2003/10/14

Mont-Saint-Michel
ASTER VNIR Level 1B

Mont-Saint-Michel is a small land-tied island made of rocks, located inside the Gulfe de Saint-Malo at the northwestern part of France. The islet is connected to the French mainland by a road that runs over the tombolos (connecting bar).
In the midst of a rocky islet exposed to powerful tides stand the monumental architecture, the abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel, built in various architectural styles from the Romanesque to Gothic style, creating the atmosphere resembling the medieval times.

The coast around the islet is where the maximum difference in the levels between high tide and low tide is recorded in Europe. In the past, the road was covered with seawater at high tide. In these days, banks were built along the coast to guard against tides so people can cross to the islet anytime even at high tide.
At the same time, as the sands of the bay gradually precipitate and deposit around the islet, it is rarely observed to have tides approaching close to the shore, which enables to do construction works to improve the environment.

In 1979, the abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel was listed by UNESCO as part of the World Heritage together with the Mont-Saint-Michel Bay.