Persdossier Mont Saint Michel

A MAGICAL JOURNEY 2015 THE MONT-SAINT-MICHEL BECOMES AN ISLAND ONCE MORE

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A MAGICAL JOURNEY

530 585 530 585 900 : RCS Roubaix

900 : RCS Roubaix

2015 THE MONT-SAINT-MICHEL BECOMES AN ISLAND ONCE MORE

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE

DIETMAR FEICHTINGER ARCHITECTES/SBP DIETMAR FEICHTINGER ARCHITECTES/SBP

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE

WWW.DISCOVER-MONTSAINTMICHEL.COM

WWW.DISCOVER-MONTSAINTMICHEL.COM

© Pixel & Création - Fotolia.com

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CONTENTS page IN 2015, THE MONT-SAINT-MICHEL BECOMES AN ISLAND ONCE MORE 3 Rediscover the Mont-Saint-Michel

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Experience unique high tides to the full in 2015

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The Bay reinventing the Mont-Saint-Michel

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EXCEPTIONAL WORKS FOR AN EXCEPTIONAL SITE THE ABBEY OF THE MONT-SAINT-MICHEL

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The history of the Abbey

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A complete overview of its medieval architecture

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A unique belvedere over the Bay

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Cultural diary at the Abbey in 2015

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THE MONT-SAINT-MICHEL, A MAJOR PILGRIMAGE SITE 1 4 THE VILLAGE ON THE MONT-SAINT-MICHEL

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THE BAY OF THE MONT-SAINT-MICHEL

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500 km of natural treasures

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A wealth of flora and fauna

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Outings across the Bay of the Mont-Saint-Michel

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The GR 223 hiking path, or ‘Sentier des Douaniers’

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WHAT TO SEE AND DO NEAR THE MONT-SAINT-MICHEL 1 9 The Scriptorial in Avranches

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The Treasury of the Basilica of Saint-Gervais in Avranches 19 The Ecomusée de la Baie

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Granville, a corsairs’ port turned lively seaside resort

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SOME useful ADDRESSES ON THE MONT-SAINT-MICHEL 21 Accommodation: on the Mount, around the Bay, and nearby... 21 Food and drink - discovering gastronomy in Normandy

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The 2015 calendar of events

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CONTACT DETAILS

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©Jérémie Eloy /Wanaiifilms.com

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IN 2015, THE MONT-SAINT-MICHEL BECOMES AN ISLAND ONCE MORE REDISCOVER THE MONT-SAINT-MICHEL Following 20 years of exceptional planning and works, 2015 marks the re-establishment of the MontSaint-Michel’s maritime character, symbolised by the destruction of the old causeway linking mainland to island.

With February’s high tides, it became possible to witness the transformation of the Mont-Saint-Michel back into an island. Now visitors from around the world can come to enjoy and admire this impressive spectacle.

The Mont-Saint-Michel is to France what the Great Pyramid is to Egypt. The Mount must be protected from any mutilation.

The Mont-Saint-Michel must remain an island. It is absolutely essential to preserve this double masterpiece, created both by nature and by art.

Victor Hugo

This ambitious project is unprecedented in scale, matching the exceptional site and monument. It enables visitors from across the globe to discover one of humanity’s most beautiful treasures in a very special way. The site has now been protected for future generations. " The Mount’s magic and its extraordinary nature stem from its rare combination of incredible natural beauty – with a ‘mountain’ standing in the midst of nowhere, surrounded by water – and of glorious architecture created by the genius of its mason monks.”

Frédéric Lenoir, co-author of La promesse de l’ange (published by Albin Michel, 2004)

A DOUBLE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE LISTING

© S-Lorkin - Anibas Photography-Dietmar Feichtinger

The Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. Together, they form one of the most visited tourist sites in France, receiving c.2.5 million visitors a year. Since 1998, the Mont-Saint-Michel has even benefitted from a rare double appearance on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list, as it also features under the ‘Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France’, lying on one of Europe’s great pilgrimage paths.

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© D.Daguier

A NEW APPROACH TO THE SITE...

There’s no doubting that 2015 marks a decisive turning point in the history of the MontSaint-Michel. Until recently threatened by the silting up of the Bay around it and marred by car parks so close to it, today the Mont-Saint-Michel is rediscovering its natural strength and the spirit of the place as wished for by the Abbey’s original builders.

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Beyond the beauty of the architecture and the Mont-Saint-Michel’s rich history, it’s also the immense, unspoilt natural setting that makes you now marvel at every turn. The Mount has been freed from disruptive cars as you approach the site which has been reconnected with its surroundings and the spirit of the place. ©Thomas Jouanneau

If nothing had been done, the Mount would have lost its maritime character and island status for good. Thanks to the creation of a dam on the nearby Couesnon River and of a bridge linking mainland to island, the MontSaint-Michel has regained all its former splendour.

From the new introductory route onwards, you can discover a site that lifts the heart, as you contemplate the stunning setting where sea, sky and land now merge unimpeded.

... IN PROFOUND HARMONY WITH THE BEAUTY AND SPIRIT OF THE PLACE

EXPERIENCE UNIQUE HIGH TIDES TO THE FULL IN 2015 The Bay of the Mont-Saint-Michel boasts one of the largest tidal ranges in the world (the Bay of Fundy in Canada has the biggest range), allowing you to enjoy the extraordinary spectacle of high tides marked by exceptionally high waters.

Now, once the high tide exceeds a certain coefficient, seawater isolates the Mount from the mainland twice a day. Legend has it that the sea here advances at the speed of a galloping horse.

During the spring tides* around the equinoxes, the sea can withdraw as far as 15 km from the shoreline. The sight of the tides shifting in and out of the Bay of the Mont-Saint-Michel is truly astonishing and awe-inspiring.

WHERE BEST TO ADMIRE SPRING TIDES*?

In order to observe the phenomenon of the rising tides in the Bay, you need to be on site two hours before high tide.

From the Mont-Saint-Michel, the Abbey terraces and the ramparts, to watch the tide come in to the estuary of the Couesnon River Beside the Bay, along the coast, close to Avranches or Granville: at La Roche Torin, Le Gué de l’Epine, Le Val-Saint-Père, or Le Grouin du Sud at Vains-Saint-Léonard From the bridge linking Mount to mainland

EXCEPTIONAL HIGH TIDES AROUND THE MOUNT IN 2015 In France, the scale of each tide (calculated by the Service Hydrographique et Océanique de la Marine) is indicated by its tidal coefficient, ranging between 20 and 120. On 21st March 2015, the tidal coefficient reached an exceptional 119 at the Mont-Saint-Michel. The last time there was a similar so-called ‘tide of the century’ was on 10th March 1997. The next such truly exceptional tides will take place on 3rd March 2033 and 14th March 2051! Back to 2015, the Bay of the Mont-SaintMichel will experience 40 days this coming year when the tidal coefficient will reach over 100, with 18 of those over 110.

Around the Mont-Saint-Michel’s ramparts, very high tides with coefficients between 100 and 119 translate into water reaching c.12 to 13.5 metres above the average level. At the entrance to the Greater Bay (drawing a line from Cancale to Granville), the waters will reach an additional 14 metres in height. Thanks to the major works recently carried out, the Mont-Saint-Michel will revert to being an island with a coefficient of 110 or over, finding itself once more isolated in its great Bay for one hour with each high tide (once in the morning, once in the evening).

Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun on our seas and oceans. The so-called ‘tide of the century’ in fact occurs roughly every 18 years. It arises when several astronomical factors combine, such as when orbital distances are at their shortest and the heavenly bodies are aligned in a certain manner.

MAJOR SPRING TIDES IN 2015 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd March coefficients from 111 to 119 19th and 20th April coefficients from 109 to 113 30th and 31st August, plus 1st September coefficients from 111 to 114 28th, 29th and 30th September coefficients from 110 to 117 27th, 28th and 29th October coefficients from 111 to 113

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The year 2015 will see 40 exceptional tides, across 20 days.

When the coefficient reaches above 110, you can witness the natural spectacle twice in a day, once in the morning, once in the evening.

All the tide timetables are available on www.mairie-lemontsaintmichel.fr

* A common historical term which has nothing to do with the season of spring, derived from the concept of the tide "springing forth”.

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THE BAY REINVENTING THE MONT-SAINT-MICHEL © Thomas Jouanneau

So one of France’s unmissable tourist destinations, one of Normandy’s greatest heritage gems, reveals its new look in 2015, offering a unique experience befitting the expectations of a site where culture and nature combine in a truly remarkable manner.

TRANSFORMATIVE WORKS ON A GRAND SCALE The whole operation, conceived on a massive scale, was initiated in 1995 by the European Union, the French State and the Norman and Breton authorities. It has now reached its conclusion. It was undertaken with grand aims in mind: to preserve this treasure of mankind for generations to come; to thoroughly restore the landscapes and seascapes in which one of the world’s heritage gems is set; and to renew the approach to the site, recreating the spirit of pilgrims crossing to the Mount.

The new dam, bridge and Centre d’Information Touristique (Visitor Information Centre), the new pedestrian routes to the Mount and the new car parks… these discreet, sober, elegant works have also been designed to respect the site and grandeur of the Mont-Saint-Michel.

A NEW LOOK AND NEW ACCESSES THE MONT-SAINT-MICHEL AS YOU’VE NEVER SEEN IT

© MGD

The new journey towards the Mont-Saint-Michel begins at the new car parks for cars and coaches. Beside these, visitors can stop at the Visitor Information Centre, which provides all the useful information about the Mount and its Bay, plus the regions of Normandy and Brittany more widely. Multimedia presentations and an immersive film complement the information provided by the staff at the Centre.

Next, visitors can board the shuttle buses, or the Maringotes, horse-drawn shuttles, for a very original trip.

Those who wish to take their time and walk, savouring the remarkable landscapes and seascapes, can stop at the new dam before taking the new paths laid out from the Visitor Information Centre to the Mount.

All these new structures have been perfectly integrated into the surroundings. They also offer new possibilities for admiring the Mont-Saint-Michel along the way. From the belvedere on the dam, or lingering on the new bridge, the visitor’s gaze can take in the vastness and magical quality of the place, appreciating the renewed serenity of the site.

The ultimate reward is a visit to the Abbey atop the Mount with its views across the Bay from its high terraces, offering the crowning glory in rediscovering the Mont-Saint-Michel in its new setting.

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EXCEPTIONAL WORKS FOR AN EXCEPTIONAL SITE The year 2015 sees the completion of 20 years of planning and works on a vast scale, to reinstate the maritime character and island status of the Mont-Saint-Michel. The various structures involved have all been designed so that their technical functions blend in seamlessly with the beauty of the surrounds. They are sober and elegant, as well as being intelligently conceived and discreet. The bridge dreamt up by Dietmar Feichtinger looks wonderfully light and transparent; it illustrates perfectly the way the new structures manage to remain in the background, putting the magic of the site to the fore. This sensitive architectural approach shows the very concrete way in which this project, with its long-term environmentally sustainable aims, has placed the Bay and its Abbey, such a spiritual and heritage high point, at its heart.

THE COMPLETION OF 20 YEARS OF PLANNING AND WORKS WORKS TIMELINE

Start of works

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

THE DAM ON THE COUESNON

2014

2015

Opening of the eastern branch of the Couesnon x

THE HYDRAULIC WORKS

Upstream and downstream of the Couesnon as far as the Anse de Moidrey

THE CAR PARKS THE SHUTTLES

x The

car parks become operational

x The

shuttles become operational

THE NEW STRUCTURE TO REACH THE MOUNT

2009 The dam across the Couesnon River enters into operation. Created by architect Luc Weizmann, work on it was officially launched by the French Prime Minister, Dominique de Villepin, in June 2006. The dam, the cornerstone of the hydraulic part of the project, begins to work its effect, slowing the silting up of the waters around the Mount in an effective, measured manner.

2010-2011 During these years, work gets underway on the facilities to welcome visitors (the car parks and the buildings for the Visitor Information Centre and services) and on completely renewing the approaches to the Mount. The alterations upstream and downstream along the Couesnon also begin, to enable the river to regain its hydraulic capacity to shift sediment far from the Mount.

The contracting authority for the reestablishment of the maritime character of the Mont-Saint-Michel is the Syndicat Mixte Baie du Mont-Saint-Michel, which represents the regions of Lower Normandy and Brittany, the Manche County and the municipalities of the Mont-Saint-Michel, Beauvoir and Pontorson. www.projetmontsaintmichel.fr

FINAL INAUGURATION

2012 On 28th April, the new car parks on the mainland and the shuttle buses to take visitors across to the Mount enter into service.

2014 The bridge conceived by Dietmar Feichtinger opens to visitors, both those on foot and those using the shuttle buses.

2015 In time for the new tourist season, the various structures put in place to re-establish the maritime character of the Mont-Saint-Michel are fully completed. The operations conclude with the destruction of the road on the causeway that was previously used by visitors and was over 100 years old, dating from 1879. The whole site is cleared up, for example with the removal of the old car parks and of the site construction areas.

It will take a few years more (until c.2025) for the Mount to rediscover its maritime character to the full.

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© S-Lorkin-Anibas-Photography-Dietmar Feichtinger

THE DAM, A STRUCTURAL WORK OF ART IN ITS OWN RIGHT The dam’s architecture takes into account all the facets of a site where nature, culture and technical know-how need to work together in an exceptional way. The dam is accomplishing its mission to improve the flow of water around the Mont-Saint-Michel as well as providing a new stage in the discovery of the Mount, offering a public area for contemplating and understanding the great Bay. The dam’s maritime balcony over the water is a woodclad amphitheatre turned towards the Abbey, hiding its ‘Marvel of the West’. It also forms a link between the two banks of the Couesnon River, and between the mainland and the Bay. It offers a good spot to watch the tidal ebb and flow and the arrival of tidal bores*. Plus, in time, it will be possible to measure the effects of the controlled release of waters from the Couesnon. Watching the dam’s technical features at work makes an impressive sight in itself, what with the movement of the sluice gates and of the water as it’s either released or left to fill up behind the dam. ” The play of the opening and closing of the sluice gates and of the shifting in the water’s height gives an ever-changing perspective of the dam, which goes from looking thoroughly opaque to markedly transparent, when the sluice gates are fully opened.

This variation in the dam’s visual impact matches the natural, changing, cyclical logic of the fluctuations in the Couesnon’s waters and in the tides. The harmony of the relationship between this hydraulic regulator and the surrounding environment, between the mobility of the technical mechanisms and the cycles of the natural elements, is particularly significant…”

Luc Weizmann, the dam’s architect The dam is an architectural work that also reflects the Mont-Saint-Michel’s history and spirit as an intellectual centre. The dam has been provided with a ‘console of letters’, where you can see engraved the four alphabets

that formed the foundations of writing in Europe, the Hebrew and Arab letters reading right to left, the Greek and Latin ones left to right. This recalls the importance of the Abbey of the Mont-Saint-Michel as a major medieval centre of learning and of manuscript production.

THE BRIDGE 2015 is important as the year of the destruction of the former causeway with its road. It has been permanently replaced by a new access route, moved a little to the east, opening up views across the Bay, to the Tombelaine Rock and to the Mont-Saint-Michel itself. The bridge is insubmersible, even with the highest tides, lets the waters flow beneath it and leads visitors on to an esplanade right at the foot of the Mount’s ramparts. This esplanade will be completely covered in water whenever exceptionally high tides reach beyond a coefficient of 110, on average 20 days a year, with two high tides on each of these days, one in the morning, one in the evening. On those occasions, the Mont-Saint-Michel will become an island once more for a few hours at a time, to be seen in the midst of its original maritime setting.

© Leila Neirijnck

” The Mont-Saint-Michel derives all its strength from the landscape in which it stands, being the single intense focal point in the infinite flatness of the shore, and not quite an island, not quite a peninsula. The project’s essential requirement was not to perturb the spirit of the place, so closely linked to its ambiguous status and to the absence of scale or of other visual markers. The visitor’s gaze should continue to lose itself on the horizon. The walk across the bridge will provide visitors with powerful sensations as they immerse themselves in this vastness. This approach should be viewed as a journey rather than a simple crossing from A to B. It offers a crucial, reflective period for visitors to reach this otherworldly place floating in the distance on the maritime horizon.”

Dietmar Feichtinger, the bridge’s architect * Please see dedicated fact box on page 16.

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New Bridge

Hydraulic works in tHe bay

© A.Hemon

new access routes to tHe Mount

© Thomas Jouanneau / Signatures

Esplanade and ford

Access road Dam and Observation Terrace

Square beside the dam

Visitor Information Centre

tHe daM

D 275)

ches (R

n to Avra

© Altibreizh

Car park

Shuttle stop

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© Infography: www.aprim-caen.fr

Overall diagram Of the NeW StrUCtUreS

Infographie : www.aprim-caen.fr

© Altibreizh

Moidrey's cove

to Pontorson (RD 976)

Hydraulic works upstreaM of tHe daM

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THE ABBEY OF THE MONT-SAINT-MICHEL

The history of the Abbey The long history of the Mont-Saint-Michel is believed to date back to 708, when Aubert, bishop of the nearby hill town of Avranches, had a first Christian shrine in honour of the Archangel Michael built on the rock, served by a small community of canon monks.

In 966, at the request of Norman Duke Richard I, Benedictine monks took up residence on the Mount.

With them and their new monastery, the Abbey would really begin to grow in importance. It rapidly became a major pilgrimage destination in Western Christendom, as well as a major centre of medieval culture, where a great number of manuscripts were produced and kept. A place of intellectual and political exchanges, where Greco-Arab and Carolingian traditions merged, the Abbey was also strongly influenced by relations between France and Britain.

Following the French Revolution, the possessions of the French Church were declared ‘national assets’ and in 1793 the Abbey was turned into a prison. This sacrilegious transformation would in the long run prove the Abbey’s salvation, sparing it from demolition.

In 1863, the Abbey’s period as a prison came to an end by imperial decree. In 1874, the place was listed as a historic monument. Since 1979, the Mont-Saint-Michel and its whole ensemble (the Abbey, the village and the Bay) have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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© PHB

Dominating the fortified village and its charming lanes, the Abbey of the Mont-SaintMichel bears testament to the architectural mastery of its medieval builders. It consists of over 20 chambers, notable among them a preRomanesque chapel, Romanesque religious buildings, a Gothic wing known as ‘the Marvel’ and the Flamboyant Gothic choir end to the Abbey church. Down the centuries, what with fires, collapses, reconstructions, architectural choices and changes in function, the Abbey underwent many transformations. Today, its opening to the public is managed by the French State’s Centre des Monuments Nationaux. This heritage body’s tourism and cultural roles include the programming of activities for the widest range of visitors, with guided tours, concerts, conferences, family tours, school projects and more.

THE CENTRE DES MONUMENTS NATIONAUX

The Centre des Monuments Nationaux is a State administrative body overseen by the French Ministry of Culture and Communications. It preserves, restores, manages and brings cultural life to over 100 State-owned national monuments which it opens to the public. These properties demonstrate, through their great variety, the wealth of French heritage down the ages, from prehistoric caves and archaeological sites to abbeys and châteaux. This network of properties receives over nine million visitors a year, making the Centre des Monuments Nationaux the leading State tourism and cultural provider in France.

It has some 1,300 employees dedicated to working with the public. Its annual budget is €130 million, in large part generated by its own resources (ticket sales, sales from its shops and its publishing arm, Editions du Patrimoine, hiring spaces and sponsorship), but supplemented by a subsidy from the French Ministry of Culture and Communications, two-thirds of which are devoted to work maintaining and restoring the properties, given the new responsibilities of the Centre des Monuments Nationaux to act as contracting authority for these sites.

www.monuments-nationaux.fr/en

©P. Berthé, CMN

a COMPLETE OVERVIEW OF ITS MEDIEVAL ARCHITECTURE Rising between sea and sky, the Abbey is topped by a spire crowned by a statue of the Archangel Michael. The design of its architecture cannot be compared to any other abbey and demonstrates the skill and know-how of its medieval builders.

The Abbey of the Mont-Saint-Michel presents an exceptional ensemble of buildings representing different periods, Carolingian, Romanesque and Gothic.

The various elements were built down the centuries to meet the needs of monastic life. The 20 chambers include a pre-Romanesque chapel, Romanesque religious buildings, a Gothic wing known as ‘the Marvel’ and a Flamboyant Gothic choir end to the Abbey church.

Given the Mount’s steep sides, the master masons in charge designed buildings to wrap around the granite rock. The Abbey church stands at the summit, resting on crypts that create an 80-metre-long platform. Two major requirements had to be met in the construction of the Abbey of the Mont-Saint-Michel – the demands of monastic life and the topographical constraints of the site.

‘THE MARVEL’ This wing is often cited as the greatest glory among the Abbey’s constructions, a masterpiece of Norman Gothic architecture demonstrating the mastery of its 13th century masons, who managed to build two connecting blocks into the northern slope of the Mount, their three storeys containing chambers dedicated to monastic life and to welcoming pilgrims.

© PHBD

The structure of the spaces placed one on top of the other in these blocks becomes lighter and lighter as you go upwards. On the ground floor, the wine and food storeroom and the almonry, where alms were distributed to the poor, were particularly solidly constructed to ensure the stability of the ensemble. On the first floor, the scriptorium, where manuscripts were prepared, also known as the Knights’ Hall, stands alongside the Guests’ Hall, designed to receive noble pilgrims. For greater comfort, tapestries separated the area dedicated to the kitchens, recognisable from the vast fireplaces. Many French kings were received here, from Saint Louis to François I. The 13th century cloister stands at the top of the Marvel. Its garden, suspended between earth and sky, represents paradise on earth. The patterns formed by the irregular columns and the spandrels delicately carved in high relief in limestone from Caen make the cloister an undisputed masterpiece of Norman Gothic. It leads to the monks’ refectory, whose luminosity is surprising at first sight, as the window openings aren’t immediately obvious and can only be detected as you cross the room. In fact, the walls prove thin and elegant, like blinds in stone letting in the light.

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© T. Lhomond, CMN

THE ABBEY, A UNIQUE BELVEDERE OVER THE BAY A new guided tour: ‘A Sunday in the sky with the Archangel Michael’ From 22nd February to 20th December 2015 One guided tour per month.

Just as the Mont-Saint-Michel is revealing its new look and rediscovering its island status, the Centre des Monuments Nationaux is re-opening a belvedere that is as startling as it is majestic – the terraces around the Abbey church’s choir end. On the guided tour ‘A Sunday in the sky with the Archangel Michael’ you’ll discover the Abbey’s highest-perched secrets! You’re led up to a staircase of lace, a unique flight of steps cut into one of the flying buttresses, accessing the Abbey’s spire. This stairway is said to be of lace because of the delicate openwork Gothic sculptures along its granite railings.

By reservation only - tel. 00 33 (0)2 33 89 80 00 Visit lasts 2hrs - a maximum of 18 people only on each tour. 03/05; 14/06; 12/07; 23/08; 27/09; 18/10; 15/11; 20/12 2015.

Adult price: €13 Reduced price (18 to 25 years old) or PASS education: €9 For those under 18: free

This terrace consists of the original square built in front of the Abbey church, plus the area left after three bays at the end of the nave collapsed following a fire in the 18th century. The classical façade was added in 1780. From the terrace, you get sweeping views right across the Bay, from Cancale’s rocky tip in Brittany in the west to the cliffs of Normandy in the east. Two further granite hills stand out, the Mont-Dol to the southwest, rising out of flat agricultural lands, and the Tombelaine Rock, out in the Bay to the north. On the horizon, you can spot the Chausey Islands on a clear day; it was from this archipelago that the granite was quarried to build the Abbey. In addition, the western terrace offers a unique viewpoint onto the Abbey’s neo-Gothic spire, put up in 1897 and topped by a gilded copper statue of Saint Michael.

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© P. Berthé, CMN

THE WESTERN TERRACE

Cultural Diary at the Abbey in 2015 ‘Exceptional High Tide’ Evenings

Musical Season

21st and 22nd March, 31st August and 29th September 2015

Several times a year, classical music concerts take place in the majestic setting of the Abbey of the Mont-SaintMichel. Renowned musical ensembles make the spaces come alive to the sound of Bach, Vivaldi, Delalande, Mozart to name but a few.

The Abbey stays open until 10pm, with last entry at 9pm.

The Abbey’s calm atmosphere come evening offers an unparalleled setting from which to admire the exceptional high tides coming in across the Bay, subject to the highest tides on the European continent. From the Abbey’s western terrace, the viewpoint is awesome, allowing you to witness the breath-taking spectacle of the tide racing in, along with the famed Mont-Saint-Michel tidal bore, visible two hours before high tide is reached.

Saturday 6th June 2015, from 8.30pm Concerto for 12 Strings, played by the Orchestre Régional de Basse-Normandie

Saturday 5th September 2015, from 8.30pm

© Thierry Houyel

Couperin’s Les Leçons de Ténèbres, played by the Concert Spirituel ensemble, directed by Hervé Niquet

Saturday 4th October 2015, from 6pm

Mozart’s Requiem, played by the Orchestre Régional de Basse-Normandie

For further information and concert reservations: evenements-amsm@monuments-nationaux.fr

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Night-time Tours From 11 July to 29 August 2015 th

th

Every night except Sundays.

Abbey open from 7pm to midnight, with last entry at 11pm.

As night falls, the Abbey of the Mont-Saint-Michel reveals its mysteries as well as its past. The theatrical play of lights and images, accompanied by sound and music, creates a completely different atmosphere, leading to surprising, unexpected discoveries...

Centre des monuments nationaux Abbaye du Mont-Saint-Michel 50170 Le Mont-Saint-Michel Tel. 0033 (0)2 33 89 80 00 Fax 0033 (0)2 33 70 83 08 abbaye.mont-saint-michel@ monuments-nationaux.fr www.mont-saint-michel. monuments-nationaux.fr/en

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© Büedel Wolfgang

THE MONT-SAINTMICHEL, A MAJOR PILGRIMAGE SITE Following its foundation in the Dark Ages, the Mont-Saint-Michel, along with Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain, became one of the most significant pilgrimage shrines in Western Christendom. Through medieval times, pilgrims from right across Europe met each other on the pilgrimage routes to them.

LES CHEMINS DU MONT-SAINT-MICHEL, PILGRIMAGE ROUTES TO THE HOLY MOUNT Today, over 2,500 km of sign-posted pilgrimage routes lead to the Mont-Saint-Michel, grouped together under the title of Les Chemins du Mont-Saint-Michel. Some of these routes start from the ports of Cherbourg and Barfleur, using the Chemins aux Anglais, or English routes. Others go from Caen and Rouen, via the Chemins des Ducs de Normandie. Others still are marked from Chartres, Paris and Tours. In addition, two further pilgrimage routes, partially signposted in both directions, head off to join the Santiago de Compostela trail at Saint-Jean-d’Angély in southwest France. So it’s now possible to follow a pilgrimage trail from the Mont-Saint-Michel in northwest France to Santiago in northwest Spain. www.lescheminsdumontsaintmichel.com

THE MONASTIC COMMUNITIES OF JERUSALEM The Monastic Communities of Jerusalem (or Jerusalem Community) came into being on All Saints’ Day 1975, at the Church of Saint-Gervais, Paris, as a result of the wishes of Cardinal François Marty, then Archbishop of Paris, and a proposal put forward by Father Pierre-Marie Delfieux, founder of the Jerusalem Community and also at that time chaplain to the students of the Sorbonne University, Paris.

The Monastic Communities of Jerusalem have since set up monastic religious establishments whose main calling is contemplative. Their liturgy, open to all and partly inspired by Eastern Christianity, is characterised by polyphonic singing three times a day by the monks and nuns. They are tenants at the Abbey and live from part-time paid work that they carry out outside the Community.

©SB

The spiritual life of the Monastic Communities of Jerusalem is inspired first and foremost by Christian writings, but they also look to the major monastic traditions and great spiritual leaders of the Western and Eastern Churches, both of today and of the past.

evenements While the Mont-Saint-Michel welcomes so many tourists because of its exceptional architecture and setting, many pilgrims continue to follow a spiritual route to reach ‘the Archangel’s Mount’. Pilgrims and tourists alike can attend the religious services led daily by monks and nuns from the Monastic Communities of Jerusalem. Since 2001, this Christian community has hired part of the Abbey. The eight nuns and six monks living here now carry on the Abbey’s monastic vocations, of prayer and welcoming visitors.

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[ Religious festivals and services

From 28th March to 5th April: religious services during Holy Week

[ Find out further information on

www.abbaye-montsaintmichel.com (website in French) or tel. 00 33 (0)2 33 58 31 71

THE VILLAGE ON THE MONT-SAINT-MICHEl ©SB

The Mont-Saint-Michel also includes a village that developed alongside the Abbey from the 10th century onwards. Already by the 14th century it had spread down to the foot of the Mount.

Ramparts were built around its base, making it a military stronghold. During the Hundred Years War between English and French monarchs, the walls resisted all the attacks mounted by the English, making the Mont-Saint-Michel a symbol of French national identity.

THE MONT-SAINT-MICHEL, A FRENCH MUNICIPALITY Arriving at the base of the Mont-Saint-Michel, walk under the Porte du Boulevard gateway, then cross a drawbridge to go under the Porte du Roy gateway before arriving on the Grande Rue, the High Street, with its museums, shops, restaurants and historic houses.

Most visitors simply follow this street, the main artery through the village, but there are many lanes to discover off it, revealing different sides to the Mount.

The Mont-Saint-Michel is also a French municipality with: k its own Town Hall, set above the Porte du Roy

©SB

k its own Post Office, established since 1935 on the site of the Hôtel Saint-Michel Tête d’Or, the latter dismantled in 1906. It was in that hotel that Mère Poulard first prepared her famed omelettes, before moving to the renowned present-day address. k its fine 15th- and 16th-century houses, which aren’t numbered, but bear their historic names, such as La Queue du Renard (The Fox’s Tail) or La Truie qui File (The Spinning Sow)… k its Tourist Office, which occupies the former Bourgeois’ Guardhouse, opposite a cannon, where the inhabitants, in times gone by, would keep watch and ensure the Mount’s safety. k its Church of St Peter, whose altar area spans a lane. The church is small and modest, but contains some elaborate religious objects. It also displays wooden sculptures made by inmates during the time the Abbey served as a prison and included a carpentry workshop. k its cemetery, where you can see the gravestones of, among others, Victor and Annette Poulard, ‘good spouses and good hoteliers’. Mère Poulard’s vault was dug out under a corner of garden which belonged to her, and which she then donated so that the cemetery could be enlarged. k its school, which stayed open into the 1970s. You can still see the little school playground.

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THE BAY OF THE MONT-SAINT-MICHEl Protecting the natural heritage around the MontSaint-Michel is one of the major challenges of the whole operation. Now, nature is regaining the upper hand, and it’s possible for visitors to appreciate the Bay’s incredible riches more easily.

500 KM2 OF NATURAL TREASURES There’s no doubting that the Bay of the Mont-SaintMichel presents one of the most striking landscapes anywhere in France.

In fact, the site is unique in Europe, subject to the greatest tidal ranges on the continent. The Bay covers an area of c.500 km2, taking a line between Granville and Cancale.

This is a place of transitions, lying between land and sea, between fresh water and salt water. It harbours a precious variety of ecosystems. Nature lovers very much appreciate the attractions of its flora, fauna and exceptional light.

The Bay’s remarkable character has been officially recognised by numerous listings and protected zones at both national and international level twice listed among UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites with marshlands declared of international importance (under the Ramsar Convention), a Site Natura 2000 (with directives singling out its habitats and birds), plus with specifically listed sites and zones declared of national interest for their flora and fauna…

THE TIDAL BORE Victor Hugo described the sea racing in here ‘at the speed of a galloping horse’. The phrase has entered into French legend. The tidal bore (mascaret in French) is the name given to the first wave that breaks in the mouth of certain major rivers as the tide comes in during exceptionally high spring tides. This spectacular natural phenomenon can only be observed in some 60 spots around the world. In the Bay of the Mont-Saint-Michel, as the tide rises, the tidal bore begins to spread across 500 km2, its speed in places exceeding one metre per second. Its strength draws numerous expert canoeists who try to surf on the tidal bore there.

A WEALTH OF FLORA AND FAUNA The recent works carried out around the Mont-SaintMichel have made it possible to respect the Bay’s environmental riches.

Counteracting the gaining in ground of the polders along the shore, putting the power of the waters around here to intelligent use, these major works have now made it possible to protect the Bay’s environment for the longterm, giving the Mont-Saint-Michel back all its uniqueness.

© M. Lerouge

In a few years’ time, the Mont-Saint-Michel will have rediscovered its maritime character to the full, standing out in a universe where sand and sea merge.

This reconquest will have a significant impact on the environment here. The Mount will once again be surrounded by virgin sands, covered and uncovered by the tides. The areas, stretching across 15 hectares, that were taken up by car parks and the causeway until so recently, will revert to their natural state. The quality of the landscapes all around the site will be rediscovered.

The works will have deliberately limited effects in close proximity to the Mount (across 5 km2) and will not modify the overall natural balance of the Bay opening out to the Channel (across the full 500 km2). Nor will the traditional activities of crossing the Bay on foot or on horseback, of rearing sheep on the salt marshes, of cultivating mussels, or of fishing on foot be affected. And the natural phenomena of silting up and erosion caused by the rivers flowing into the greater Bay will continue to evolve in accordance with geological time.

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© Jerôme Houyevet

SOME OF THE BAY’S EMBLEMATIC SPECIES The Bay of the Mont-Saint-Michel is of truly exceptional ornithological wealth. Over 130 species of birds have been recorded here.

Some remain on site to moult, reproduce and winter. Others simply pause here on their migration. Grey herons and little egrets, for example, stay around the edge of the Mount year-round, while white spoonbills stop on their migration. Ducks, Brent geese, sheldrakes, greylag geese… over 10,000 wildfowl such as ducks and geese stop over, or seek refuge during a cold snap. Avocets, red-backed sandpipers, oystercatchers, black-tailed godwits… for these elegant little wading birds, the Bay counts among the top zones to winter along the French Atlantic coast. Sparrow-hawks, kestrels, merlins, ospreys and peregrine falcons… these birds of prey can regularly be seen hunting around the Mount. As to black-headed and herring gulls, they are numerous on the mudflats and on the polders.

k The Bay is home to around 100 species of fish, including sole, plaice, skate, sea bass and mullet.

It’s reckoned that 70% of the fish caught in the greater Norman-Breton Gulf will have spent part of their life in the Bay of the Mont-Saint-Michel at some stage.

Plaice, thinlip mullet, sand goby and Norway goby are most numerous year-round in the Bay. Migrating fish (salmon and young eel known as elvers) can pass through the dam to swim up the Couesnon River.. k Harbour seals are also to be found in the Bay of the Mont-Saint-Michel. This species is officially monitored so that it shouldn’t be disturbed. A small colony reproduces here every year, while grey seals pass through. k Two important reefs stand out in the Bay of the Mont-Saint-Michel: the Banc des Hermelles, located c.5 km north of the Chapelle Sainte-Anne de Saint-Broladre and the Massif des Hermelles de Champeaux, at the foot of the Champeaux Cliffs.

Hermelles are constructor marine worms that ‘build’ reefs from their chalky remains, these reefs being uncovered at low tide and attracting abundant fauna.

The Banc des Hermelles is the most extensive animal bioconstruction in Europe, stretching over an area of more than 100 hectares.

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OUTINGS ACROSS THE BAY OF THE MONT-SAINT-MICHEL

THE GR 223 HIKING TRAIL, OR 'SENTIER DES DOUANIERS'

The Bay of the Mont-Saint-Michel’s unparalleled environment makes it a remarkable sports ground for fans of outdoor pursuits and extreme sensations. There are many ways you can travel across the Bay. Be it on foot, in a canoe, in a hotair balloon or in a microlight, the views that unfold around you are truly unforgettable.

The GR 223 French coastal hiking trail follows the old coastguards’ trail for 430 km, from the Bay des Veys in the east to the Bay of the Mont-Saint-Michel. Along it, discover the most wonderful landscapes. Heading for the Bay from Granville, going via the cliffs of Jullouville, Carolles and Champeaux and the pale dunes of Dragey and Genêts, the back of the Bay becomes clearer and clearer, views stretching as far as Vains Saint-Léonard and Avranches and the rivers entering the Bay in these parts as you reach the foot of the Mont-Saint-Michel.

Crossing on foot…

www.ot-montsaintmichel.com

In a canoe…

You can head out from Le Bec d’Andaine, Champeaux or Le Grouin du Sud for outings of between 5 km and 16 km, or then opt for a canoeing trip along the Couesnon River, finishing up at the Mont-Saint-Michel. Some of these outings are even open to those with no prior experience of canoeing. Children who are 12 years old or over can join in, if accompanied by an adult. www.seakayak-fr.com or www.kayakavranches.fr

In a hot-air balloon, microlight, autogiro or plane…

Note that you’re not allowed to fly too close to the Archangel Saint Michael atop the Abbey of the MontSaint-Michel’s spire! Flying over the Bay is strictly regulated and no one is allowed to fly within a 3 km radius of the Mount or at less than 900 m altitude in the Bay. www.manche-tourism.com/en/syndication/ airborne-sports

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© Fautre

There are varied reasons for crossing the Bay of the Mont-Saint-Michel on foot, for example to follow in the footsteps of pilgrims of the past, or as nature lovers. At low tide, the Bay reveals its secrets. Daily and through the seasons, the flora, fauna, light and reflections change, adapting to the ceaselessly shifting surrounds. The Bay can be dangerous in parts, given its strong currents and localised quicksands. You need to follow an expert guide, going barefoot through the sands and grainy mudflats, to appreciate safely this unique place and its staggering beauty.

CHAMPEAUX CLIFFS, ‘THE MOST BEAUTIFUL KILOMETRE IN FRANCE’ Located between Carolles and SaintJean-le-Thomas, the little Norman village of Champeaux boasts an astonishing stretch of coast. It is perched on high cliffs some 80 metres above the Bay of the MontSaint-Michel. From the road that hugs the coast here, you can take in the whole vast expanse of the Bay, one of the largest in Europe, with the sea withdrawing many kilometres at low tide, exposing beautifully shaped sandbanks and channels of water made iridescent by sunlight.

The spectacle is grandiose, with the colours and light ceaselessly shifting.

"This is the most beautiful kilometre in France,” it’s claimed that both US General Eisenhower and French President Edouard Herriot said of this stretch, just a few years apart!

WHAT TO SEE AND DO NEAR THE MONT-SAINT-MICHEL THE SCRIPTORIAL IN AVRANCHES In the heart of the historic hilltop town of Avranches, the Scriptorial presents the precious manuscripts saved from the Abbey of the Mont-Saint-Michel at the time of the French Revolution. Located under 30 minutes’ drive from the Mount, this museum enables visitors to understand the skills the monks needed to copy out their manuscripts.

Texts and books are presented throughout the Scriptorial. On one side of the galleries, the display cases hold the collections plus useful models, with interactive screens dotted here and there. On the other side, a large frieze presents texts, pictorial documentation and projected films.

The Abbey of the Mont-Saint-Michel works in partnership with the Scriptorial. If you visit one, you can benefit from a reduced price buying your ticket to the second.

For more information, see: www.scriptorial.fr

Formerly the seat of bishops, the town of Avranches has retained a remarkable religious heritage, including the Basilica of Saint-Gervais, built in neo-Classical style. This church’s treasury attracts many visitors every year with its fine display of religious objects. The main attraction is the reliquary containing the skull of Bishop Aubert, founder of the first Christian shrine on the Mont-SaintMichel dedicated to the Archangel Michael.

For more information, see: www.avranches.fr © D. Daguiere

The museum is located within medieval fortifications, but much of its architecture is resolutely contemporary.

The whole museum has been conceived to reflect the form of the Mont-Saint-Michel, making use of the natural slope on which it stands to evoke the ascension of the Holy Mount and its marvels. These elements, combined with the originality of the museum’s exhibits, allow visitors to immerse themselves in the enigmatic, immensely rich history of making books. The displays in the Scriptorial place the Abbey of the Mont-Saint-Michel’s manuscripts in their historical and local context, taking you on a chronological and thematic journey, ending with the unveiling of original illuminated manuscripts kept in the heart of the building known as the Treasury.

THE TREASURY OF THE BASILICA OF SAINT-GERVAIS IN AVRANCHES

THE ECOMUSEE DE LA BAIE

© DR Ville d'Avranches

Occupying a typical ‘longère’ farm beside the coast, close to the Pointe du Grouin du Sud Headland, the Ecomusée de la Baie is a museum focused on explaining the Bay’s formation, the local flora and fauna, and the traditional occupations intimately linked to the area. Covering over 400 m2, an exhibition on man, nature and the landscapes in the Bay enables you to discover the various environments – sea, land and air – and their ‘occupants’!

The different spaces, with films, interactive screens and models, plus the re-creation of a salt-worker’s workshop, help visitors understand the Bay’s fascinating ecosystem and how the Bay developed through time, shaped by man’s activities.

Contact : musee.vains@manche.fr Tel. 00 33 (0)2 33 89 06 06 patrimoine.manche.fr

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©M. Lerouge CDT50

DON’T MISS Musée et Jardin Christian Dior The Villa Les Rhumbs, a childhood home to Christian Dior, is located in a remarkable garden at the top of a cliff, facing the Channel Islands. www.musee-dior-granville.com

Le Marité The last remaining French terre-neuvier (a specific type of fishing vessel made to cross the Atlantic to catch cod off Newfoundland) has been restored and can be visited at its quayside mooring. Sea outings are also possible, notably to the Chausey Islands. www.lemarite.com

GRANVILLE, A CORSAIRS’ PORT TURNED LIVELY SEASIDE RESORT Boldly facing the sea, Granville and its old town surrounded by ramparts have kept the traces of a turbulent history, involving corsairs and long-distance fishing vessels. Famed couturier Christian Dior also has a special place in the town of his birth. Today a lively resort, Granville now offers plenty of cultural, sporting and leisure opportunities, many gastronomic pleasures (clams and whelks counting among its many seafood specialities) and trips out to sea to visit the Chausey Islands and Jersey. www.ville-granville.fr

©M. Lerouge CDT50

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Musée d’art moderne Richard Anacréon The only modern art museum in the Manche County presents an interesting collection of paintings, graphic art and rare books from the first half of the 19th century.

Tel. 00 33 (0)2 33 51 02 94 www.ville-granville.fr

Musée d’art et d’histoire de Granville This museum puts to the fore Granville’s maritime heritage.

Tel. 00 33 (0)2 33 50 44 10 www.ville-granville.fr

For further ideas, see www.normandy-tourism.org

SOME usefull ADDRESSES ON THE MONT-SAINT-MICHEL ©DR

PLACES TO STAY: ON THE MOuNT, AROUND ITS BAY AND NEARBY...

Auberge de la Mère Poulard: a legendary, traditional address on the Mount La Mère Poulard is a charming, character-filled traditional hostelry located in a historic house at the entrance to the village on the Mont-Saint-Michel. It puts to the fore the old-fashioned style of the fine inns of yesteryear. www.merepoulard.com

L'auberge Saint-Pierre

© J. Lacquemant

In the heart of the Mont-Saint-Michel village, protected by its ramparts, l’Auberge Saint-Pierre is located in a listed 15thcentury timber-frame historic house on the main street leading up to the Abbey and has retained something of its medieval character. www.auberge-saint-pierre.fr/uk

Les Logis du Chapeau Blanc THE HISTORY OF LA MERE POULARD The daughter of a market-gardener, Annette Boutiaut visited the Mont-Saint-Michel in 1872 accompanying the architect-in-chief of France’s Historic Monuments, Mr Corroyer, as a servant.

She was introduced to Victor Poulard, son of the local baker, whom she went on to marry in Paris on 14th January 1873, so becoming Annette Poulard. The couple took on the management of the Auberge La Teste d’Or, an inn where today’s Post Office now stands, and which attracted just a few pilgrims, artists and other travellers. However, with the Poulards, a stop at La Mère Poulard’s became a must when visiting the Mont-SaintMichel. Parisian magazines praised it, while cafés and restaurants around the Mount tried to copy the famed omelettes prepared at the inn. One day, a Parisian restaurateur, Robert Viel, dared to ask Annette Poulard for her much-vaunted omelette recipe. She gave it to him, but without revealing her precise secret: “Monsieur Viel, here is my omelette recipe. I take good eggs and break them into a bowl. I beat them well. I put a good chunk of butter in my pan, into which I throw the beaten eggs, then I stir them constantly.

I am happy, sir, if my recipe pleases you.”

Les Logis du Chapeau Blanc are annexes to l’Auberge Saint-Pierre, set in former little fishermen’s cottages packed with historic atmosphere. They offer 13 rooms, some doubles benefitting from a view across the Bay. www.auberge-saint-pierre.fr/uk

Hôtel Gabriel, a colourful address Here’s a new-look 3-star hotel with a novel atmosphere!

Located on the mainland close to the Mount, in the area known as les Portes du Mont-Saint-Michel, this familyfriendly hotel has opted for a modern, funky décor with rooms for three, four or five people, plus there’s a special area for children. www.hotelgabriel-montsaintmichel.com/en

Manoir de la Roche Torin, with its panorama across the Bay On the mainland, facing the Mont-Saint-Michel, the Manoir de la Roche Torin is a charming 3-star hotel. It’s a peaceful place, a member of the Relais du Silence group, in a country setting close to the vast Bay. The hotel’s calm surroundings and impressive views greatly appeal to visitors. en.manoir-rochetorin.com

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© DR

Hôtel Best Western Montgomery, a historic dwelling in Pontorson This 16th-century manor was the historic home of Gabriel Montgomery, notorious for accidentally killing French King Henri II in a joust. Now it’s a hotel offering plenty of history, plus information on what to do around the Mont-SaintMichel. Its period staircase, French Renaissance painted ceilings, old objects and lovely materials all help create a warm, stylish atmosphere. www.hotel-montgomery.com/en

Le Clos Saint-Gilles B&B in Ardevon La Ramade in Avranches Behind its graceful, calmly composed granite façade, the décor inside La Ramade hotel proves extremely elegant, even opulent. Relax in the comfy chairs and sofas in the conservatory, in the deck chairs at your disposal, by the fountain, or under the wrought-iron tunnel offering you shade in summer as you enjoy the vistas across the gardens. Behind the older building, at the heart of the formal French gardens, stands a brand-new extension.

This smart villa contains 11 rooms, each carrying the name of a different Norman or Breton town. www.laramade.fr/en

Le Lion d’Or in Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët

www.hotelleliondor.com

Le Gué du Holme Located in the small Norman village of Saint-Quentinsur-le-Homme, to the east of the Mont-Saint-Michel, the hotel-restaurant Le Gué du Holme welcomes visitors in a peaceful atmosphere. The rooms are decorated in elegant contemporary style, with views of the delightful hotel garden filled with flowers. Family-run, this establishment also offers you the opportunity to enjoy local gastronomy mixing tradition with innovation. Try the seasonal recipes either in the classic dining-room or on the terrace. www.le-gue-du-holme.com/en 22

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www.leclossaintgilles.fr

Contemporary Gîte at Le Val-Saint-Père The contemporary self-catering Gîte de la Haute Guette in Le Val-Saint-Père offers a romantic bolt hole for couples. It boasts an indoor pool, heated to 30º yearround, a sauna and a running machine in a 100 m2 sports area opening onto a calm fenced garden. http://freitas.e-monsite.com

© DR

The hotel-restaurant Le Lion d’Or has just re-opened. Set in the midst of grounds with fine trees, this establishment has retained quite a reputation in Normandy, having hosted artists like Lino Ventura, Fernand Reynaud and Marin Marie in the 1960s.

Set close to the Mont-Saint-Michel, this elegant, wellmaintained B&B should particularly appeal to gardening fans in an authentic Norman setting. The three rooms are spacious and attractive, putting beams, refined, shimmering fabrics, deep carpets and old-style furniture to the fore. There are also extra-large showers. As to the gardens, through the flowers and foliage, enjoy delightful views to the Mont-Saint-Michel.

© Mathilde Mochon

FOOD AND DRINK DISCOVER GASTRONOMY IN NORMANDY Chez François at Genêts, for pork cooked in the fireplace At the village of Genêts, north of the Mont-SaintMichel, this unusual address will appeal to those who love eating pork in all its forms. The very convivial atmosphere attracts locals and tourists alike, eating at big tables covered in chequered tablecloths close to the imposing fireplace. www.chezfrancois.fr

Le Sillon de Bretagne Restaurant at Tanis Run by a husband and wife team, Madame cooks up tasty dishes in the kitchen while Monsieur greets you in the dining room. The Xerris put local food to the fore. Fresh produce from farmers and craft producers in the vicinity goes into the home-made dishes, for example lamb reared on the Mont-Saint-Michel salt marshes accompanied by organic veg from nearby farms, all prepared with finesse. sillondebretagne.free.fr

La Croix des Grèves Craft Beers from La Brasserie de la Baie You may be surprised to hear that beer is produced in Normandy. But beer has been made around the Bay of the Mont-Saint-Michel going back a very long time. La Croix des Grèves is a range of craft beers whose name stems from a local legend. The range has been created

by Christophe Lesénéchal, according to his own recipes, with white, pale, amber and brown versions. www.brasseriedelabaie.com

Restaurant Le Pré-Salé by the Mont-Saint-Michel In the Hôtel Mercure Mont-Saint-Michel just south of the Mount, Le Pré-Salé Restaurant combines a warm welcome with refined cuisine. The menu is mainly composed from local produce and local specialities, including the unmissable lamb reared on the salt marshes. www.restaurantlepresale-montsaintmichel.com/en

L’AGNEAU DE PRES-SALES AOC (LAMB REARED ON THE SALT MARSHES), A SPECIALITY OF THE MONT-SAINT-MICHELl The lambs reared around the Bay of the Mont-Saint-Michel have a great reputation in gastronomic circles. Their special flavour comes from the specific marsh grasses on which they graze. Among the fifty or so plants they’re very partial to are puccinellia (salt grass), obione, samphire and spartina (cordgrass), imparting a salty taste to their tender meat, served pink, with its flavoursome fat. Down the centuries, the local farmers built on their know-how to attain this high quality, leading to the lambs reared on the Bay’s salt marshes producing among the most reputed meats in France. Since 9th July 2010, the meat from lambs reared on the salt marshes of the Mont-Saint-Michel has been awarded its own Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) label.

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The 2015 calendar of events AT THE ABBEY OF THE MONT-SAINT-MICHEl ‘Exceptional High Tide’ Evenings

Musical Season

21st and 22nd March, 31st August and 29th September 2015

Several times a year, classical music concerts take place in the majestic setting of the Abbey of the Mont-SaintMichel. Renowned musical ensembles make the spaces come alive to the sound of Bach, Vivaldi, Delalande, Mozart to name but a few.

The Abbey stays open until 10pm, with last entry at 9pm.

The Abbey’s calm atmosphere come evening offers an unparalleled setting from which to admire the exceptional high tides coming in across the Bay, subject to the highest tides on the European continent. From the Abbey’s western terrace, the viewpoint is awesome, allowing you to witness the breath-taking spectacle of the tide racing in, along with the famed Mont-Saint-Michel tidal bore, visible two hours before high tide is reached.

Saturday 6th June 2015, from 8.30pm Concerto for 12 Strings, played by the Orchestre Régional de Basse-Normandie

Saturday 5th September 2015, from 8.30pm

©L. Helbert - CRT Normandie

Couperin’s Les Leçons de Ténèbres, played by the Concert Spirituel ensemble, directed by Hervé Niquet

Saturday 4th October 2015, from 6pm

Mozart’s Requiem, played by the Orchestre Régional de Basse-Normandie

For further information and concert reservations: evenements-amsm@monuments-nationaux.fr

Night-time Tours From 11th July to 29th August 2015

Every night except Sundays.

Abbey open from 7pm to midnight, with last entry at 11pm.

As night falls, the Abbey of the Mont-Saint-Michel reveals its mysteries as well as its past. The theatrical play of lights and images, accompanied by sound and music, creates a completely different atmosphere, leading to surprising, unexpected discoveries...

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PRACTICAL INFORMATION Centre des monuments nationaux Abbaye du Mont-Saint-Michel 50170 Le Mont-Saint-Michel Tel. 0033 (0)2 33 89 80 00 Fax 0033 (0)2 33 70 83 08 abbaye.mont-saint-michel@ monuments-nationaux.fr www.mont-saint-michel. monuments-nationaux.fr/en

IN THE VILLAGE AND AROUND THE BAY 24th May 2015: Randonnée Bleue et Verte (major hiking event) The long trail, 44km Departing from the Mont-Saint-Michel at 8am, going as far as Donville.

The intermediate trail, 32km Departing from Saint-Jean-le-Thomas (north of the Mount) at 10.30am, going to Donville.

The short trail, 24km Departing from the Vauban Stone Hut (Cabane) at Carolles (north of the Mount) at 11.30am, going to Donville.

For further information and to sign up, contact: Amicale des Ecoles Publiques Randonnée Bleue et Verte. Tel. 00 33 (0)2 33 50 12 91 www.amirando.com (website in French)

31st May 2015: Marathon de la Baie du Mont-Saint-Michel The Marathon around the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel is the only such French event where you can spot the finish from the starting point! Crossing from Brittany to Normandy, 5,000 runners from around France, as well as some from Europe and further afield, will run the 42km from Cancale to the Marvel of the West.

Runners leave Cancale at 8.30am.

The marathon finishes at the Mont-Saint-Michel Tel. 00 33 (0)2 99 89 54 54 www.montsaintmichel-marathon.com/ marathon-english-version

5th to 16th August 2015 ‘Jazz en Baie’ Festival, from Genêts to Granville – 6th edition A unique cultural rendez-vous facing the Mont-SaintMichel, Jazz en Baie attracts over 20,000 people for some 40 concerts and performances around the Bay. Every year, 23km of the coastline here vibrate to the sound of jazz at this period. www.jazzenbaie.com (website in French)

13th September 2015 Festival of Fishing on Foot at the Ecomusée de la Baie du Mont-Saint-Michel at Vains For one day only, the Ecomusée invites you to experience traditional fishing on foot in the Bay of the Mont-Saint-Michel. The materials used are presented, there are practical displays and you can go out on a fishing expedition in the Bay, plus there are stands selling local produce. http://patrimoine.manche.fr

Tour de France 2016 : the whole Tour de France starts next year from the foot of ‘the Marvel of the West’!

25th July 2015: Le Pèlerinage à Travers les Grèves (Pilgrimage across the sands)

Expect a visual extravaganza as the Tour de France kicks off at the Mont-Saint-Michel next year. The cyclists will set off from here on 2nd July 2016, embarking on three days of racing in the Manche County, hosting the start of the Tour for the first time in the famed cycling race’s history.

The cyclists will first head alongside the Bay, then cross the Cotentin, and finally aim for Utah Beach, one of the D-Day Landing Beaches, located at Sainte-Marie-du-Mont.

Rendez-vous at Pont de Genêts at 8am

www.letour.fr

For information, contact: Presbytère de Sartilly Tel. 00 33 (0)2 33 48 80 37 © S Dragey

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Contacts > ALAMBRET COMMUNICATION

> SYNDICAT MIXTE BAIE DU MONT-SAINT-MICHEL

Sabine Vergez & Leila Neirijnck Tel. 00 33 (0)1 48 87 70 77 montsaintmichel2015@alambret.com

Claire Montémont Tel. 00 33 (0)6 10 15 04 18 presse@projetmontsaintmichel.com www.projetmontsaintmichel.fr

> NORMANDY TOURIST BOARD

> MONT-SAINT-MICHEL ABBEY

Edouard Valère, Deputy Marketing Manager USA / Canada / Australia / Japan / China / India / Brazil e.valere@normandie-tourisme.fr Emilie Ursule, Marketing Manager Germany / Scandinavia / Italy / Spain / Russia e.ursule@normandie-tourisme.fr Maggie McNulty, UK Press Officer maggie.mcnulty@atout-france.fr Tel. 0033 (0)2 32 33 79 00 www.normandy-tourism.org

Isabelle Le Dorner Tel. 00 33 (0)2 33 89 80 00 or 00 33 (0)2 33 89 80 24 isabelle.le-dorner@monuments-nationaux.fr http://mont-saint-michel.monuments-nationaux. fr/en

> MONT-SAINT-MICHEL TOURIST OFFICE Tel. 00 33 (0)2 33 60 14 30 www.ot-montsaintmichel.com

> MANCHE TOURIST BOARD

Design : ©Jeanne-Marie Monpeurt // funyjane@gmail.com

Sophie BOUGEARD – Claire LEHEMBRE Tel. 00 33 (0)2 33 05 96 and 00 33 (0)2 33 05 98 89 sophie.bougeard@manche.fr claire.lehembre@manche.fr www.manche-tourism.com/en