France: Mont St Michel – Daytime Exploration

Mont St Michel has been on my bucket list for a long time – it is truly a wonder of the world! It was the first site in France to be put on the UNESCO Heritage list, and France has more then anybody in terms of sites. Mont St Michel is a medieval fortress and abbey built on an island 1km offshore. The town of Minas Tirith in The Lord of Rings movie was inspired and based on Mt St Michel. The structure of the island was meant to exemplify that of France – on top was god (the abbey), great halls below that for nobility, houses and shops below, military fortifications, and then fishermen and farmers outside the walls. The monastery was built here as far back as the 8th century and the fortress remained unconquered during many medieval wars. 3 million people visit this annually!