Mont St. Michel

Perched atop a tidal island that lies just off Normandy in the northwest of France, Mont St. Michel Abbey makes for one of the most arresting sights imaginable. The massive abbey with its charming chapels and cloisters lies above the cluttered historic buildings and halls of the town that tumble down the hillside.

The Benedictine abbey, which was founded in the tenth century, features various architectural marvels in the West Roman Empire, Roman, and Gothic styles. In that regard, the Mont-Saint-Michel could be viewed as a megastructure where the structures are stacked on top of one another in an effort to fit Benedictine operations into a constrained area. The monastery of Mont-Saint-Michel is awe-inspiring to see even from a distance of hundreds of meters away and appears to be too incredible to be real. Nevertheless, it has existed ever since work on it began in the tenth century. But don't just look at it from a distance; get close and you'll be taken back in time as you stroll through the abbey's hallways.

While monks and a monastery have been welcoming pilgrims to the mount since at least the 9th century, much of the abbey and its delightful Romanesque church were only completed in 1523. Nowadays, however, it is primarily Mont St. Michel’s spectacular setting and astounding historical sights that draw visitors to the abbey.

Location: France

Architect: William of Volpiano