Abbaye du Mont Saint-Michel

Certainly the best part of the intense journey to secluded Mont Saint-​Michel, a «tough» walk up the stairs and through Mont Saint-​Michel «village» leads you to the finale — an extensive abbey and cathedral at the mountain peak with 360 views of the surrounding area. Cloisters, courtyards, collonades, and ribbed vaulting create a variety of spaces to explore. A central nave and cathedral has almost a greenish tint in the interior from algae growing from its seaside location. Easily an hour’s worth of rooms to explore with even a giant pulley system that shows how heavy items were transported up to the Abbey from ground level. Do not miss.

This is kind of the main reason you go to Mont St-​Michel (especially if you’re making a pilgrimage). The tour is pretty good, but it’s such a shame that history has destroyed most of the awesome décor that would have adorned the inside of the abbey. It would get 5 stars if, instead of an audio guide there was an augmented reality app that showed what it would have looked like in its heyday :)

BF and I arrived here around 15:30. We of course parked in the parking lot and took the bus in. It was busy but not packed. Mont Saint Michel is just breathtaking. It’s big, and old, and majestic. There is an information center right in the front that you can’t miss. You walk through the tiny street where shops, restaurants, and people are crowded in. Then up up up the stairs you go. Wear comfortable shoes. Or know that your feet are going to hurt badly. We did an audio tour which was great and definitely worth the € 6 extra. The sights from the top are great. And then you head back down. It all flows pretty well. Definitely glad we got to experience this.

Le Mont Saint Michel is such a unique and spectacular site, that it is easy to forget that the reason for it originally was the Abby Church. After all, it is even featured on the Bayeux Tapestry! But if you can manage the, admittedly, tough climb up the mountain and a LOT of steps, it is really worth it.
Yes, there is an additional charge to enter… and a smidgeon more for the audio guide (highly recommended!) But lots of interesting elements, including the lovely and lovingly recreated cloisters. The view is amazing and the «Hamster Wheel» that was used by people to haul supplies up is almost worth the price of admission by itself. Do yourself a favor and DO IT!

If you’re already visiting Mont St. Michel, then you might as well pay the 9euro entrance fee to visit the abbey. YES, it’s worth it and pretty interesting to see the interior, and also have access to some of the best views of the bay surrounding this island. I liked the Cloisters inside and the big wheel! Fascinating to read about the history of this abbey and some of the specific sights inside (per the guide they hand out to you) with admission fee.
Be sure to pick up some souvenirs on your way out at the downstairs gift shop. Fun, we’re glad we visited. I don’t think my husband was as impressed as I was but who cares? lol

This review is specifically for the abbey at the top of Mont Saint-​Michel. After paying 25 euros to park and take a bus, my sister refused to pay 9 additional euros to walk through the abbey. I told her that I was going and would meet her somewhere. She begrudgingly joined me. We came just as they were about to close and were some of the last through the door, but we had an hour and a half to wander.
It was amazing and WORTH IT. Don’t go to MSM without doing the abbey, too. Even if you are not religious, it is a powerful experience. The stone church was cool and serene. Though overwhelmingly beautiful, its beauty was simple and more subtle than many other churches. My sister even liked it, and she HATES HATES HATES churches.
Mazes and gardens and endless rooms to explore, as well as spectacular views of the bay and the shore from balconies.
You can also attend mass here at specific times for free. They ask that you not talk in here, so please keep that in mind. Photography is allowed.
There is an audio tour available and guided tours in many languages.
At the end, my sister went ahead of me. One of the workers closed and locked the room I was in, and my sister asked her to open it so she could come back and get me because she was afraid I would get lost. My sister tried to make a joke that if she didn’t go get her sister, I was going to become a nun, which is even funnier in French, because the word for nun is sister, so she said that if she didn’t find me, her sister would become a sister. They didn’ think that was funny.
Plan an hour and a half on top of any lines or wait time. Also, once you leave the abbey, the walk back down is beautiful.

I give it one star only because I can’t give it less.
The structure is stunning; after seeing it while walking up and taking a few photos, it was all steeply downhill from there.
The village is crammed with bad tourist shops with cheap souvenirs; the crowds were oppressive, the lunch was overpriced and extremely mediocre. Where we expected interesting shops, we found nothing but cheap junk; where we hoped for a great lunch, we instead got a meal that was bland at best, with seafood that was overcooked and mealy.
We planned to spend the day there, and after about 90 minutes were ready to head back to Paris. What a waste of a precious day.
I would never recommend Mont St. Michel to anyone; look at the photos online and be happy with that, and spend your time and money elsewhere. It’s nothing but a tourist trap.

I recall Robert Frost doting on the importance of taking roads less traveled. Obviously, he never came here! This is a review of the long, isolated road, as well as the businesses that surround Le Mont Saint-​Michel, a monument that commands attention on a separate page.
I am still in sheer awe, as this is one of the coolest places I’ve ever seen. When you approach it, which normally happens by bus, you will notice few signs of civilization behind you. This residence was meant to be off the beaten path, and inaccessible… especially at night. With the brisk wind coming off the North Sea, I regretted not bringing an extra layer and made my way up to the narrow alleys uphill.
Naturally, there will be tons of souvenir shops selling forgettable items. PROTIP: Always buy from small vendors, or even street vendors. The official shops are really just ripoffs.
What I find intriguing is the sheer density of tiny hotels. From what I hear, it’s magical spending a night on this isle, since after sunset the throngs of foreigners have mostly left, leaving you some elbow room to have fun in the various restaurants (or bars)! Of course, it’s so tiny that a day or two is all you could handle before getting bored, even WITH the WiFi availability.
If you have the means to leave North America, this NEEDS to be on your bucket list.

I have visited this abbaye many times, many ways… and it remains one of my favorite places in the world. I do not believe I can return, though.
First time as an architecture student, the bus dropped us off at the base of the Mont. We did what architecture students do… walked up the Mont, sketched, ate, observed, played the tourist, drank too much wine, sketched, walked down the Mont.
Another time I came with a friend and had a slow, glorious tour of the Monastery and Museum, hearing what was important to her about the history of the place, and how it had changed over the years to begin to resemble Disneyland. We ate at her favorite restaurant and she noted obscure points of interest as we ascended to the Abbaye.
One time I drove a friend’s Peugot to the campgrounds near the long road to the entrance. I rented a small camp cabin, for nearly nothing and the next morning at sunrise I hiked the long road to Mont St. Michel.
I had won a prize to study the cloistered spaces of monasteries and I have a sketchbook of measured drawings and watercolors from the Abbaye… I was there for about 10 hours. While in the cloitre, measuring the spacing of the columns and photographing the ceiling stone crossing details, I heard a sharp Minnesota accent, and then another. So weird… that decisive Minnesota accent. I asked which city the 2 couples were from in Minnesota and they nearly lost it. Then I nearly lost it when they said where they were from my small hometown, and that they worked with and knew my father very well! Magical.
The last time I visited was so amazing that it will likely have to be the last time. I went with some of my architecture students from the University of Texas and the French family who I had lived with 10 years prior. About 12 of us total… and we hiked the quicksand over… it was… amazing… as the tide was rising.
Normandy and Brittany fight over who owns Mont St. Michel and, depending on the water’s relationship to the land, each has a good argument.
We were all barelegged up to our knees, and our feet were in the deep, mucky sandy water, every step the strong sucking muck would try and hold onto out legs, sinking deeper as we walked. We were walking for hours, sinking deeper, and it felt like our feet would go down to hit rock or bones and when i mentioned this to my French friends, they said «as a matter of fact yes, they say we are walking on the bones of all that did not make it before the rushing waters engulfed the area around the Mont.»
If you choose to approach your journey this way, walking from the faraway shore in Normandy, beware of the cycle of the tides and do not do this hike if you have any reservations physically.
Note where you park because you will need to take a taxi back to your car, once the water covers your journey. We were hiking for 3 – 4 hours… through quicksand.
By the time we arrived, we were both exhausted and exhilarated. I was able to share with my students what I had learned on my previous visits to the abbaye, and was able to thank my French family for sharing such an epic journey to an amazing French monument with us. This was truly an inspiring adventure, and I cannot imagine anything will rival it, so I must stop visiting.
But you go, and tell me how it is.

We had the pleasure of spending the night in a quaint hotel on the island, just a few steps from the abbey. It was lit up this night and open till midnight with candles, lasers, other visual effects and live music performed by soloists in 5 different rooms. This place is not to be missed. It is simply breathtaking.

Der angeblich nach Paris meistbesuchte Anlaufpunkt für Touristen: Mont Saint Michel. Eine traumhafte Altstadt auf diesem urigen Felsen, der irgendwie etwas mysthisches an sich hat. Und die Zufahrtsstraße bzw. der Parkplatz der dann bei Flut überflutet wird oder nicht — so genau weiß man’s nicht, ob man es noch rechtzeitig zurück schafft… ;-))

Mont Saint Michel is a world heritage site and rightfully so. This castle is a historical treasure located in the beautiful Normandy countryside of France. It’s several hours outside of Paris but renting a car to do an overnight trip is highly recommended. You can book great accommodations through sites like
for very reasonable rates which are located just a stone’s throw from the castle itself. If renting a car isn’t a feasible option, jump on a tour bus, but find your way here. As far as castles and historical monuments go, Mont Saint Michel is at the top of the pile. This is a «Fairy Tale» castle in every sense. The castle is what I call a «working» castle. People still live here and it’s loaded with shops and restaurants and the churches still hold services. It’s a bit touristy, yes, but no less beautiful. Once you reach the main lot, you will board a FREE bus that will take you to the base of the castle, from there it’s just a short walk to enter the castle itself. Once within the main gate, there are little streets, lanes and passages running every which way leading you higher and deeper into the castles bowels. If you’re going to shop, eat, explore and take photos, you can burn hours here. Photo hobbyists and enthusiasts will have a ball here as there are great photo ops at every turn. When the sun goes down the castle doesn’t close it’s gates, it remains open for exploration until 1am, but the light go off at midnight. And the free bus shuttle runs the entire time. It’s well worth seeing in both the daytime and nightime hours as the castle is dramatically lit and takes on an entirely new dimension when the sun goes down.

Why must we walk one kilometer for a one kilometer shuttle ride for a total of 2kms from the (paying) parking lot to the bottom entrance of the island abbey (which is no longer an island). Construction is taking place in and around the island so expect noise, pollution and more annoyances. Nice place but a tourist trap. Not for the cripple or the obese.

Absolut sehenswert ist diese Abtei. Ich bin jedes Mal aufs Neue fasziniert von der Schönheit dieses Sakralbaus. Ein Berg mit einer riesigen Kirche, mitten im Wattenmeer der Normandie stehend, in direkter Nähe zur Bretagne. Drumherum eine kleine Ortschaft mit uralten Häusern, Geschäften und Restaurants.
Ein absolutes Muss für Besucher der Region!

This may be the most incredible place I’ve ever seen, and people actually live here! The tour of the Mont and the audio guide were well worth the price paid. If you come at the right time you can catch a guided tour in English, but I think the audio guide was sufficient. You might not want to waste your money on the four museums, although the prison one was kinda neat. I think I took over 200 pictures here. The whole place is absolutely gorgeous. I managed to find a sandwich place with decent prices and my wife and I ate lunch up top with a Southern facing view. The sandwiches were quite good. We paid 6 Euros for parking which I think is reasonable. There was a sign the day we went that said there was no danger of the parking lot being under water, but I don’t know what they do when there is a danger. Probably the best place to get a picture of the Mont is from the parking lot. We came back at night to get a picture of it all lit up from the causeway as well. We left with a couple souvenirs that I didn’t think were overpriced, but I lived awhile in Orlando so maybe Disney numbed me to that idea. I went in the beginning of April, so tourist season wasn’t in full swing yet and the weather was very nice. I don’t think there is a better time to visit.

What an incredible place! It took us five hours by bus to get there but it was totally worth it. I was the only American on a bus full of Japanese tourists taking a tour .in Japanese! I went with my wife’s family so I didn’t have a choice but was able to catch about 40% of what was going on with the assistance of family members.
It wasn’t that crowded in June and you definitely were a little winded by the time you got to the top… don’t drink 4 beers before going up like I did. Our tour group ended up eating at some restaurant apparently just geared for Japanese tourists. wish I could’ve checked out some of the other spots but no big deal.
The scenery was breathtaking and absolutely worth a trip from Paris if you have the time. Maybe rent a car next time?
For those that want more info and history on the place:

This place is beautiful I’ll give you that, BUT the trek to the abbey, and dealing with the crowds (in AUGUST my first mistake) is absolutely intolerable.
The abbey itself shall receive 5 stars, but the experience gets 1. Pickpockets, angry tourists, overpriced souvenirs, excruciating temperatures, and the traffic.
First of all its far. Coming from Houlgate I thought the drive would be a cinch. Not so much. Traffic starts from about 15 km back, and everyone stops to take pictures from their cars, and they pull over like mad to see cows and sheep. COWS AND SHEEP!
Parking is insane– and the walk is absurd. Narrow walkways, coupled with a single busy street where cars take no mind to bump you. Once you arrive and begin your trip to the abbey, you are accosted by so many tourists, that disney world in peak season looks like a cake walk.
Fight your way through, go past the crap creperies, and dont you dare get an omelet. They are expensive and not worth it! This bottle neck effect was extremely detrimental to my experience and was just another damper put on my journey. (I wont even mention the pickpocket experience!!)
I pushed through, and after reaching the stairs to the entrance to the abbey was told the wait to get in would exceed 2 hours.
No way. I was out like a fat kid in dodgeball.
Grabbed some postcards, a bottle of water and ran, ran, ran back to my sleepy beachy Houlgate.
Go in the off season, but be prepared to park far, walk, and walk, and watch your pockets.

L’Abbaye du Mont-​Saint-​Michel is quite a sight to see, at high tide seeming to magically rise up out of the waves. According to legend, the archangel Michael appeared to St. Aubert, bishop of Avranches, in 708 and instructed him to build a church on the rocky islet then called Mont Tombe. For some reason (maybe he was feeling lazy?), the bishop ignored the angel’s orders (seriously, who ignores an angel?) until Michael got irritated (angels get angry?) and burned a hole in the bishop’s head. That got him moving and the monastery was built. It is quite picturesque, especially from afar.
Up close, however, you must fight the bustling throngs of tourists to get up the stairs from the parking lot to the abbey. The narrow rise is lined with tourist-​trap souvenir shops and restaurants. Most tourists only go up the stairs to the abbey and then back down the same way. I detoured off to the side of the Grande Rue and explored this tiny hilly town instead and was glad I did. Away from the hordes, I found a charming, quiet town full of nooks and crannies to explore.
The abbey is beautiful and peaceful. The arcaded cloisters are exquisite and there is a stunning view of the bay.
P. S. Beware of the rapidly shifting tides and do not walk on the sand. It is like quicksand and you will get stuck.

Mont-​Saint-​Michel, located on a tidal island on the Normandy coast, has a rich history as a medieval fortress, abbey and prison, stretching back to the sixth century and touching upon important figures such as William the Conqueror and Victor Hugo. Those are all topics ripe for discussion but I will allow you to learn them for yourself. I will be discussing… steps.
Mont-​Saint-​Michel features something like 1,000 steps which you must ascend to reach the abbey. I thought perhaps this was a bit much, but then I experienced the 3,750 Steps of Penitence carved into the side of Mount Sinai. Step up your game, French monks!
Assuming you can meet the challenge of the steps – I was overweight at the time of my visit and it was a struggle – once you have reached the abbey, you are rewarded with with the opportunity to explore its beautiful architecture. Grand columns, ribbed vaults, pointed arches and all the usual Gothic trappings, intended to inspire feelings of religious grandeur, meet the task. Very much worth the climb.