Rescue on the Beach of Normandy

Filed in archive Destination: Europe on June 21, 2006

Mont-Saint-Michel is one of France's major tourist attractions, a Benedictine abbey and church built on a small rock outpost off the coast of Normandy over a 500 year period.

When it was completed in the 16th Century, the island was surrounded by water and almost 2.5 km from the mainland. Over time, silt has built up in the channel, and land has encroached on the island until only a few dozen meters seperate the island from muddy, sandy bog.

France has now launched a 5 year, 150 million euro project to return Mont-Saint-Michel to it's original geography, with the aid of a bridge and dam designed to wash away the silt and get the water flowing again.

The island is actually a little village, complete with shops, a museum, restaurants, and of course, hotels. Among them: the La Mer Poulard, the island's only 4* hotel. Room rates range from 100€ to 340€ per night, and an excellent change to enjoy a historic hostelry and restaurant in a UNESCO World Heritage site.