Visiting the Famous Mont-Saint-Michel

This house is located in the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel. From here, you can enjoy good panorama of the bay. Inside, you can visit the exhibit about mussel farming and learn about the local fauna and flora. They organize guided hikes in the area and until the Mont-Saint-Michel. These hikes can be done at low tide so check the schedule if you are interested. More information on their website.
Open hours Monday - Saturday 10:00 - 13:00, 14:30 - 18:00 Closed on Sundays.

You will drive along the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel and enjoy the views. Here in Cherrueix, it is the capital of land sailing so you will probably see some on the beach. Then you will reach this nice chapel of Saint-Anne which seems to be in the middle of nowhere on a small promontory. It dates back from the 17th century.

Here you will reach the point from where you can visit the famous site of the Mont-Saint-Michel. You cannot go all the way there by car as it is an island. You can park your car here, there are several parking lots next to the tourist information center. And from there, you can decide to walk the two kilometers until the Mont-Saint-Michel, or you can take the free shuttle from here. Ask the information center for the schedule as it changes according to the season.

This is the most famous and emblematic restaurant on the Mont-Saint-Michel. Their specialty is the French omelette, so if you want to see how it is made and get that traditional dish, this is the place to be. It is definitely way overpriced for an egg dish but if you want to check the legend, that is where it started 130 years ago. Otherwise, you can find some good crepes at reasonable prices around.
You can check their website.

The Mont-Saint-Michel is a Unesco Heritage Site, it is visited by more than 2,5 millions people every year so you won't be alone unless you spend the night on site. This incredible site was built after the bishop Aubert saw Saint-Michael archangel asking him to build a sanctuary on the Mont. It first starts with a small chapel for pilgrims. Then from the 10th century, some monks live here and start building the abbey. And the village gets developed until the feet of the rock. It becomes a fortified medieval fortress well protected.
It is a touristic site since the end of the 19th century. Walk around the fortified walls built between the 14th and 15th centuries to protect the Mount from the English during the 100 years war. You will enjoy a beautiful view of the bay while breathing fresh salty air. And explore the main street called "grande-rue" where you can see medieval houses. You can also check Saint Peter's church.

The abbey is the masterpiece on top of the Mont-Saint-Michel. It started as a pre-roman style church that you can only see during the guided tour. The beautiful abbey was built with granite from the Chausey islands and was completed in 1523. It is 80 meters large like the height of the rock for esthetic and symbolic reasons from back then. The nave is a nice example of the roman style from Normandy from the 11th century. The choir is gothic style from 1520. There are very thick walls that let the sun penetrate. You can visit several rooms and the beautiful cloister.
Open hours Monday - Sunday 9:00 - 19:00 (from May to August) Monday - Sunday 9:30 - 18:00 (from September to April). Check the website for more information and to book your tickets online.

The town of Avranches is closely linked to the Mont-Saint-Michel since it was the bishop from Avranches that was asked by archangel Michael to build the first sanctuary on the Mount. This basilica was erected in 1843 with a nice 74 meters high clocktower. Don't miss to visit the treasury. This is the place where you can see the skull of the bishop Aubert with a hole in it. According to the legend, when archangel Saint-Michael asked Aubert to build a sanctuary on the Mount, the bishop didn't believe him. So Saint Michael came back in his sleep and made a hole with his enlightened finger in the bishop's skull. You will also see some more religious artefacts.
Open hours Monday - Sunday 10:00 - 18:00.

The Scriptorial is a museum that houses the manuscripts of the Mont-Saint-Michel, there are 203 manuscripts written between the 9th and the 15th century. But you will only see a few of them for conservation purposes. There is also an interesting exhibition about history of Avranches and Mont-Saint-Michel and some films about the manuscripts. It is a very good visit that complements very well the visit of the Mont-Saint-Michel.
Check the website to prepare your visit and see which temporary exhibit is on and to check open hours as they vary according to the season. If you visit in winter, you might want to come earlier to find the museum open.

Before or after dinner you can walk around the old town of Avranches and enjoy the small streets with some medieval houses. Have dinner at this good French gastronomical restaurant with a modern and creative cuisine made with local products from a great chef from Normandy. You can even take a cooking class here.
Open hours Tuesday - Saturday 12:00 - 13:30 Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 19:00 - 20:45 Closed on Mondays. You can book a table on their website.

Go back to Rennes and if you have more time, you can check other trips in Brittany and Normandy from Rennes to discover this beautiful region.