Mount Saint-Michel: A Historical and Gastronomic Heritage

Imagine my surprise when I saw a poster of Mont Saint Michel in a grocery store on Naoshima Island in Japan! Mont Saint Michel truly fascinates foreigners who see it as a magical mountain. Since 1979, it has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and in 2015 it regained its maritime character while threatened by silting. It was then equipped with a submersible bridge, a marvel of architecture. To fully reconnect with its deep identity, I invite you to approach it on foot. For those intimidated by adventure, I also offer a cultural activity: the Abbey's Nocturnal events, a sound and light show that magnifies the site.

Classified since 1979 as a UNESCO World Heritage site, it regained its maritime character in 2015 while being threatened by silting.

Nothing rivals the approach to the Mont in the manner of pilgrims in the Middle Ages, to perceive its varying lights. As in England, the bay of the Mont which spans from Granville to Cancale over 500 km 2 experiences meteorological variations… To cross on foot, you will need more than to roll up your trousers, as you will cross river arms before reaching the Mont. Therefore, wear your swimsuit under your clothes and think of bringing binoculars. Because you will have a lot to see on these flats and these quicksands. Of course, you will have hired the services of a guide. Worried about getting stuck in this mattress of water? Impossible ! Thanks to Archimedes' principle, you would only sink up to your thighs ! It would take being alone and especially if the tide were to rise suddenly !

Do you think you've spotted seals? You are not hallucinating; since the 80s, a colony of about sixty individuals has lived here. Dolphins also spawn in this area, not to mention migratory fish such as salmon and eel. Three factors explain why these waters are teeming: the presence of estuaries, a strong tidal range*, and high tides. As you cross the streams, small fish might well tickle your legs: the mullets!

Have you ever tasted bottarga or grated mullet roe on your pasta ? If not, I highly recommend it because it’s delicious…Once at the Mount, continue to Cancale and  treat yourself to a basket of oysters at the harbor. Unless you prefer enjoying a crab at a live-tank at the Ferme des Nielles in Saint Coulomb. There’s nothing like choosing the seafood you are going to eat ! And then you will be seated outdoors and enjoy the mystical light that bathes the region. Mont Saint-Michel is also a gastronomy to share and discover!

Between Sea and Sky is the name given to this third edition of the Abbey's Nocturnes, a summer show that combines lighting effects, sound effects, and  video projections. On this occasion, history lovers will uncover the secrets of the Mount in a supernatural setting.

Why do the Bretons claim this sacred mountain that geographically belongs to Normandy? Who had the idea to settle on this rocky peak battered by the winds? How can we understand the warrior-like attitude of the archangel Saint Michael? Why was the Mount called the City of Books? The abbey towers over the mount at 80 meters high and contains the marvel, what exactly are we talking about? What happened to the Mount when the English took over Normandy during the Hundred Years' War? And in what era did the Mount serve as a prison? When did it regain its religious purpose? Is it protected by historical monuments? The existing promenade dyke, who developed it? All these questions will be answered in a fun way and you will feel the presence of those who once occupied the place...

Since 2007, restoration campaigns had been conducted so that Mont could regain its insularity. It took 10 years of studies and as many years of construction to counteract the silting that the Mont was suffering from and to make it become an island again. The walkway bridge on stilts - a work of art by German architect Feichtinger is designed to be submerged. The new dam built as part of the project serves various objectives. On one hand, it helps to regulate the river waters and prevent flooding, and on the other, it generates a hydraulic current in the river which causes erosion of the sediment responsible for the silting. Reading great authors, one understands how the insular character of Mont took root long ago in the minds:

Mont Saint Michel is to France what the Great
Pyramid is to Egypt.
It must be preserved from any mutilation,
Mont Saint Michel must remain an island,
It is essential to preserve at all costs this dual masterpiece of
Nature and art.

Victor Hugo ; Acts and Words since the Exile (1884)