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).

Abbaye du Mont Saint-Michel, 50116 Le Mont Saint-Michel, France
Tel: (02) 3389 8000
Website: www.monum.fr/m_stmichel/indexa.dml

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).

Maison de la France (French Tourist Office)
20 avenue de l’Opéra, 75041 Paris, Cedex 01, France
Tel: (01) 4296 7000. Fax: (01) 4296 7011. E-mail: admin@france.com
Website: www.franceguide.com
French Tourist Office
178 Piccadilly, London W1V 0AL, UK
Tel: (09068) 244 123 (information line; calls cost 60p per minute). Fax: (020) 7493 6594. E-mail: info@mdlf.co.uk
Website: www.franceguide.com

France