Perched On A Rocky Island In France Is The 'Wonder Of The West' With Fairytale Movie Vibes

As if out of a dream, the medieval abbey and village of Mont St. Michel rise to a point on a small, rocky island off the coast of Normandy, France. An iconic tourist destination, this breathtakingly beautiful island has the look of a fairytale castle, and it did in fact inspire Rapunzel's royal village of Corona in the 2010 Disney movie "Tangled." (Fans of Disney's Beauty and the Beast might want to travel across the country to Riquewihr, another picture-perfect village that was a model for Belle's village.)

The spire at the top of Mont St. Michel, however, does not belong to a castle — it's a church steeple. Mont St. Michel, which translates to St. Michael's Mount, is where an abbey was built to honor the archangel St. Michael 1,000 years ago; you can look for his golden statue on top of the spire. This was a place of pilgrimage over the centuries, and its location on an island in a bay far from major population centers was intentional, so visiting pilgrims had to prove their commitment.

Although it's still not a breeze to reach, it's certainly easier now than it was in the Middle Ages. Lying 3.5 hours from Paris, 5 hours from Reims, 1.5 hours from the D Day beaches, and 45 minutes from the walled port town of St. Malo, Mont St. Michel attracts 3 million visitors a year to a 1.5-square-mile island. It can get crowded in summer, like other overtouristed European destinations, so go off-season if possible.

You can find many old towns throughout Europe with winding cobblestone streets and architecture hundreds of years old. However, Mont St. Michel is unique for a number of reasons that earn it the moniker "Wonder of the West." 

St. Michael is said to have told a bishop to construct a place of worship for him in 708. He built a church, and, later, others began constructing the abbey in 966. With elements of Romanesque and Gothic architecture, ribbed vaulting, ramparts, a cloister, and garden, the abbey is even more exceptional because of the challenges involved in constructing it atop a granite rock island located 260 feet above sea level. It's so impressive that "Smithsonian Magazine" called it "one of the great living expressions of European medieval architecture." The abbey has the look of a fortress, and it did serve as one during the Hundred Years War as well as a prison during the French Revolution. The stone and half-timbered buildings you pass on the way to the top were constructed at different times over the centuries and are now mainly house shops and restaurants catering to tourists. You might be wondering if anyone lives here; there are only about 20 Mont St. Michel residents, called Montois, who are mostly monks and nuns.

Being surrounded by quicksand and powerful tides and currents adds to the magic and mystery of Mont St. Michel. The highest tides in Europe can cover the bridge entrance or leave acres of sand and salt marsh. Rushing in at 200 feet per minute, the bay waters surge as high as 45 feet and trap people unaware of their speed and force. The grass that grows in the salt marshes that stretch as far as the eye can see during low tide sustains sheep known for their unique salty flavor.

Experiencing sunset or sunrise in this special, isolated spot after the crowds have left is worth the high price of the local hotels. You can stroll the streets unimpeded after visitors and shopkeepers have gone home, taking time to notice architectural elements and alleyways and to photograph the landscape and seascape without unwanted people in your photos. Sometimes, the abbey has evening services or concerts that the public is welcome to attend.

Many famous people over the years have visited Mont St. Michel for an overnight trip, from England's Henry II to Ernest Hemingway, the latter of whom stayed at the island's most well-known hotel, La Mère Poulard. The long list of other famous guests who laid their heads in its 39 bedrooms includes President Theodore Roosevelt, Charles Lindbergh, Leon Trotsky, and astronaut Alan Shepard. The inn's restaurant is known for a large puff omelet cooked over an open fire and made from the same secret recipe for over 130 years.

If you'd like some space, the duplex family room at Hôtel Auberge Saint-Pierre can sleep up to four people on two floors. Many of its 23 rooms have bay views and original wooden beams. Meals here can be taken in a courtyard surrounded by flower boxes or inside by the glow of a fireplace. Named after the area's ubiquitous white sheep, Hôtel Le Mouton Blanc is another character-filled hotel in the village. Its 21 rooms offer welcome amenities like free Wi-Fi and soaking tubs.

If Mont St. Michel has inspired you, explore other European fairytale castles located in France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, and more.