text: Tour of Saint Malo and Mont St Michel | Via City Tour
  We invite you to discover on your own this amazing site between sky and sea. Mont-Saint-Michel (Le Mont-St-Michel) is the main attraction of these places. Numerous authors of guidebooks, called it Eighth Wonder of the World. Mont Saint Michel's church on a rock - is the most popular tourist and pilgrimage destination in France. It is located on the Normandy and Brittany border. Victor Hugo called it "the Pyramid in the Ocean". The «Wonder of the Western World» forms a tower in the heart of an immense bay invaded by the highest tides in Europe.UNESCO has classed the Mont Saint-Michel as a world heritage in 1979 and this mecca of tourism welcomes more than 2,5 millions visitors a year.
  Drive through the green landscapes of the Normandy region. Your destination today is Cancale, a picturesque fishing village famous for its oysters. History has it that Louis XIV had his oysters brought to Versailles from Cancale. Centuries later, the farming of oysters is still a major activity in the port and there are oyster beds covering about 7.3 square kilometres easily seen from the pier at the harbour.
  MONT SAINT MICHEL (LE MONT-ST-MICHEL) - EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD
  Rocky Island located in the biggest bay in Europe, the Mont Saint-Michel Abbey, and rightly named "The Marvel of the Western World" is still one of the most famous pilgrimage centers since the Middle Ages.It was at the request of the Archangel Michel « chief of the celestial militia » that Aubert, Bishop of Avranches built and consecrated a small church on the 16th October 709. In 966 a community of Benedictines settled on the rock at the request of the Duke of Normandy and the pre-Romanesque church was built before the year one thousand.With Rome and Saint Jacques de Compostelle, this great spiritual and intellectual centre, was one of the most important places of pilgrimage for the Medieval occident. For nearly one thousand year men, women and children went there by roads called « paths to paradise » hoping for the assurance of eternity, given by the Archangel of judgement « Peseur des ames ».The Abbey was turned into a prison during the days of the French Revolution and Empire, and needed to be restored before the end of the 19th century.At the same time as the abbey was developing a village grew up from the Middle Age. It flourished on the south-east side of the rock surrounded by walls dated for the most part from the Hundred Years war. This village has always a commercial vocation.
  Your destination is Oyster Paradise. Cancale on the Emerald Coast is a food lovers' delight. Renowned for its flat oysters, this village at the end of Mont St. Michel Bay remains a must-see, particularly the enchanting harbor area, known as La Houle.Cancale has an enviable setting looking westward across the Bay of Mont St-Michel with the famous Mont a tiny speck on the horizon when visibility is good. It divides neatly in two with the old Upper Town on the hill and the Port de la Houle down below consisting of a single line of houses, hotels and restaurants arranged along the waterfront.
  Ask any local in Brittany about Cancale and it won't be long before the conversation steers onto one subject. Oysters. The oyster beds are located at the northern end of the town immediately beyond the main jetty with each farmer owning a framed section of the seabed. These vary in size and are clearly visible at low tide. As well as sampling this delicacy in the numerous port and town restaurants it is also possible to buy from the oyster stalls located on the jetty. Yes, the most fun way to have your oysters is to buy them fresh from one of the vendors in the small market area near the Fenêtre Jetty, at the end of the main waterfront street. Choose the size and quantity you want (plates hold a dozen), and watch them be opened while you wait. Here, a dozen will cost around 5 EUR. Take your plate over to the sea wall, have a seat, and dig in, dropping the empty shells over the wall. Delicious!
  It was my favorite day in France. I was worried there wouldn't be enough time at the abby but it did not feel rushed. I recommend it and bring a light rain jacket with you.
  Excellent tour of Mont St. Michel. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and was very helpful.
  Lots of steps but well worth it. Wonderful guide!
  You must see the place to truly appreciate it. There is a fair amount of steep incline and stairs so if you have mobility problems this may not be for you.
  Definitely a highlight of our vacation. The guided tour was well worth it and gave so much fascinating information. The trip was long, but the countryside is so lovely that it was not even an issue.
  This was such a nice trip. The bus ride was enjoyable and the tour guide was so good. We really enjoyed this trip. Very much worth the price.
  Fantastic outing, well worth the day trip! Mont St Michel was awesome! Tour guide was at times difficult to understand with her heavy French accent.
  Highly recommended. Long bus trip - but worth it.
  We thoroughly enjoyed the day trip to Mont Saint Michel. Everything ran smoothly. The bus trip was good and the guide was enthusiastic and interesting.