Ramparts of Mont-Saint-Michel

What makes it special

The ramparts wrap the base of the island, and they were built to keep English forces off the rock. Seven towers stand along them, some tall and round, others shaped like a horseshoe, all joined by a walkway that is open to visitors.

What you come up for is the view. From the walkway the bay opens with no building in the way, and the small islet of Tombelaine sits out on the sand. Turn back toward the rock and you look across the village roofs to the abbey above them.

The bay has the highest tides in continental Europe, and the walls are one of the best places to watch them come in. At spring tides they are also an excellent spot to watch the tidal bore run up the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel.

Visiting

Climbing onto the walls works at any hour, because the village and its ramparts never close. Take the stairs up from the village lanes to the wall walk, then follow it from tower to tower, stopping at each one for the bay and the roofs.

Walk the walls on the way up to the abbey or on the way down from it. Either way, add the west terrace in front of the abbey church for the widest view, which you reach as part of the abbey visit.

If you want to watch the sea come in, check the tide table the evening before and pick a day with a big tide.

Tips

Start early in summer, and bring a warm layer and a rain jacket whatever the month, because the walls take the wind straight off the bay.

Come back after dark if you are staying on the Mont. The street goes quiet in the evening and the walls are lit.