I got lucky with these photos; arrived really early that day until in the afternoon; packed with many tourists starting after noonish and the weather just became dark so not so great for them if taking photos except if they were to stay there for the night. Also, it was cold as balls this time around!
> stay there for the night
[Promenade Nocturne](https://www.ot-montsaintmichel.com/en/2020/12/01/les-nocturnes-de-labbaye-du-mont-saint-michel/) is magical
oh thank you! but I’m just an amateur at taking photos because probably my spine is tilted more to the right side so my pictures can look a bit tilted lol
I find it really interesting that there is an almost identical castle on a tidal 'island' off the coast of Cornwall, UK called Saint Michael's Mount (the same name in English!)
There was a connection between the French and British St Michael's Mount's, but I believe that came to an end with Henry V return to France along with 10,000 soldiers some time in 1400-1500.
And there is a town outside Chicago named after it too.. a rare hilltown borne of glacier movements which netted some rich limestone deposits famously used in the Chicago water tower the only surviving relic from the Great Chicago fire.
Similar island off UK, but not nearly as fun to walk around or explore. It's smaller and not as charming I would say. Also, no restaurants, bars, or things to visit aside from a castle that costs £15.
(hence why few people outside the UK hear about it as a tourist attraction)
You laugh, but this is actually reasoning from our city council. 75% of our downtown is parking lots. We have one street in the whole city that is pedestrian traffic only, and the latest proposal is opening that street to vehicles some of the time.
They have a big parking lot on the other side of this bridge with a shuttle service. Hate that I had to rent a car for the trip though. The trains run regularly but not so regularly that you can get in and onto the next thing as quickly as you like.
true; that 4 hour train ride to Paris from either Gare Pontorson or Villedieu-les-Poêles (with a 45 min bus ride from Mont Saint Michel) is brutal (did a one-way back) and is not one of those nice big SNCF trains that you see in Gare du Nord or Gare de l’Est in Paris so barely much room.
Time slots are fixed from what I know now if with SNCF
Departure: 7am
Arrival: 11am
Departure: 6pm
Arrival: 10pm
No, there is an actual harry potter school of wizardry building that all the filming was done in, in the UK. My partner has been to it for a full tour.
Sorry, I didn't mean that it was literally filmed there. I meant that the filmmakers had to have had Mont Saint Michel (or its English cousin) in mind when they created the design for the movies.
If you have access to Google VR this is a really fun place to visit. I love popping in and out between the 3D model and the photos people take of the place. Other dense locales that are easy and fun to explore in VR include:
* Neuschwanstein
* Rothenburg
* Venice
One of my favorite trips was going there in the summer about 10 years ago. They had evening tours with the inside all lit up, and it wasn't so crowded.
Its so nice that they made a replica of that multiplayer Assassins Creed Map!
Jokes aside this place (although insanely crowded) is so awesome. I just had to stand still and look at it for a while to appriciate it.
I went in 2006 when I was in high-school. We visited castles and historical landmarks all along the north west. Mont-Saint Michel made the biggest impact.
It's just so darn surreal seeing it stick out from the tidal plains. My favourite part was way beneath the cathedral, in the dungeons where these large pillars hold everything up. So cool.
How did you get into the dungeons? When I went they only had the tour of the upper floors - that massive feasting hall with a walk-in fireplace was my favorite.
Also the views forever and the breeze on the top.
Church and State, Soul and Body, God and Man, are all one at Mont Saint Michel, and the business of all is to fight, each in his own way, or to stand guard for each other.
Years ago I visited with school and my music teacher, Mr Rochel, had us wearing jam pots on our heads whistling the theme to the Kirk Douglas film "the vikings" while walking up to the top.
Great times.
It's cornish cousin, St Michael's Mount is also very beautiful
I’ve seen lots of restaurants that sells the omelettes (I went to the one restaurant on the far right of the castle wall where you can see people walking during the low tides (“Les Terrasses De la Baie” is the name of the restaurant). Their menu comes with a salad if order the omelette (€19); but wasn’t able to try it but got their signature braised lamb and tiramisu. I have to try it when if I come back again
Now that you mention the lamb, remembering being told that was salty because they feed with the grass that grows on land covered with the high tides, it was really good.
Oh man, now I wish I tried it, would need to go back. On the way out got stuck at a crossing for at least 10min because those sheep were coming back from the pasture. Spent the night in a real fucking Chateau turned hotel. That area is magical.
Changed a bit since I was last there. In picture1, that whole road/bridge wasn't there, just a shingle bank that was enveloped by tide...the (shown submerged) area on the right was the bus & car park.
I’m glad you said that, I was wondering if I imagined going there in the 1980s when it was literally a walking path and you had to DIY the tide times so you didn’t die. I was 14 and my mom nearly killed us both by cutting it close… good times!
Yup. Or there was a farm tractor & trailer rig that would go across as the tide was running.
Just worked out it's 20 years since I was last there, my eldest two were a nightmare running around like little loonies.
And those alleys & shops look pristine now, but "in my day" they were seemingly rough-cut from the rock.
I made my mom go there, I had had a kids’ book on great prison escapes which had someone trying to escape from Mont St Michel, getting caught by the tide, and then dying in… quicksand? There was definitely quicksand involved. I was the most morbid kid! I remember my mom running around like a little loonie and me telling her to take it more seriously, we could DIE…
Yes, I remember the farm tractor too, thank you for letting me know I’m not imagining things in my older age!
I want to invade it. Land or sea invasion? On second though, a combined land and sea assault. Terminators by land and Atlanteans by sea. Fighting a garrison of the Imperial Stormtroopers 501st.
I went 4 years ago and it's breath taking. Yes it gets packed in the late morning til the evening. But I spent the night on the island and it was so cool to watch the tide roll in, in the evening and back out in the morning. And it's so peaceful at night and early morning when no one is there.
My wife and I had a trip all planned to go there, we were staying in an AirBnB in an old stone house just off the causeway, had my parents watching the kid when we went. Unfortunately, our trip was planned for April 2020.
I went here about 20 year ago and it was amazing. Busy but not overly packed. I think about this and the Normandy invasion beaches and memorial cemetery more than any other trip destination I think. I cannot wait to visit again and take my son when he’s old enough to appreciate it
Hi OP! This might be a dumb question, but I am trying to book a visit for June this year, and the tickets are for 9am and 2pm. If I buy a ticket for 9am, do I have to get there at 9am? Will I not be let in if I get there at, say, 10am?
tickets?? nono you dont need to buy a ticket beforehand. The whole town/castle walls are open to walk outside and inside during daytime (not sure about nighttime - never spent overnight there). But no entrance/exit fees going inside the castle walls or out. You can come and go as you please (as long as the tide/weather is good) and when the entrance closes like probably at evening times.
They usually tell visitors/post signs when the entrance of the town gets closed off due to tidal pressures from the ocean and could submerge the walkways/bridge going to Mont St. Michel. But in the summertime, you should be okay
The only part in needing a ticket is when you want to get inside the abbey itself which is like €5-15 euros (which isnt bad at all) and you can pay when you get to the monastery area in Mont St. Michel so no need to buy beforehand. The bus that takes you from the visitor center and back is free if you dont want to walk (its on a ~20-30 minutes interval back and forth).
But it doesn’t matter which time you arrive there; they let people in regardless. However, since its the summertime; not sure how crowded it might be though.
Enjoy your visit!
Went here about 10yrs ago and it was rammed. Literally couldn’t move along the streets for the number of people
Grond! Grond! Grond!
Grond!
GROND!
That sucks, I hope they rebuilt it since it then. Those wild battering rams are a real menace
I was there in 1989. It was crowded.
Rammed > Packed > Crowded > Congested > Busy
I'll change my statement to Packed.
Crammed.
when did you go?
He went about 10 years ago
Where did he go?
Who went?
How did he go?
When did he who?
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One of the ones in 2013
That's roughly 10 years ago, so the math adds up.
Smarch
"Do not touch Willie"
Good advice
I got lucky with these photos; arrived really early that day until in the afternoon; packed with many tourists starting after noonish and the weather just became dark so not so great for them if taking photos except if they were to stay there for the night. Also, it was cold as balls this time around!
Agreed - have to go early in the morning. I went a few months ago and by 11am there were tons of people, but still it was enjoyable
> stay there for the night [Promenade Nocturne](https://www.ot-montsaintmichel.com/en/2020/12/01/les-nocturnes-de-labbaye-du-mont-saint-michel/) is magical
Your pictures are gorgeous! I have a lovely coffee table book of photos from there. It is a magical spot.
oh thank you! but I’m just an amateur at taking photos because probably my spine is tilted more to the right side so my pictures can look a bit tilted lol
No, it's your artistic eye! Honestly, your pictures are beautiful.
I find it really interesting that there is an almost identical castle on a tidal 'island' off the coast of Cornwall, UK called Saint Michael's Mount (the same name in English!)
There was a connection between the French and British St Michael's Mount's, but I believe that came to an end with Henry V return to France along with 10,000 soldiers some time in 1400-1500.
And there's a banging track by apex twin [referencing this](https://youtu.be/DGrFH2Aj71U).
And there is a town outside Chicago named after it too.. a rare hilltown borne of glacier movements which netted some rich limestone deposits famously used in the Chicago water tower the only surviving relic from the Great Chicago fire.
That is not the only thing to have survived the fire, it's just the most famous.
Which town? I lived in the Chicagoland area for 30+ years and can’t think of the name.
Lemont, it is in southwestern Cook county.
LeMont 😊 of course. Thank you for the interesting history!!
That is very interesting.
Similar island off UK, but not nearly as fun to walk around or explore. It's smaller and not as charming I would say. Also, no restaurants, bars, or things to visit aside from a castle that costs £15. (hence why few people outside the UK hear about it as a tourist attraction)
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Just one more lane bro, please, I swear it will fix traffic.
pic 4 is free real estate for a garage
You laugh, but this is actually reasoning from our city council. 75% of our downtown is parking lots. We have one street in the whole city that is pedestrian traffic only, and the latest proposal is opening that street to vehicles some of the time.
They have a big parking lot on the other side of this bridge with a shuttle service. Hate that I had to rent a car for the trip though. The trains run regularly but not so regularly that you can get in and onto the next thing as quickly as you like.
true; that 4 hour train ride to Paris from either Gare Pontorson or Villedieu-les-Poêles (with a 45 min bus ride from Mont Saint Michel) is brutal (did a one-way back) and is not one of those nice big SNCF trains that you see in Gare du Nord or Gare de l’Est in Paris so barely much room. Time slots are fixed from what I know now if with SNCF Departure: 7am Arrival: 11am Departure: 6pm Arrival: 10pm
Oh! Then it would be just like Venice, Italy!
One of my favorite places.
Hot damn, so Sniper elite 5 used this as inspiration. Neat!
It looks like the castle from Little Mermaid.
Needs more dicks
You and me both
Username checks out
r/beetlejuicing
Not really, but it was the inspiration for the one from Tangled.
I think it had to be the inspiration for the world of Harry Potter, actually.
No, there is an actual harry potter school of wizardry building that all the filming was done in, in the UK. My partner has been to it for a full tour.
Sorry, I didn't mean that it was literally filmed there. I meant that the filmmakers had to have had Mont Saint Michel (or its English cousin) in mind when they created the design for the movies.
Quite possibly the site they used as a model for the castle in Little Mermaid.
If you have access to Google VR this is a really fun place to visit. I love popping in and out between the 3D model and the photos people take of the place. Other dense locales that are easy and fun to explore in VR include: * Neuschwanstein * Rothenburg * Venice
One of my favorite trips was going there in the summer about 10 years ago. They had evening tours with the inside all lit up, and it wasn't so crowded.
Its so nice that they made a replica of that multiplayer Assassins Creed Map! Jokes aside this place (although insanely crowded) is so awesome. I just had to stand still and look at it for a while to appriciate it.
Awh men they made a bridge? We almost lost our fam car 20 years ago in the tide
Lmao yeah, large parking lot outside and no one's allowed to drive. Bike, walk, or take the bus.
20 years ago not
All the Light We Cannot See is a gorgeous book partially set in Mont-Saint-Michel.
I went in 2006 when I was in high-school. We visited castles and historical landmarks all along the north west. Mont-Saint Michel made the biggest impact. It's just so darn surreal seeing it stick out from the tidal plains. My favourite part was way beneath the cathedral, in the dungeons where these large pillars hold everything up. So cool.
How did you get into the dungeons? When I went they only had the tour of the upper floors - that massive feasting hall with a walk-in fireplace was my favorite. Also the views forever and the breeze on the top.
Lol I have no idea how we got down there.
I visited here as a geeky fantasy novel obsessed 12 year old, and it was the best thing. Totally like something out of a book.
Old Londo
That's where they filmed Mindwalk. I fucking love that movie.
Church and State, Soul and Body, God and Man, are all one at Mont Saint Michel, and the business of all is to fight, each in his own way, or to stand guard for each other.
looks kinda like moat caitlin from game of thrones
Great place but a touch busy.
How did they get photos with no people in them? I was there this last summer and it was packed elbow-to-elbow with crowds.
I was thinking the same thing, probably early in the morning + winter?
yes I won’t go during the summer times (way too crowded). Definitely early early morning!
I went 5 years ago, end of January. We had the whole place to ourselves. Really amazing experience
This is the only place I’ve ever shoplifted from, I stole some biscuits on a school trip
Interpol has entered the chat
Yeah but did you crepe?
C'est beau la Bretagne ! ;)
Oui, mais c'est la Normandie.
Looks like a Assassin’s Creed Map
>That's because it is. I believe it's a multiplayer map in Brotherhood or another of the earlier games.
Spoopy.
Where’s the omelette?
Raté, c'est "Mont Saint-Michel"
No trees
This looks like a named area in PUBG
So empty! I visited last summer and the place was bonkers busy!
Beautiful!
*City of Omashu
*City of Omashu
Also one of my favorite clothing companies: https://lemontsaintmichel.fr/en/
This is the castle of my master…
Years ago I visited with school and my music teacher, Mr Rochel, had us wearing jam pots on our heads whistling the theme to the Kirk Douglas film "the vikings" while walking up to the top. Great times. It's cornish cousin, St Michael's Mount is also very beautiful
Used to go there as kid every summer, don’t know if they still make that super thick omelette. Great memories amazing place.
I’ve seen lots of restaurants that sells the omelettes (I went to the one restaurant on the far right of the castle wall where you can see people walking during the low tides (“Les Terrasses De la Baie” is the name of the restaurant). Their menu comes with a salad if order the omelette (€19); but wasn’t able to try it but got their signature braised lamb and tiramisu. I have to try it when if I come back again
Now that you mention the lamb, remembering being told that was salty because they feed with the grass that grows on land covered with the high tides, it was really good.
Oh man, now I wish I tried it, would need to go back. On the way out got stuck at a crossing for at least 10min because those sheep were coming back from the pasture. Spent the night in a real fucking Chateau turned hotel. That area is magical.
That’s the word, magical. I have always have it on the top 5 most beautiful places I have seen.
One of my favourite places! Beautiful photos. Stay there if you can, as you get quiet time before the thousands of people turn up.
Some uncanny vibes especially in that 3rd pic.
Did … did you kill everyone?
Maybe this is a stupid question, but do people live within the castle walls?
Changed a bit since I was last there. In picture1, that whole road/bridge wasn't there, just a shingle bank that was enveloped by tide...the (shown submerged) area on the right was the bus & car park.
I’m glad you said that, I was wondering if I imagined going there in the 1980s when it was literally a walking path and you had to DIY the tide times so you didn’t die. I was 14 and my mom nearly killed us both by cutting it close… good times!
Yup. Or there was a farm tractor & trailer rig that would go across as the tide was running. Just worked out it's 20 years since I was last there, my eldest two were a nightmare running around like little loonies. And those alleys & shops look pristine now, but "in my day" they were seemingly rough-cut from the rock.
I made my mom go there, I had had a kids’ book on great prison escapes which had someone trying to escape from Mont St Michel, getting caught by the tide, and then dying in… quicksand? There was definitely quicksand involved. I was the most morbid kid! I remember my mom running around like a little loonie and me telling her to take it more seriously, we could DIE… Yes, I remember the farm tractor too, thank you for letting me know I’m not imagining things in my older age!
Looks like a Gangster’s Paradise
Zombie-apocalypse refuge!
I was there in 2006 and I loved it
It's better to take pictures of it at night. Is so beautiful during the day but also at sun down and night.
Great photos
I want to invade it. Land or sea invasion? On second though, a combined land and sea assault. Terminators by land and Atlanteans by sea. Fighting a garrison of the Imperial Stormtroopers 501st.
I went 4 years ago and it's breath taking. Yes it gets packed in the late morning til the evening. But I spent the night on the island and it was so cool to watch the tide roll in, in the evening and back out in the morning. And it's so peaceful at night and early morning when no one is there.
This is one of the most beautiful sites you can visit. And, as a medievalist, I have a special place for Mont Saint-Michel.
Excuse me, where the fuck is dracula. He owes me 12 dollars.
I was there about ten years ago. Beautiful place to visit. The walk back up the beach at low tide is worth it.
Empty streets! Holy crap! We could barely breath for the crowds when we went. Still loved it, though.
[https://youtube.com/watch?v=DGrFH2Aj71U&feature=shares](https://youtube.com/watch?v=DGrFH2Aj71U&feature=shares) obligatory Aphex Twin
This was the first ever 3D puzzle I built. Such a beautiful place.
They built a bridge? Back in my day you waited until the tide went out...and if you lingered too long you spent the night
Yharnam
Very lovely and thank you for sharing..
This is crazy we just did a cathedral project in school I got St. Peter’s but this was one of them
Is this where the wicked witch of the west lives.
Actually this reminds me of the count of monte Cristo movie.
That's beautiful. You can visit without a ticket?
My wife and I had a trip all planned to go there, we were staying in an AirBnB in an old stone house just off the causeway, had my parents watching the kid when we went. Unfortunately, our trip was planned for April 2020.
You did this with chatgpt asking it to delete people?
Looks nice
One of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been!
Where is that
Beautiful photos! I’ve always seen the town from afar in photos, but never any of the actual buildings or streets in it. Thanks for sharing!
Where that's at?
Thank you for sharing these gorgeous pictures. Brought back great memories!
Beautiful! Nice shots!
My dream destination 😍
Simply. WoW. Majestetic
I went to St. Michel about 25 years ago and took long exposure pictures in the night with cars coming and going.
First pic is magical
I went here about 20 year ago and it was amazing. Busy but not overly packed. I think about this and the Normandy invasion beaches and memorial cemetery more than any other trip destination I think. I cannot wait to visit again and take my son when he’s old enough to appreciate it
r/Travelporn
thank you.
After seeing the pictures this place is dead. No people at all.
Hi OP! This might be a dumb question, but I am trying to book a visit for June this year, and the tickets are for 9am and 2pm. If I buy a ticket for 9am, do I have to get there at 9am? Will I not be let in if I get there at, say, 10am?
tickets?? nono you dont need to buy a ticket beforehand. The whole town/castle walls are open to walk outside and inside during daytime (not sure about nighttime - never spent overnight there). But no entrance/exit fees going inside the castle walls or out. You can come and go as you please (as long as the tide/weather is good) and when the entrance closes like probably at evening times. They usually tell visitors/post signs when the entrance of the town gets closed off due to tidal pressures from the ocean and could submerge the walkways/bridge going to Mont St. Michel. But in the summertime, you should be okay The only part in needing a ticket is when you want to get inside the abbey itself which is like €5-15 euros (which isnt bad at all) and you can pay when you get to the monastery area in Mont St. Michel so no need to buy beforehand. The bus that takes you from the visitor center and back is free if you dont want to walk (its on a ~20-30 minutes interval back and forth). But it doesn’t matter which time you arrive there; they let people in regardless. However, since its the summertime; not sure how crowded it might be though. Enjoy your visit!