Mont Saint Michel

The dreamy village of Mont Saint Michel is frickin awesome. The village sits on top of a large rock formation sticking out of the ocean just off France’s Northern coast. The rock is capped by a huge cathedral which looks as if it were being supported by the homes and shops below that hug the sides of the formation. The iconic silhouette Mont Saint Michel was even used in Disney’s Tangled (2014) as the city that Rapunzel was from.

The little Mont Saint Michel is considered Europe's most untouched Medieval city, and has remained nearly unchanged over the years. This is due in part to Mont's small footprint, but it is also due to the fact that for ages, you could only enter the town during low tide by traversing the tidal basin before the oceans retreated. Because it is a good 30-minute walk from the coast, the crossing could be fairly risky at times. In 2013, an elevated road was finished, making Mont Saint Michel accessible 24 hours a day, replacing an outdated basic route and eliminating the need to travel with the tides. If you are in Northern France or Paris you really need to visit or stay overnight in the gem of a true Medieval city.

Photographers will especially delight at Mont Saint Michel. All in all, it should definitely be high on anybody’s travel list, as it is one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

Location: France