Mont Saint Michel, France. Sights of France

During the spring and autumn equinoxes, there are the strongest tides in Europe (about 9 meters). The French deservedly call Mont Saint-Michel and its bay "the eighth wonder of the world", and the Europeans - "the miracle of Western Europe.".

Mont Saint Michel is a rocky island 80 meters high and about 950 meters in circumference, located in a huge bay of 40.000 sq. Channel channel. At 3 kilometers from it lies another island - Tromblen, rising 40 meters above the bay. These rocks are formed over 20 million years ago from granulite, a very dense crystalline rock. Three rivers flow into the bay - the Se, Selyun and Kuenon, which at each ebb pour new picturesque bends.

Water at low tide recedes from the mainland by more than 20 kilometers, exposing the bottom - the thinnest quicksand of clay-limestone origin. Walking along such a bottom is quite dangerous: you can easily get stuck in a boggy place. During the tides, the sea returns rapidly - according to legend, with the speed of a galloping horse. However, this is an exaggeration: the average speed of the tide is 62 meters per minute, which is also a lot of danger for tourists and pilgrims.

Today it is a place of pilgrimage. The abbey is located 400 km north-west of Paris and attracts tourists from all over the world as a living legend, because the biblical battle of Archangel Michael with Satan in the form of a dragon was completed, according to legend, right here. Archangel Michael is revered as a warrior and protector. They believe that he fought with Satan, who took the form of a dragon and plunged him into the depths of the waters. He protects the souls of the righteous from cunning demons on the way to Heavenly Jerusalem. According to the Old Testament, he is the intercessor of the people of Israel. In the last battle of Good and Evil, the Archangel Michael will stand at the head of the bright host. At the Last Judgment, he will hold scales on which to weigh the good and evil deeds of people.

The mysterious Benedictine castle-abbey on the rock of Mont Saint-Michel, symbolized by the high tower of the Cathedral of Saint-Michel, was built from the 13th to the 16th centuries. Vikings were here, from here William the Conqueror went to England, kings and queens lived here. He was the center of resistance in the Hundred Years War. The spire is crowned with a statue of St. Michael the Archangel looking to the north, to the bay and to the sea.

The buildings of the island consist of monastic and secular buildings. All buildings are surrounded by walls with watchtowers erected in the XV century. This is evidence of the abbey's defense system. Towers interconnected by patrol routes do not rise above the fortress walls, but are protected by them. In the horizontal loopholes were placed bombers - giant guns of the late Middle Ages. At the top of the mountain is a church, the construction of which began in the XI century.

There is a cafe on Mount St. Michael, there are 25 souvenir shops and three museums - the maritime museum, the archeological museum and the history museum. You can stay in a hotel on the continent and in Saint-Michel itself. Mont Saint Michel is a wide choice of restaurants: from gastronomic to small restaurants, cafes. Butter, sour cream, cheese and apples are the main gastronomic gifts of the Norman villages. Famous sorts of Camembert, Livaro and Pont-Levek cheese are served to most dishes. Many dishes are cooked in a Norman sour cream sauce ("a la normande"). Restaurant La Mere Poulard is a great place to relax in a wonderful atmosphere. The restaurant is located at the central entrance to the Saint-Michel Mountain Museum, continuing the traditions of its founder, it will make an unforgettable impression on you. Mother Poulard spent nearly 70 years at the stove and created about 700 recipes, among which, of course, her famous omelette. Her cuisine embodies the richness and diversity of the nature of the bay of Mont Saint-Michel. It harmoniously combines Brittany and Normandy, land and sea, tradition and creativity. The restaurant has 2 halls overlooking the bay. Here you can get acquainted with the peculiarities of the cuisine of the regions of Normandy and Brittany and taste local specialties: foie gras, seafood, lobsters, Mother Poulard's traditional omelette with smoked salmon, baked in the oven, salted lamb, stingray fins with caper butter, homemade treats.

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