Mount Saint Michel, France

Mount Saint Michel is one of the most spiritual (and most visited) places in France. Located in the Normandy region, its proximity to the French capital makes Mount Saint Michel one of the most popular day trips from Paris.

We find the origins of this holy place in the VIIIth century, when Abbot Aubert received a visit from Saint Michel, leader of the Angels, during his dreams and asked the abbot to build a chapel in his honor. In the Xth century, a group of Benedictine monks settled in this first sanctuary and grew it to become an important place of pilgrimage and culture in the Christian West.

Since then, Mount Abbey has been visited by millions of pilgrims and (today) tourists, who are always mesmerized by the beauty and spirituality of its architecture.

Why would you want to visit Mount Saint Michel? The abbey has a spectacular location, built on a small peninsula that turns into an island with high tides. If you have the chance to visit the monastery on high tide days, usually after full and new moons, you can watch the water rise with the speed of a galloping horse, so to speak.

The monastery is also a great place for architecture enthusiasts, with buildings of different architectural styles from the IXth to the XIXth century.

Finally, like the medieval pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago (Way of Saint James), you can add Mount Saint Michel to your itinerary: The first glimpse of Mont Saint-Michel from beneath the gilded statue of the archangel lifted their spirits.