Mont St Michel, fleecing tourists since time began (Le Mont St Michel)

Member Name: buzzard_cad

Product:	Le Mont St Michel
Date:	30/05/08 (77 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Stunning architecture, looks good at a distance

Disadvantages: Swamped by tourists, lots of steps, expensive once all fees and ancillaries are added up

Located in northern France west of St. Malo on the border between Brittany and Normandy is what can only be described as a large rocky island in the Bay of Mont St Michel. They say that in 708 the bishop of Avaranche created a shrine to Saint Michael on this isolated island. Instantly it became a pilgrimage destination for medieval Christians. Over the next few centuries the shrine became a sanctuary with an imposing abbey built on top of the hill. During the hundred years war the village below the abbey was surrounded with huge ramparts and the strong resistance to the invading English made the abbey a symbol of French nationality. The monks soon left and it became a prison, with the degradation that occurs over time the abbey fell into decline. It was given historical monument status in the 19th century and eventually it was entered onto the roll of UNESCO World Heritage sites. With the addition of a causeway the accessibility of the island was opened up until today it is an island no more. The abbey has been restored to its former glory and even now there is evidence that works are continuing to repair and maintain the structure for future generations.

Getting to Mont St. Michel from the UK requires a ferry trip with the nearest ports being St. Malo or Cherbourg. From St. Malo it's a short drive along the coast to along the N176 to Pontorson. On a clear day Mont St. Michel will be visible with the abbey on top of the island standing proud. From Pontorson take the D976 north to the coast. As you approach, the advertisement signs for shops, restaurants and McDonalds alongside the road will increase until they end just as you reach the causeway to the island. About 200m from the island you are directed right to a car park on the tidal area. One thing to mention now is that this car park can and will flood as the tide rises so take note of the high tide time and make sure you get back to remove your vehicle. You will have to pay a fee to park, which was 5 euros in 2007 for our car. From the carpark it was a short two minute walk to the ramparts and the entrance to Mont St Michel. You don't pay anything here to get in to Mont St. Michel, but you will later on need to pay to enter the abbey.

Once in Mont St. Michel there is seemingly only one way to the abbey and that is up the main street. It was a bit of a bun fight to start with as there were people come down the street, which is quite steep and people like us going up. Coupled with the narrow street, souvenir shops, people standing in the street and the dead weight of a 6 month old baby on my chest I wasn't having fun. The serenity I felt as I we approached the island was evaporating fast. We gave up trying to climb the hill and went up some stairs and on to the ramparts. Here at least it was level in places and there were less people. The view back to the Brittany coast was uninspiring and eventually we found a restaurant to rest and fed baby.

After the first restaurant failed to serve us as they were too busy we headed further away from the entrance and found one that was busy, but at least had the time to serve customers. Both myself and BC2 were starting to get grumpy as it was well past 2 o'clock & we were both hungry. The restaurant was expensive for the food that we got, but then we were in a UNESCO world heritage site and I suppose that gives everyone the right to fleece us. Fully refreshed we moved on along the ramparts and up to towards the abbey area. The abbey itself being at the top of the hill has many steps to reach its entrance and it is a long hard climb even for fit people such as myself. The abbey tour though is the toughest part of the whole island. We paid another 8 euros each to get inside the abbey and found even more steps.

I cannot remember the whole tour as later parts bored me, but to start with my interest was held by the architecture as we climbed the stairs to the abbey. I do remember becoming interested when we reached the upper part that had a terrace with views to the western part of the island and the bay. From here you do get a good sense of the scale of Mont St. Michel. There is the bay with its sands stretching out to the north and west, with a good view of the Brittany coast line. I think that I was just about able to see Cancale in the distance, though it was a slightly hazy day.

From the terrace the tour took you back inside the abbey to one of the later higher levels with a lovely built church with pews, an altar and vaulted ceilings. The tour moved north into an area that was quoted as being the garden of the monks. It was a very nice area, but it had been amended with a large pane of glass on the western side that allowed views into the real garden below. In truth it was an area that had been made into a quite garden of contemplation for the benefit of the tourists. In truth I think that it was a part of the abbey that hadn't been finished and the owners were keen to ramp up the reverence. In either case it was a nice spot to be on a warm sunny day as the glass keeps the wind off the area and increases the light levels. It was the highlight of the tour for me as it was a good place to rest my weary legs.

The tour from here goes downhill, literally as well as physically. Basically the tour works it way through the bowels of the abbey going through the lower older levels. Unfortunately due to the way in which the abbey was built the levels are uneven and the tourists are forced through a convoluted route up and downstairs. For me this was a killer and even for Mrs C who wasn't carrying baby it was beginning to wear her legs out. This is the point when the tour became boring and all I wanted to find was the exit, however the route became even more tortuous as it went up, down, left and right. Then when we did find the outside it was to the north-west corner right underneath the fancy abbey garden and we had to do a windy tour of the gardens to the north to get out of the exit which was in the south-east corner of the abbey complex.

Mont St Michel is definitely a wonderful place to view from outside with its grand ramparts as you look from a distance. Unfortunately the majesty, the reverence and the serenity of the place are slowly removed as you walk inside and explore the island from within. Firstly there is the general hustle and bustle of the main street, it is really hard going if you have a little one like we did and we didn't even take the pushchair. Next the sharp inclines and numerous steps will not suit everyone, there are at least 20 to 30 steps to climb in the abbey to pay for the entrance fee and another 30 beyond that just to get to the top terrace. Then there are about three or four times as many on the way back down as you are constantly descending or climbing stairs. It is not really a place for the old or infirm, only the fittest will survive those steps. Finally my biggest complaint is the money element that starts when you pay to park your car on a tidal range that could wash it way. Once you approach the ramparts you are slowly stripped of money for the tidal parking, entrance to the abbey, restaurants, souvenirs and even money to use the toilets. If you weren't a poor and penniless peasant when you arrived, you will be by the time you leave. I suppose that is what you are meant to do if you wish to take the righteous path, but for me I won't be visiting another UNESCO world heritage site. My wallet just can't take it anymore!

c2008 buzzard_cad
This review may be found on other review sites under the same username and is also written by me.

Summary: It is worth seeing at least once, either early or later in the day