Mont-St-Michel, France Photos

Mont-St-Michel, a rocky islet just off the coast of Normandy in a bay of the English Channel, rises from the tidal flats that surround it in a pyramid-like fashion. Pilgrims have traveled to Mont-St-Michel for centuries, and until recent times had to cross the treacherous tidal flats and quick sand, while avoiding extraordinarily high tides which were said to come in "as fast as a horse can gallop". Today access is by a bridge on foot or by shuttle bus. Most notable for the visitor are the ancient abbey at the top of the islet; Grande Rue, a shopping street which spirals steeply up towards the abbey; and views of the town walls & bastions as well as the surrounding tidal flats.

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Mont-St-Michel seen at a distance across fields. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Mont-St-Michel abbey originally founded in 8thC with many subsequent changes & now in Gothic style (16thC). Mont-St-Michel, France.	Bridge leading to Mont-St-Michel. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Mont-St-Michel view. Mont-St-Michel, France.

Mont-St-Michel abbey with town buildings below. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Mont-St-Michel surrounded by tidal flats at low tide. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Mont-St-Michel abbey with town buildings & walls (1256) below. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Mont-St-Michel abbey which caps the islet. Mont-St-Michel, France.

Mont-St-Michel abbey against cloudless sky. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Details of Mont-St-Michel abbey exterior. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Mont-St-Michel abbey perched atop the rocky islet. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Mont-St-Michel abbey with spire crowned by Archangel Michael (late 19thC) by Emmanuel Frémiet. Mont-St-Michel, France.

Spire of Mont-St-Michel abbey crowned by Archangel Michael (late 19thC) by Emmanuel Frémiet. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Walls of Mont-St-Michel. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Massive walls & bastions of Mont-St-Michel. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Bastions & section of wall above mud flats of Mont-St-Michel. Mont-St-Michel, France.

Mont-St-Michel town guarded by walls. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Mont-St-Michel town & walls seen from bridge. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Massive walls & bastions of Mont-St-Michel seen from mud flats at low tide. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Profile view of bastion & stone building from base. Mont-St-Michel, France.

Old stone buildings with mansard roofs along walls. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Gateway through outer walls for visitors. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Kings Gate (15thC) with machicolations & portcullis leading into Rue Grande, the only street. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Abbey seen from Grande Rue. Mont-St-Michel, France.

Visitors strolling past old houses (15-16thC) along Grande Rue. Mont-St-Michel, France.	House covered with wooden shingles along Grande Rue. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Shops & restaurants along narrow Grande Rue. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Stone & half timbered buildings along Grande Rue. Mont-St-Michel, France.

Old fashioned style hanging lamp along Grande Rue. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Some of many signs along Grande Rue. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Ornate shop sign advertising postal service along Grande Rue. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Old metal sign with a sailing ship advertising hotel along Grande Rue. Mont-St-Michel, France.

Shop named after French novel along Grande Rue. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Sign with profile of unicorn along Grande Rue. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Sign with mermaid advertising souvenir shop & créperie along Grande Rue. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Shop window with ornate tins of Mont-St-Michel confectionary along Grande Rue. Mont-St-Michel, France.

Shop window with flaky filled pastries along Grande Rue. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Shop window with custard crème filled pastry along Grande Rue. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Shop window with crêpe maker along Grande Rue. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Shop window filled with plush animals along Grande Rue. Mont-St-Michel, France.

Artistic metallic roosters & duck in shop window along Grande Rue. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Artistic metallic chickens in shop window along Grande Rue. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Old stone building with Mansard style roof. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Abbey buildings seen from Grande Rue. Mont-St-Michel, France.

Saint Peter parish church (dates from 11thC but much altered). Mont-St-Michel, France.	Abbey cloister with double row of arches. Mont-St-Michel, France.	High abbey walls as seen from base. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Conveyer ramp for transporting goods up steep incline to abbey. Mont-St-Michel, France.

Conveyer ramp seen from above was once operated by men walking inside wheel. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Tidal flats & roof of bastion seen from abbey walls. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Steep slope on which abbey was built. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Porte Échauguette. Mont-St-Michel, France.

Porte Échauguette with Tour Gabriel in background. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Lichens on shingles. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Emergency fire department vehicle for tidal flats. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Roofs of Mont-St-Michel in profile against massive tidal flats. Mont-St-Michel, France.

Water & marshes seen from Mont-St-Michel. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Looking down on varied roofs of Mont-St-Michel above tidal flats. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Bridge (2015) from main land to Mont-St-Michel islet. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Visitors & mini-buses crossing bridge to & from mainland. Mont-St-Michel, France.

Horse drawn vehicle for visitors crossing bridge. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Visitors exploring tidal flats near city wall. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Water channel on tidal flats near city wall. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Painted cows statues decorating town of La Caserne, gateway to Mont-St-Michel. Mont-St-Michel, France.

Painted cow in town of La Caserne, gateway to Mont-St-Michel. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Cow painted with flowers in town of La Caserne, gateway to Mont-St-Michel. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Former (until 2015) causeway access to Mont-St-Michel with risky parking lots on tidal flats. Mont-St-Michel, France.	Former parking lot (until 2015) subject to flooding by tides. Mont-St-Michel, France.


See Also:	Brittany, France