Mont St. Michel is a tidal island in the Normandy region of France. There is a great gothic style Abbey built on top of the island that was founded in the 10th century. The island is half a mile off the mainland of France and about 17 acres in area. The buildings on the island were built in a particular order, with the abbey and monastery on top, then below were great halls, then stores and housing. At the bottom, nearest the water were the fishermen’s and farmer’s housing. With only a population of 50 today, this once medieval walled city is now a tourist hub. Most of the buildings have been made into shops, restaurants, and hotels for tourists.
There were a lot of features of the island and within the Abbey that I found interesting. Entering the island through the medieval drawbridge was exciting. Another cool part was seeing the infrastructure they used to bring building materials from the base of the island to the top of the Abbey. Essentially, it was a really steep ramp with a cart on a pulley/hoist system. Also, the Abbey had fireplaces so large I could stand inside. Being surrounded by all the history and buildings that are more than 500 years old really has a way of making you feel small or insignificant.
