Mont Saint-Michel Abbey was a centre of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages, and is one of the most remarkable examples of religious and military architecture from the medieval period. The Abbey forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and more than 20 of its rooms are open to visitors. This extraordinary national landmark features a whole host of wonderful works of architecture including the abbatial church, cloister, refectory, monks’ walkway, Merveille gardens and the West terrace overlooking the vast bay.
And why not experience Mont Saint-Michel Abbey in a different way, by attending some of the exceptional concerts held there each year or discovering it at nightfall in July and August by taking a nocturnal walk, accompanied by a music and light display.
Photos © Centre des monuments nationaux
Claire Collin, Specialist Tour Guide, offers guided visits in French, English and Spanish. She works at Mont Saint-Michel, Saint-Malo, Cancale, Granville, the Normandy Landing beaches and lots more…
Get to know the region by signing up to bespoke tours – sit back, relax and let yourself be driven to the location of your choice in her minibus.
Come and discover Mont Saint-Michel and the Abbey by taking a guided tour.
Gaëlle Lotton, a qualified guide-interpreter since 2003, will take you on a journey of discovery to little-known places in Mont Saint-Michel, along the backstreets and through the numerous gates. The tour of the medieval village and Abbey will include historical information and anecdotes.
The beaches themselves are an open air museum displaying numerous reminders of the Landings and the battle of Normandy: gun batteries, bunkers, cemeteries…
There are signposted routes and a number of museums along the way which will help you understand the history of the Normandy Landings. While staying in Normandy, why not immerse yourself in local history with a guided tour of the beaches.
A number of museums provide the key to understanding the history of the Normandy Landings:
The Arromanches 360 circular cinema puts you at the heart of the action by projecting a film on 9 screens positioned all around you. Outside the cinema, the view over Arromanches is superb and you can also see one of the two artificial Mulberry harbours. Discover the history of the famous Pegasus Bridge at the Musée Mémorial Pégasus (Pegasus Memorial museum in Ranville.
When you visit the beaches, you must stop off at the American cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer on the rocky outcrop at la Pointe du Hoc, and also the gun battery at Longues-sur-Mer. Close to 100,000 soldiers died in Normandy. The majority of them have been buried there in one of 27 Norman cemeteries. Others have been repatriated to their country of origin. The American cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer overlooks Omaha Beach, and contains the graves of 9,387 soldiers. The Visitor Center pays a moving tribute to the soldiers who died fighting for peace. The German cemetery in Cambe is overwhelming in terms of how bleak it is, and also due to the number of soldiers buried there (more than 21,000).
There is nothing like a guided tour for understanding the history of the Landings and the Battle of Normandy. A number of organisations offer minibus tours of the beaches. The Mémorial de Caen war museum also organises a ”day of discovery” comprising a visit to the museum and a guided tour of the beaches.
The United States chose to open the American military museum in Monjoie Saint-Martin, because of the view it offers of Mont Saint-Michel, but also due to its position in the German “counterattack” following the American breakout at Avranches on 31 July 1944.
The cemetery covers an area of 11 hectares and contains the bodies of 4410 soldiers in 4408 graves who died during the Second World War, the majority during the 1944 military campaigns in Normandy and Brittany.
There is also a wall engraved with the names of 500 soldiers whose bodies have never been found.
The Scriptorial museum in Avranches is the only museum in France focusing on medieval manuscripts, including a fabulous collection from Mont Saint-Michel Abbey. The museum lies at the very heart of the old town within the castle walls. It is also a modern museum and will guide you through the collection in an original way using interactive tools. Highlights at the Scriptorial include the history of Mont Saint-Michel bay, the founding of Abbey and displays on the production of inks and parchment.
