Le Mont Saint-Michel by Ardi Mulder

The Mont Saint-Michel is a granite rocky island of about 960 meters in circumference located east of the mouth of the river Couesnon , in the department of Manche , whose name comes from St. Michael . Before the year 709, it was known as the " Mont Tombe ". Throughout the Middle Ages , it is commonly called "Mont Saint-Michel at the peril of the sea" ( Mons Sancti Michaeli in periculo husband ). The abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel is located on Mount, and Mount is a small part of the territory of the municipality of Mont-Saint-Michel .

Mont Saint-Michel bathed in the bay of Mont Saint-Michel , open to the Channel . The island reaches 92 meters above sea level with a land area of about 7 hectares . This island stands in a large sandy plain.

Mont Saint-Michel is the third most visited tourist site in France after the Eiffel Tower and the Palace of Versailles , with more than 3.5 million visitors each year 1 , 2 ( 3.25 million in 2006 3 ). A statue of St. Michael placed at the top of the abbey church culminates at 170 meters above the shore. Major element, the abbey and its outbuildings are classified under historical monuments by the list of 1862 4 (60 other buildings are protected thereafter. 5 ); the town and bay set since 1979 6 on the World Heritage List of UNESCO .

In 1846 , Edouard Le Héricher and described him: "Mont Saint-Michel appears like a circular mountain that seems to sag under the monumental pyramid crown. We would like to extend it