Mont Saint-Michel

The story behind the name

Mont Saint Michel-the Wonder of the Western World-is built on a small island almost a kilometre wide and 80 metres high.

The Archbishop Aubert began the construction of the marvel in 708 after he had a vision of Saint Michel.

From its very beginnings, Mont Saint Michel has been a major pilgrimage site.

Mont Saint-Michel

« From my room I saw the sea and Mont Saint Michel, (this Mount that you saw so proud and that saw you so beautiful) »
Madame de Sévigné to her daughter

« Mont Saint Michel appeared eight leagues from the land and fifteen leagues from the sea, sublime, a marvellous pyramid sitting on an enormous rock shaped and sculpted by the Middle Ages, with this monstrous block as its base, somewhere between the Cheops sand desert and the Tenerife Sea… »
Victor Hugo

On the doorsteps of Brittany, Mont Saint Michel towers over the heart of a vast bay trampled by Europe's biggest tides.

Mont Saint Michel has been registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. It is a major tourist destination that welcomes over 3 million visitors per year. It's the third most visited tourist attraction in France (after the Eiffel Tower and the Château de Versailles).