Le Mont Saint Michel and Mont Dol
Fantastic day in Normandy and Brittany at one of the worlds most popular destinations.
Known as Mont Tombe, from the Roman name Tumba, Le Mont St Michel is a granite outcrop, a tidal island,
that was formed 525 million years ago.
The first community was formed by an Irish Hermit. But it was the Bishop of Avranches (Saint Aubert)
who built the first church on Le Mont in 709.
It came under the control of the Bretons in 867, but William Longsword, annexed it in 933.
Over the centuries the church became the beautiful Gothic monument that is seen today, with eventually the Gold Archangel at the summit. It, along with Mont Dol plays an important part on the Bayeux tapestry and it was one of the turning points in the 100 years war.
This tour takes us through the spectacular regions of Normandy and Brittany, separated largely by the Couesnon river, this has been a disputed boundary for hundreds of years between the rival dukes.
We can climb the narrow, medieval street to the abbey and descend by the ramparts, having lunch either
on le mont in one of the many restaurants in the nearby villages.