Le Mont-Saint-Michel
One of France's most beautiful and famous attractions is Le Mont Saint Michel.
We stopped by here with my mother on the way from Le Havre to Lorient. The world-famous island, which got on Unesco World Heritage List in 1979, is well visible from a distance.
Visitors arriving by car must park in one of the many car parks and wheelchair users can park in the nearest one. You have to pay for it.
From the car park you can get to the nearby tourist center, where is a shuttle bus. Shuttles to Mont St. Michel is free. The frequency of departure and arrival is about 30 minutes, but it also depends on the season. Distance from the car parks to the Mountain of St. Michel is 2.5 km.
The bus stops at a bus stop on a pretty spacious road. It often passes by horse carriage that also carries tourists, but not for free ... and it didn´t look barrier-free either.
The road, which provides comfortable access to the medieval town (with 35 inhabitants), has a sidewalk on each sides and many visitors walk there.
Every now and then someone takes a selfie with this really photogenic monument behind. You better be careful not to hurt someone with a wheelchair or someone stumble over you. Be sure to take a picture of the beauty, too, you will definitely have wonderful photos.
The town itself, surrounded by walls, is partly accessible for a wheelchair, but prepare for the beautiful romantic streets with the cobblestones. Although you can't get far in your wheelchair, because the narrow streets are later on a hill, ort he way continues by steps, but it doesn't matter. It is really worth it to experience the atmosphere of shops, restaurants and small hotels in the medieval houses.
One cannot get to the abbey if disabled. There are plenty of steps leading to it.
Church dedicated to st. Michalel, the patron saint of the sailors, was founded in the year 709. A little later, the Benedictines settled here and in the 11th century the area was extended with monastic spaces and crypts in the Romanesque style. In the 13th century, thanks to King Philip Augustus, a Gothic section was added, and in the 14th century defensive military elements were built because of the Hundred Years' War.
Thanks to Rome and St. James of Compostela, this place was always an important pilgrimage site. For hundreds of years pilgrims were going on the a "way to paradise" and waiting for absolution from Archangel Michael. The spire on which the statue stands, dates back to the 19th century.
You should see this architectural jewel, do not rob yourself of the experience. It's just ... "Wow!"
more...