Fortress. Abbey. Prison. Over the years, various parts of the Mont-Saint-Michel complex have served the needs of its inhabitants, its rulers, and Christians. Today remains an iconic landmark of the era and one of the most visited tourist attractions in France with over 3 million visitors a year.
What is Mont-Saint-Michel?
Mont-Saint Michel is not a single building but rather a collection of homes, hotels, gift shops, and restaurants built around Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey, which sits at the pinnacle of the complex and remains a significant pilgrimage site for devout Christians to this day.
History
As alluded to at the beginning of the article, Mont-Saint-Michel has a long history. It rests in a bay that sees a large fluctuation in the tide, and so while it was able to be walked to during low tide, it was inaccessible without swimming/boating during high tide. This unique environment made Mont-Saint-Michel a prime location for a fortress, which is reflected in the medieval walls which surround the complex.
During the Hundred Years' War -- a conflict between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of France that began in 1337 -- it remained sovereign and uncaptured despite advances and occupations made by the English. Later, Mont-Saint-Michel was converted into a prison. As it was so hard to get into/access, the King of France at the time also reasoned that it would conversely be difficult to escape. While all of this went on, the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel transformed from a center of worship and convent to an industrial workshop, which saw prisoners make straw hats within the Abbey.
The Abbey remained a prison until 1863 when campaigners including Victor Hugo (author of Les Misérbles) convinced then Emperor Napoleon III to transform Mont-Saint-Michel into a national historic monument in consideration of its architectural, historical, and cultural heritage. In 1922, monks returned to Mont-Saint-Michel and the abbey became a convent once more.
Experience
Back in October 2022, I went with a friend to Mont-Saint-Michel. Since 2014, there is a modern bridge to connect Mont-Saint-Michel to the other end of the bay, and there are also shuttle buses that take you to the entrance of the complex. This bridge replaced an older bridge that was going into disrepair. If you decide to walk the whole length of the bridge, it is about 40 minutes. We decided to walk there and take the shuttle bus back. On the left is a pic of me on the bridge's sidewalk with Mont-Saint-Michel in full view.
Over the course of seven or so hours, I explored nearly every inch of the complex and even got to enter the Abbey, which despite being a place of worship, also doubles as a significant tourist attraction in its own right.
If you are a student or under 25 years old, you can enter the Abbey free of charge. I had my ISIC student card handy, which included my birth date and proved that I was eligible for free entry. The Abbey itself was actually labyrinthian, and parts of it were under construction for repairs. Regardless, I got to snap some pretty cool pics from the top balcony.
I saw a seagull there putting on an airshow, doing a variety of acrobatics, and coasting on the strong wind at the top of the Abbey. This was actually a standout moment for me because I had never seen a seagull that was so comfortable with people and so deliberately playing around with the aerodynamics of the area.
Food and Drink
There are a wide array of food options but they tend to be pretty expensive. The shops there are almost exclusively purveyors of knick-knacks and classic tourist fare. I personally got a few postcards to bring back home from some of those tourist trap shops while I was there.
La Mère Poulard is a long-time establishment on the island, serving omelets to hungry travelers for over 120 years. That said, they can also be considered incredibly overrated and overpriced, so use your own judgment when deciding whether to go there. The complex has some vending machines as well (also expensive), including a vending machine for pizza!
My friend and I settled on eating at Le Mouton Blanc, which had fewer crowds and was marginally cheaper than other food options. I got Normandie porc with a salad and french fries. It wasn't bad, but it was rather expensive (it came out to 60 euros between the two of us). At the end of the day, I got a scoop of ice cream to cool down (it was surprisingly warm when we went).
I had a great experience going to Mont-Saint-Michel, particularly for its historic aspect. And ultimately, it was only an hour's bus ride away from Rennes.