Mont Saint-Michel Abbey (Abbaye du Mont Saint-Michel)

Mont Saint-Michel (Saint Michael’s Mount) is a rocky island surrounded by perilous waters one kilometre (0.6 miles) off the coast of Normandy. It was founded in 708 by the Bishop of Avranches who built a chapel there after the Archangel Michael appeared to him in a dream. Construction of the spectacular Abbaye du Mont Saint-Michel (Mont Saint-Michel Abbey) started in 1023 and finished some 400 years later. Fashioned from granite, its delicate contours are an extension of the shape of the island and encompass a range of architectural styles, from Norman to Gothic. For centuries, the Abbey was a place of pilgrimage but it has also variously served as a prison, a fortress against the English and a monastery.
Air: Caen-Carpiquet Airport, Paris Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris Orly Airport. Water: Sea: Ferry services from the UK and Ireland to Cherbourg, Caen, Le Havre and Dieppe. Rail: Train: Pontorson Railway Station; high-speed TGV services from Paris Gare Montparnasse via Rennes. Road: Car: N176 (from St Malo and Avranches) or N175 (from Rennes).