Mont-Saint-Michel, Normandy

The tide at Mont-Saint-Michel returns at speeds local guides describe as “faster than a galloping horse” – approximately 12 kilometres per hour in the channels – and people have died underestimating it

Mont-Saint-Michel receives 3.5 million visitors per year, making it the second most visited site in France after the Eiffel Tower. In July and August, the single main street from the causeway gate to the abbey becomes impassable by midday and the abbey queues run 40-60 minutes. None of this changes the fact that the view of the island rising from the tidal flats is one of the genuinely impressive sights in Europe; it argues strongly, however, for visiting in February on a Tuesday morning, when you will have the abbey with perhaps 50 other visitors and the light on the Mont over the grey bay mud will be excellent.

The tidal range at Mont-Saint-Michel reaches up to 14 metres, among the highest in Europe. At spring tides, the sea retreats 18 kilometres at low tide and returns at the speeds mentioned. A new bridge-causeway opened in 2014 replaced the original solid causeway built in 1879, restoring tidal flow around the base of the island. Standing on the north-facing ramparts two or three hours after low tide on a spring tide day, watching the water cover the flats and reconvert the island into something genuinely isolated, is the experience that explains why people built an abbey here in the first place.

The Abbey

The abbey church of Saint-Michel sits 80 metres above the tidal flat at the summit of the rock. It has been standing since the 11th century; the Gothic choir was rebuilt after a fire in 1421. Entry is EUR 13 for adults; under-18s free. The standard visit takes 1.5-2 hours and covers the church, the cloister (a pointed Gothic arcade with a garden at the centre, remarkable for its lightness at this height), the refectory, the guest hall, and the underground chapels. Audio guide is included. The view from the abbey terrace looking west over the bay – particularly at golden hour when the light changes – is the reason to climb rather than simply photograph from the causeway.

A community of monks returned to Mont-Saint-Michel in 2001 after a 100-year absence. They conduct daily services in the abbey church. Their presence gives the building a different character from a pure museum.

Where to Stay and Eat

Fewer than 100 rooms exist inside the walls. Hotel Saint Pierre and the Mere Poulard rooms are the comfortable choices at EUR 120-200 per night. Staying on the Mont means waking up after the day visitors have left, which is a substantially different experience – the island in the early morning and after 7pm is something the midday version doesn’t prepare you for.

Pontorson, 9 kilometres south, has accommodation at EUR 60-90 and direct shuttle connections to the causeway.

La Mere Poulard has been serving its omelettes since 1888. They are made by beating eggs in a copper bowl and cooking them over an open fire in a long-handled pan, producing a souffled omelette unlike anything you can replicate at home. They cost EUR 28-35. Some visitors consider this too much for eggs. Those visitors have not eaten one.