Make a Pilgrimage to Mont Saint-Michel
The Abbaye du Mont-Saint-Michel looks to be a vision from heaven, soaring above its position on a rocky island off the Normandy coast. Mont Saint-Michel is renowned as the "Pyramid of the Seas" because of its surreal beauty. Since the 11th century, the island's magnificent Gothic abbey has served as a halt on the "Way of Saint James" pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. At low tide, medieval pilgrims trekked through the sandbanks of the Bay of Saint-Michel to reach Mont Saint-Michel. The bay crossing was the final leg of the lengthy, hard foot trip to this important Christian site.
The "Chemins du Mont-Saint-Michel" pilgrimage routes travel to Mont-Saint-Michel from a variety of beginning places, including Paris, Rouen, and Tours. These routes go on to the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela. Visitors now can walk in the footsteps of medieval pilgrims for a powerful spiritual experience. Today's pilgrims arrive on foot, as has been the case for generations. The walk across the bay takes around two hours and must be done with the assistance of an experienced guide. It is not safe to attempt the bay crossing without the assistance of a guide. Quicksand and forceful fast-moving tides define the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel and its sandbanks.
The bay's high tide transforms Mont Saint-Michel into an island for around one hour each day due to its vast tidal range (15 kilometers in each direction). Pilgrims arriving to the abbey are greeted by the awe-inspiring atmosphere of an 11th- to 13th-century chapel. Religious services (Laudes, Mass, and Vespers) are held three times a day at the abbey church by the Fraternités Monastiques de Jérusalem. The liturgy is performed through chants, which are notable for their melodious polyphonic melodies. Many pilgrims visit Mont Saint-Michel on Saint Michael's Day, which falls at the end of September. This Archangel Michael celebration comprises many religious activities in the Abbey Church. A solemn mass is held on the nearest Sunday (before or after) Saint Michael's Day, and morning prayers and mass take place on Saint Michael's Day (September 29th).
