Because being part of the crowd is not fun anymore. 'There must be an other solution to see the world famous sight but enjoy the view from an exclusive spot' we thought, looked at the map and found Les Falaises de Champeaux that seemed ideal for what we imagined.
1, Pilgrims and early tourism of the Mt St Michel
The history goes back as far as the 8th century, when the
Bishop of Avranches founded an oratory, that developed into the famous sight
of our days: the Mont Saint Michel.
In fact pilgrims had always flocked to the
fortified abbey. Hotels and souvenir shops opened their gates for the visitors
already during the Hundred Year’s War.
The only decline of the mount was when it was transformed
into a national prison in 1811.
The Mont Saint Michel was among the first sites to be
selected for the UNESCO World Heritage List. Since 1969 monks have started to
move again to the island, preserving the original purpose of the sight.
We could fill pages about detailing the rich history,
culture and gorgeous architecture of the sight. Tourists are courious about
this uniqe abbey with a good reason. However that’s how the place became a
victim of its own charm. And here comes our trouble too : being part of the
crowd on the ramparts or in the tiny romantic streets is no fun anymore L
2, A different approach to the site
Instead we would like to highlight a secluded coast with a
view on the Mont Saint Michel. Les Falaises de Champeaux, as its name „falaises
= cliffs” suggests, is a cliffed coast north of the abbey (see the map below).
It takes 40 km to drive (40 mins) around the bay and reach
the wished view point. Blooming french broom covered hills, wild rocks, the
Channel (La Manche) on our left. We arrived by low tide, when all the village
was out in their wellingons to collect sea food. We were the only tourists with
our fancy looking snow white dog. What might have the locals thought of us?
3, Level of hike
The hike was a little bit more difficult than expected -
partly due to the muddy path – Eszter managed to slip and fall…Sometimes we had
to climb small rocks and it includes constantly going up and down between
valleys and hilltops. We would rate it as a medium level-hike. Proper shoes are
highly recommended. Unsuitable for bikes and buggies.
4, Why the trouble?
40 km is a lot, you would say. The twist of the story is
that across the bay, there’s only 11 km between our view point and the Mont
Saint Michel. Despite of the misty weather the stunning view was surprisingly
clear.
As an additional attraction: our trail crossed a shabby rock
house. It was a Cabane Vauban. Vauban, the military architect of Louis XIV
(17C) was in charge of defending the French borders. As the cliffs function as natural
protection all he planned was a small but massive house for the watch guards.
These constructions stood the test of time and many of them still remain.
5, Traveling with dogs 🐕
Le Mont Saint-Michel: it is a town in its function. Because
of the limited place its streets are narrow and organised in platforms linked
with steep staircases. The crowed of tourists didn’t make our dog more
enthusiastic about the mount.
Les Falaises de Champeaux: if your dog likes hiking,
climbing and enjoys the sandy beaches at low tide it’s the right place to bring
him.
6, Fun facts
1. The Mt St-Michel has a cousin in Cornwall, England : St Michael's Mount (no joke!)
2. The historical access of the Mount was during low tide, on the sand. Today, people mostly use the bridge, but you can still cross the hole bay by foot. Because of the strong tides and the quicksands, it is really advised to go with a local guide, in order to avoid drowning.
3. Where does this road go? We often see pilgrim hike signs in the countryside around Nantes. As it turns out, we are living on the Mt St Michel to Santiago (El Camino) trail. More on that topic to follow on our next posts around Nantes...
Our hike in Les Falaises de Champeaux
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