft (160 m). Mont-Saint-Michel's storied past begins in 708 AD. After having a vision of the archangel Saint Michael, Bishop Aubert built the first sanctuary on the island (then known as Mont Tomb).

On request from the Duke of Normandy, Benedictine monks settled on the island in 966 AD.

A Romanesque Abbey was built. The Abbey rose in popularity and inspired pilgrimages from Germany, Italy, and England. Nicknamed “St. Michael in peril of the sea” as some (including 30 pilgrims in 1318) drowned while crossing.

Also called the “City of Books” Mont Saint-Michel was home to many medieval manuscripts that were made and stored in the Abbey.

The island was fortified by the French in the 13th century. It withstood 30 years of attacks from the English during the Hundred Years’ War. In 1421 it was besieged by the English causing the collapse of part of the church, and rebuilt 100 years later in the flamboyant Gothic style.

In the centuries following, the Abbey fell into disrepair and dissolved during the French Revolution.

Interior of Mont Saint-Michel — Unsplash @bochelly

Napoleon later ordered it to become a prison where prisoners without trial were sent. When the prison closed in 1860, the Mont fell into further disrepair. In 1874 it was deemed a historic monument and restoration began. 

The Benedictine order was re-established in 1966 to honor its one thousand year history.

This enchanting island inspired Gondor’s capital in The Lord of the Rings films and the castle for Disney’s Tangled. Recreate the ancestral pilgrimage and join nearly 3 million yearly visitors to this awe-inspiring island. It’s even possible to stay on the island itself.