Mont-Saint-Michel

I am a rocky island topped with a pointy castle that touches the clouds. I sit in a giant bay in a country called France, where the water rushes in and out every day. Sometimes, the sea surrounds me completely, making me a true island floating in the water. Then, when the water pulls back, a huge sandy path appears all around me, connecting me to the land. I sparkle in the sun and look like a castle from a fairytale. People who see me for the first time often gasp because I look so magical. I am happy to meet you. My name is Mont-Saint-Michel.

My story begins a very long time ago with a special dream. In the year 708, a kind bishop named Aubert was sleeping when an angel appeared in his dream. The angel asked him to build a small church right on top of my rocky peak. At first, it was just a little chapel. But people felt that I was a very special and holy place. Starting in the year 966, groups of monks came to live here. For hundreds of years, they worked very hard, carefully building the beautiful abbey you see today. With strong stone walls and tall spires, they built me higher and higher, reaching right into the sky.

For centuries, families and travelers called pilgrims would walk for miles just to visit me. They had to be very careful and watch the tide. They would cross the wet sand when the water was far away to come and pray in my church. I felt so proud to welcome them. As a little village grew on my slopes, I grew strong walls around my base to protect everyone inside. For a little while, during a time called the French Revolution in the late 1700s, I became a prison. My halls were quiet and sad then. But that time didn't last forever, and people soon remembered what a treasure I was.

In 1874, I was declared a special historic monument, which meant that everyone would help take care of me forever. I was so happy. And in the year 2014, a wonderful new bridge was built that gracefully curves over the water. Now, friends from all over the world can visit me safely without ever worrying about the rushing tide. I love to feel the footsteps of curious children exploring my winding streets and climbing my many stone stairways. I stand as a magical place where the sea meets the sky, and I hope I can inspire your dreams, just like the dream that started my story so long ago.