Already from far away a distant, prominent peak appears above the sea. We arrive at dusk near Le Mont-Saint-Michel and can just make out the outline of an almost pyramid-shaped hill with a church tower on top before the sun sets completely. We have chosen a wonderful place to spend the night on the coast, which should give us a perfect view of Le Mont-Saint-Michel, especially the next morning.

Le Mont-Saint-Michel at dawn

Unfortunately, the morning is cloudy and rather hazy, which is why our getting up at dawn does not pay off with beautiful pictures. We spend a good hour on the coast, but the weather doesn’t improve either. That’s just the way it is when you want to take the perfect snapshot while passing through. Never mind – we enjoyed the view despite the cold and look fascinated at the many different birds, which are enjoying the abundance of mudflats around Mont-Saint-Michel.

Le Mont-Saint-Michel

We are very excited. Since 1979, Mont-Saint-Michel and its bay have been part of the “UNESCO Cultural Heritage of Humanity”, and it is no coincidence that the monastery mountain is one of the most visited sights in France. Due to the tides, the mountain regularly becomes an island, connected to the mainland only by a bridge.

Only the inhabitants and people with special authority are allowed to go to the island by private car. For all other travelers with car, camper or motorcycle there is a huge parking lot on the mainland. From here you can either use the shuttle service (included in the parking ticket) to Mont-Saint-Michel or start the walk. We decide to walk there and take the shuttle back. On our visit in the morning, the tide is just out and so we can walk across the mud flats before going onto the bridge for the last stretch, which leads to the small island.

The impression that opens up to us is breathtaking and fascinating. Almost every inch of the island has been built on and is covered either with the old fortification wall or old houses restored in their original style. Perched atop the island is the Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel. We stroll through the old alleys on cobblestone streets and feel transported back to another time.

Despite the many buildings, only about 30 people live in the houses below the abbey today. Most of the buildings have stores or restaurants on the first floor, and hotel rooms or vacation apartments on the upper floors.

We make a round through the main alley and come back to the starting point on small side alleys. We also explore the fortification wall – it is accessible by the guards on top of the wall, just like in the old days. A great experience and also the view from here is again particularly impressive.

Although we are here at the end of November and some things are closed, there are many tourists. We can’t and don’t want to imagine how crowded the small island must be in summer during high season.