Mont Saint-Michel
France
The Mont Saint-Michel is a French village whose name comes from the rocky islet dedicated to Saint Michel where the abbey of the Mont Saint-Michel stands today. While about 250 people lived in Mont St Michel in 1800, today there are only 30 inhabitants.
A statue of Saint Michael placed at the top of the abbey church reaches 157.10 meters above the shore.
The island and the bay of the Mont St Michel are since 1979 registered with the world heritage of UNESCO. It is one of the most visited sites in France.
In the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, one can observe the highest tides in continental Europe, which can reach up to 15 meters of tidal range (difference between low and high tides). During the rising tide, the sea advances towards the coast “at the speed of a galloping horse”. When the tide is high, the Mont St Michel becomes an island again.