| Great escapes: Normandy 7 |
| A fiary-tale tour |
| A spectacular Gothic abbey on an island of rock and towns where historical crafts continue to thrive make La Manche a magical place |
The region of Le Manche in the south-west corner of Normandy is best known for Mont-St-Michel, an extraordinary island of rock just off the coast which has for centuries been home to a Benedictine abbey reached by a long and winding stone street. A maze of intriguing snickerways adds to the dramatic architecture of the Mount, which is strikingly reminscent of a fairy-tale castle. Visitors have access to the Mount only at low tide, when a hidden causeway is mysteriously revealed.
But La Manche has many other attractions, too, in particular its ancient towns whose specialist trades go back centuries. The region is just the place to head for if you're seeking a full day out packed with variety.
1. Le Mont-St-Michel
Mont-St-Michel lies 126km south-west of Caen and is best reached on the N175 or D976. There is a car park facing the Mount.
Mont-St-Michel ranks as one of France's major attractions. A
92-metre mound of rock topped by a famous abbey, it is isolated from the coast by a causeway which disappears at high tide.
The Mount looms in striking contrast to the sandy bay (right) and its grassland approach, forming a lasting memory for many visitors.
While low tide exposes the sand banks as far as 14.5km out to sea, the incoming water furiously reclaims its layer as fast as
100 metres a minute. The quicksands are so deep that they are said to have swallowed entire ships, while some say even whole towns lie buried beneath.
Legend has it that the Archangel Michel appeared to Aubert, Bishop of Avranches, in the year 708, inspiring the building of
an oratory on the mount. The Benedictine Abbey has continued to draw pilgrims for centuries,
and even today it is sometimes necessary to queue for the
hour-long guided tour.
The Abbey is of considerable architectural beauty and has a long and varied history.
As a monastery it was desecrated during the Revolution, and in the nineteenth century it was converted into a prison. Monastic serenity has since been restored and monks live and work here as they did in medieval times. They can be joined for daily mass.
The climb to the Abbey is hard-going: there are some 900 steps up to the Escalier de Dentelle (the Lace Staircase) which leads to the gallery of the Abbey church, but it's well worth the toil. Be warned, though, that unless you visit out of season it can get very busy, particularly on the Grand Rue which leads up the mount to the abbey.
It takes well over three hours to appreciate all the monastic grandeur of the Mount and to discover all the nooks, crannies, gardens and endless souvenir shops. After that, you'll probably feel in need of some refreshment.
• View from the beach at Genets
Zero the trip meter, exit the car park at Mont-St-Michel and turn left onto D976. Continue for 1.8km then turn left again onto the D275 for 6.5km, then right onto the D43. Continue for another 6.5 km before turning left onto the N175 for Avranches. Continue for 7km then turn left onto the D973 for 0.6km and left again onto D911 for 10.5km, when you arrive in Genets. Drive to the north end of village and turn left onto the D35. After 1.9km you will reach the beach car park.
Your reward for so much arduous walking on the Mount is the tranquillity and solitude of a picnic on the sandflats and grasslands (above) overlooking it. While the landscape here may lack the drama of the Mount, it is a pleasure to watch fisherman at work and the odd pony-trotting enthusiast gliding across the sand (below).
2. Avranches
After your break, exit the car park at Genets beach and proceed on the D35 for 1.9km before turning right onto the D911, signposted Avranches. Continue east for 10.5km, then turn right onto the D973. Cross the bridge and follow signs for the Office de Tourisme which you will reach after about one kilometre. There is a large
car park behind it.
Avranches lies to the east of
Mont-St-Michel. Its well known Jardin des Plants (above) is an
idyllic place for a summer night's stroll, the lower end of the garden offering a superb panoramic view of the Mount and the bay. But it is also worth seeking out some of the more historic relics around this town which dominates the most south-westerly bay of La Manche.
The town hall houses a library of some 14,000 antique books and 203 parchment manuscripts – some of which are illuminated – taken from the abbey of
Mont-St-Michel. They form
one of the most famous monastic literary collections of the Romanesque era.
Nearby, not far from the Place Daniel Huet, is the spot that marks the original location of the town cathedral's north gate. It was here that Henry II, King of England, was made to do public penance
for the murder of Thomas à Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury.
In the heart of Avranches and dominating the skyline north-west of the town is the castle and keep which was built in 950 on the site of the former Roman enclosure.
It is worth making the climb to the top where, from the crenellated wall, one can see the town, the bay and valley of the River Sée.
3. Villedieu-les-Poêles
Back on the ground, exit the car park behind Avranches tourist office and turn left onto a local road, continuing for 1km before joining the N175 signposted Villedieu-Les Poêles. Continue north east on the N175 for 20km, then turn left onto the D914 for 0.5km to the centre of Villedieu-Les Poêles, following signs for the Office de Tourisme, which is situated between two car parks.
The small town of Villedieu-les-Poêles was founded in the eleventh century by the Knights
of Jerusalem, who arrived from the east bringing their skills in metalwork. This picturesque town is still renowned for its copper-beating and bell-making.
A highlight for most visitors is a trip to the Cornille-Havard Fonderie de Cloches (the bell foundry, pictured right), whichboth symbolises and practices a tradition that has been in operation in the town since the Middle Ages. The workshop was built in 1865 and still functions much as it did back then, with the bell founders using many of the original tools. A tour of the foundry offers an insight into the detailed process and ageless method of bell production. The town also boasts a copper workshop and museums of lace, Norman furniture, pewter and clocks.
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Distance 50km approx.
Time 71/2 hours
Start Mont-St-Michel
Finish Villedieu-les-Poêles
Suitable for All the family
Refreshment
Packed lunch
Attractions
Mont-St-Michel
Tel 00 33 (0)2 33 60 14 30
St Gervais Basilica
Tel 00 33 (0)2 33 58 00 22
Cornille-Havard Bell Foundry
Tel 00 33 (0)2 33 61 00 56
Copper museum
Tel 00 33 (0)2 33 51 31 85
House of pewter
Tel 00 33 (0)2 3 51 05 08
Lace and copper museum
Tel 00 33 (0)2 33 90 20 92
Furniture museum
Tel 00 33 (0)2 33 61 11 78
Clock museum
Tel 00 33 (0)2 33 90 95 38
Information
Tel 00 33 (0)2 33 05 98 70
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