Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel

Visiting

At the foot of the abbey, take the centre lane if you already hold a ticket. It goes straight to the security check, while the right-hand lane leads to the ticket office queue.

Inside, look out for the huge wooden treadwheel, turned by walking inside it, which winched supplies up the rock. The tour ends in the old scriptorium, where a narrow spiral stair takes you down to the shop.

You leave through the north gardens, where stone benches face the bay. Sit there for a few minutes, then walk back down by the ramparts to skip the Grande Rue crowds.