STORY: :: Mont Saint-Michel rises from the clouds in northern France:: March 31, 2025:: The abbey was founded in 966, it's now a World Heritage Site visited by two million people every yearTourists began flocking to the abbey and the village that arose in the shadows of its walls in the 1980s after it was designated a World Heritage Site.Tourists reach the village by a crossing a bridge or by kayak. When the tide allows, visitors can walk on the sand. The bay of Mont Saint-Michel - shared between Normandy and Brittany - has the highest tides in continental Europe, and the shifting tides are also a draw for tourists. When the tide exceeds 110, meaning there is a large amplitude between high tide and low tide, the Mont Saint-Michel becomes an island again for a few hours and access to it is cut off.