Mont Saint-Michel City Info

Mont St. Michel, a popular city in France, is located on the north coast of France, which is very near to the border of Brittany and Normandy. Mont St. Michel is a small quasi-island, separated by approximately one kilometer of waves from the mainland at high tide. It is about one kilometer in diameter and about 80 meters high, jutting defiantly above the ocean.

In the early eighth century, the Archangel Michael appeared to Bishop Aubert of Avranges, who started an oratory. In 966, a Benedictine monastery was established. In 1020, Richard II began the Abbey Church, and supported Abbot Hildebert's construction efforts. Over time, the spiritual foundations of the abbey waned, and in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries it was used as a prison. In 1874, the French government assumed responsibility for the abbey's upkeep and restoration.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, it was one of France 's most important ports, serving both merchant ships and privateers alike. It was at this time that a system of walls and fortifications were built - largely to offset the menace of English marauders - but these defenses remained weak, and the pickings rich. Flattened by the Germans in World War II, the port was faithfully reconstructed and is today one of the most popular tourist destinations in the region.

Since the city is a popular tourist destination, you'll find various accommodation options. Book your rooms at hotels in Mont St. Michel through StayResFrance.com, which offers a unique opportunity for economic travelers by giving up to 70% discount.