MONT SAINT-MICHEL ❘ ONE THOUSAND YEARS


“NUMEROUS PILGRIMS LOST THEIR LIVES TO DROWNING, AS THEY DASHED ACROSS WHAT WAS 7KM OF WATER, QUICKSAND AND MUD”


bid to reach dry land before the tides changed. Nowadays, visitors must make the crossing with experienced guides as part of a tour. Elsewhere in Saint-Malo, for those wishing to be close to the main esplanade, Hôtel Le Nouveau Monde is both comfortable and luxurious and offers easy direct access to the beach. Like Les Charmettes, some of its rooms are sea-facing, and there’s a spa and a high-end restaurant for those needing to unwind.


townhouse hotel Le Nemours, which uses a chic black colour scheme in the style of Coco Chanel. It’s located on a quiet street, yet is close to the heart of town, where some several hundred half-timbered houses expose the city’s medieval heart. It’s a great teaser for the wonders that await at Mont Saint-Michel.


From top: The cloisters; the abbey courtyard; a close-up of intricate stone carving; the view across the salt marshes to Mont Saint-Michel


On the other hand, if staying in the legendary walled city of Saint-Malo, the small family-run hotel Les Charmettes is a hidden gem. It directly overlooks the seafront, with the restaurant’s terrace delivering impressive views and allowing diners to descend in just a couple of steps from their tables directly onto the beach. In good weather, the long stretch of water is a hub of social activity, showcasing the city’s ferocious waves. During equinox, the tidal waves are off the scale and quite a spectacle to witness. On the other side of town, they can rise so high into the air that they pass over the city walls and spill below, while crowds gather to watch. Saint-Malo and the surrounding region apparently boast the highest tides in Europe (up to more than 42ft), which made the ancient pilgrims’ journey to Mont Saint-Michel terrifyingly treacherous – and potentially fatal. In centuries gone by, numerous pilgrims lost their lives to drowning, as they dashed across what was then 7km of water, quicksand and mud in a


48 ❘ FRANCE TODAY Oct/Nov 2023


PERFECT TIMING It’s equally possible to stay on the island itself and for an atmospheric experience, special high-tide evenings take place in July and August each year. Hotel prices there aren’t for the faint-hearted, however, and there are attractive alternatives for those on a strict budget. The Clos Saint-Gilles is a guesthouse just five miles away from the abbey, in the village of Ardevon, right at the heart of the Mont Saint- Michel bay. Groups of guests often eat breakfast together around the dining table, exchanging stories with the owners, Thibault and Tatiana. Rooms are available in the main house, or, for added privacy, in the atmospheric chapel suite, which combines modernity with religious art. Travel there by car or walk a picturesque path boasting views of the abbey through rural fields and arrive in less than an hour. With so many options available for your trip, and with the 1,000th anniversary of the abbey taking place this year, there’s never been a better time to experience France’s most visited monument for yourself. FT


 The abbey is open 9am–7pm from May 1 to August 31, and 9:30am–6pm from September 1 to April 30; it is closed on January 1, May 1 and December 25. www.abbaye-mont-saint-michel.fr/en www.monuments-nationaux.fr/en


IMAGES © THOMAS THIBAUT, COLOMBE CLIER / CENTRE DES MONUMENTS NATIONAUX


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