One place I knew I wanted to visit on this trip was Mont Saint-Michel as the pictures online looked amazing. It’s on the border of Brittany and Normandy just about an hours drive from where we were staying in Saint-Malo.
Before heading out, we had a great breakfast at our hotel where everything was cooked exactly how I like it – well done (Been Cuit).
Scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, a little cheese, bread, grapes and a cappuccino. Delish!
Once you arrive at Saint-Michel, you have 3 choices. Walk the 2 mile path, take the free shuttle bus or pay for a carriage ride in.
You can see the Mont from far away and as you get closer you realize just how big it is. Look at the people below on the left, they look little ants by comparison.
When you first walk inside, the bottom is fill with several shops and restaurants.
Be prepared to climb alot of stairs and ‘hills’ climbing to the top but also when you tour the Mont. My Fitbit said I climbed 40 floors on our trip!
Once you get to the top though, it’s so worth it. The Mont Saint-Michel is absolutely stunning and so are the views of the valley below.
You can view the valley that actually fills with water during high tide from every angle.
I do recommend the audio tour as it explains the history much more than the flyer they give you and only costs $3.
Even the halls you walk through are beautifully lit.
There are still 44 people who live in the Mont and come here daily to worship.
The Grand Hall where everyone dined.
The Knights room which was built for their annual meeting / negotiations but nobody every came 🙂
As you walk through this hallway, if you look up at the right time….
You’ll see the golden Saint-Michel up close.
There are 15 rooms to walk through. On your way out, be sure to look back and catch another view of Saint-Michel.
We decided to grab lunch in the small down about 15 minutes from Mont Saint-Michel at this super cute Italian restaurant called La Dolce Vita.
The starter salad was so good with a tangy homemade lemon vinaigrette & herbs.
I had half of this ham & mushroom pizza. I am amazed at how they can get the dough so thin yet it stays light & fluffy. But, my favorite part is how you can always taste the real deal cheese.
We drove over to a casino in Granville and to check out the beach. The waves were so dramatic rolling in one after another crashing up against the crazy looking rocks below.
We spent a little bit of time walking around the stores and I bought a few souvenirs for back home.
For dinner, we walked to the Old City and picked another restaurant called La Rotisserie.
I totally could not translate the menu but luckily both girls who served us explained everything perfectly in English.
Hands down the best dish I’ve had in France. I know it looks a bit crazy with all the sauce.
This cod fish was cooked perfectly. It literally melted in your mouth and went so well with the sweet peppers, light yellow curry sauce and buttery mashed potatoes.?
I had wine, bread and a rum coffee shot they gave us on the house after. So so good!
I really enjoyed the walk back and capturing another beautiful sunset!
Catching up on our latest France Trip:
- France Recap #1: Amboise
- France Recap #2: Chateau de Chambord
- France Recap #3: Chateau de Chenonceau
- France Recap #4: Saint-Malo, Brittany
On our next stop, we drove along the coast to hike the trails of Cape Frehel Lighthouse and check out the town of Dinard.
Night all!
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