The island of Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, France
© DaLiu/Getty Image
A saintly vision inspired the first chapel. Mont-Saint-Michel
The stunning sight of Mont-Saint-Michel rising out of the bay is unforgettable. And visiting the island will be too, if you time it right. The paved causeway is accessible only when the tide is out; otherwise, you’re at the mercy of the muddy flats, dangerous quicksand, and the quickly rising tide.
Today's visitors are following in the footsteps of pilgrims who for centuries traversed Europe to pray at the sacred site. The local bishop of Avranches built a chapel on this rock in 708 after the archangel St. Michael visited him in a dream, and the rest, as they say, is history. Now the island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its permanent population is fewer than 50 people, including a dozen or so monks and nuns, but more than three million visitors cross over to the island most years.
Related Images
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Dawn sunlight and waves at Portland Bill lighthouse, Dorset, England
The Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, Ottawa
View of the Old City in Quebec City
Landmark Center clock tower and Winter Carnival Ice Palace in St. Paul, Minnesota
Drones light up the sky over Shenzhen, China
Old town of Tallinn, Estonia
Blurred view of ride at the Canadian National Exhibition, Toronto
Bing Today Images
