It is called Dover. The Eurotunnel passes under its bottom. This is the famous English Channel, which is a surprisingly curious piece of land. And it is interesting not only for its landscapes, but also for its origin. What is the name of the narrowest part of the English Channel? Its location and features will be discussed in this article.
Geographical position of the English Channel
The strait connects the Atlantic Ocean with the North Sea. Its length is 578 kilometers, the width in the western part is 250 km, in the eastern part - 130 km. The smallest depth is 23.5 meters.
It is important to note that a unique tunnel has been built between the cities of Calais and Dover (as the narrowest part of the English Channel is called, we will learn a little lower).
More than 52 km (38 km of the route is located directly under the strait) is its length.
The main ports are Le Havre, Portsmouth, Cherbourg and Southampton. There are also islands, the largest of which are located off the coast of Great Britain (Isle of Wight) and off the coast of France (Channel Islands).
The history of the formation of the island of Great Britain
AT Ancient Rome this strait was called Oceanus Britannicus, which translates as "British Ocean". As time went on, it got smaller and smaller. In it had the name - "British Sea", and today the sailors call this place simply "the sleeve" (The Sleeve).
Theoretically, on the site of the English Channel in ancient times there were low-lying lands (something like the Netherlands). Then the level of the sea surface began to rise and fill the vast valleys with ocean waters. This place became the bottom of the current strait that separated Great Britain from the mainland.
Before we find out which is the narrowest part of the English Channel, let's consider another theory of the origin of this strait.
A new version
More than 20 years ago, another, one might say, catastrophic theory of the development of events appeared. Most geographers perceive it as a bit far-fetched.
The journal Nature has published Research Article London scientists from Imperial College, which said that the strait separating Great Britain and France was formed as a result of other natural processes. They believe that the cause of the birth of the English Channel was the catastrophic outflow of water from a huge lake, which was formed as a result of the confluence of the Rhine and Thames in the Ice Age.
Sanjeev Gupta, the head of these studies, said that more than 420 thousand years ago, Britain and France were connected by the Veld-Artois anticline. This is a chalk ridge, the height of which reached 180 meters precisely in the area of the strait under consideration, and lowlands lay in the western part of it. Water from the Rhine, Thames and other rivers flowed here through the North Sea.
And when the glaciers blocked the river water began to accumulate in a closed space, subsequently forming a huge lake, which was fed by rivers and the melting of the glacier.
What is the name of the narrowest part of the English Channel, its location
This site is located between the mother part of Europe and the island of Great Britain.
This is a magnificent place with beautiful landscapes, where on a clear sunny day you can see the buildings located on the other side of the strait, and at night you can see bright luminous lights.
The narrowest part of the English Channel is called the Pas de Calais or the Strait of Dover. Its width is only 32 km. It is located just between the French city of Calais and English port Dover. A passenger boat crosses the Pas de Calais in 1.5-2 hours. In this place, under water, the Eurotunnel was built.
Description
There is an expression in geology - a megaflood. They denote events that have occurred over the past 500 years in the territory that is now a water barrier between the islands of Britain and the continent. It's about about the same La Manche.
Translated from French, the English Channel means "sleeve". In the UK it is called the "English Channel". Its length is about 560 km, and its maximum width is 240 km. Approximately 34 km wide is the narrowest part of the English Channel.
Curious facts about the strait in general
- During the First World War, the Heards Deep depression, located at the bottom of the English Channel, was used by the British to bury chemical weapons. And after World War II (1941-1945), German weapons were flooded here. From 1946 to 1973, radioactive isotopes were buried here.
- The very first swimmer in human history to swim across the English Channel was Matthew Webb. This swim in 1875 lasted almost 22 hours (15 minutes less).
- Eurostar trains travel through the Eurotunnel at a speed of 160 kilometers per hour.
- On one of the islands of the strait called Sark, feudalism remained until 2008. The island was ruled until this very moment by the last island in Europe with this kind of management.
- A giant eel lives in the English Channel, the weight of which exceeds 100 kilograms, and the length reaches 3 meters.
- the only Railway operates on the island of Alderney (Channel Islands), built in 1847. Its length is 3 km. It works only in the summer and only on weekends and holidays.
We learned the name of the narrowest part of the English Channel, found out the history of the strait itself and realized that this place is one of the most interesting corners of the planet Earth.
The English Channel is a famous strait, which is also called the English Channel. This channel separates the UK and the coast of France. Translated from French name Strait literally means "hand".
The English Channel flows into the Pas de Calais. These two straits unite Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. The strait has a length of 578 kilometers. Its maximum depth is 172 meters.
Due to the large number of shoals, especially in the east, and frequent fogs, navigation in the English Channel is difficult. A westerly wind blows over the strait almost all the time, which is the reason for the constant easterly current, the speed of which reaches 3 kilometers per hour in the narrowest places.
The English Channel became famous due to the construction of a huge tunnel.
The Channel Tunnel is the longest in the world. It's just amazing engineering. Its length is more than 50 kilometers, 38 of which were laid under water along the seabed. The Channel Tunnel opened in 1994 as a modern transport system that connected the British Isle to the continent.
Over the past two hundred years, people have developed a lot of ways to cross the English Channel. The tunnel was first proposed to be built in 1802, and the Committee for its creation was formed already in 1892. There were even proposals to build a bridge over the English Channel. In 1986, an offer was received from the French and British governments for companies to seriously engage in the development of tunnel drawings. A year later, out of 9 projects, the best one was chosen.
In fact, there are three tunnels: one service and two railway. Construction work began on the British coast in December 1987, and in France three months later. The gigantic machines, equipped with rotating cutting heads, took a whole month to cut every kilometer. In total, the construction of the tunnel took three years.
The tunnels were laid on average 45 meters deeper than the seabed. When the two parts of the service tunnel were separated by a hundred meters, the workers manually dug a small tunnel that connected them. The two halves met in 1990. Two railway tunnels were completed on May 22 and June 28, 1991.
Still, after seven months, they finished laying all three tunnels, and began laying the rails. During this period, engineers were developing rail terminals near Calais in France and Folkestone in the UK. The tunnel was opened by Queen Elizabeth II and President Mitterrand on May 6, 1994.
Special trains equipped with platforms for cars and passenger cars run every hour. In total, 350 electric trains pass through the tunnel during the day, which can carry up to 200 thousand tons of cargo. Naturally, luggage control is very strong, if you want to experiment, put MMG in your backpack and you won’t go anywhere. After some time, you will be released, because. MMG is not a firearm. Cars use the tunnel's trains as a moving highway. They enter the car from one side and after 35 minutes leave from the other. Electric locomotives travel at speeds up to 160 kilometers per hour.
The entire construction of the tunnel was spent 10 billion pounds - twice as much as originally planned. One year after its official opening, Eurotunnel posted a loss of £925m, one of the largest losses in UK corporate history. And in 1996, a fire broke out in the tunnel due to a truck on fire, which suspended its work for six months.
Coast of the English Channel (English Channel)
Despite the fact that the tunnel project was insanely expensive, and to this day all costs have not yet been able to pay off, this structure is still a model of modern engineering excellence, which is equally high degree takes into account functionality and safety.
»In the II century, BC. e. the ancient Greek scientist Herodotus called this water isthmus "Oceanus Britannicus".
An interesting situation has developed around the name "English Channel". The French version has been known since the 17th century. and means sleeve. The Spaniards called the strait El Canal de la Mancha, the Portuguese called Canal da Mancha, the Italians La Manica, the Germans Ermelkanal.
The desire of each of the peoples to remake the name in their own way betrayed a persistent desire to claim ownership of these small, but significant waters. Control of the strait provided colossal advantages. Firstly, it was the closest way to England, and secondly, the shortest way to. Despite the wayward nature of the English Channel - frequent fogs, gale-force winds, high tides and treacherous currents - political and commercial importance outweighed all natural barriers.
According to the most rough estimates, the remains of several million people and tens of thousands of ships lie at the bottom of the strait: from Roman galleys to diesel submarines. Such is the price of the centuries-old battle for the strait.
None of this would have happened if the British Isles had remained part of continental Europe 10,000 years ago, during the last glaciation (Pleistocene). But the land in these places lay 120 m below sea level, and as the glaciers melted, water filled the lowlands, forming what we now call the English Channel.
AT peacetime the strait served a noble purpose: it was a kind of water bridge through which there was a cultural exchange between the Celts and the peoples of inner Europe, contributing to the formation of new languages and nationalities. This is indicated by the obvious similarity of many dialects and customs common on both sides of the strait.
However, in difficult times for the population of Britain, the strait became a natural barrier to the conquerors, although not for everyone. The ancient Romans managed to successfully cross the strait and conquer Britain in the 1st century BC. n. e., Normans in 1066, William III of Orange in 1688.
Beginning with Elizabeth I (1533-1603), the policy of the English kings in the area of the strait was to prevent an invasion of England from the continent. To do this, the British ensured that none of the major European powers controlled important ports on the other side of the strait. The formation of the British Empire would have been impossible if the British had not established the most severe control over the English Channel in their time.
The rise of England as "Queen of the Seas" began after 1588, when the Spanish "Invincible Armada" perished along its coast, partly in the English Channel, where it was covered by one of the fierce English Channel storms. On the occasion of the victory, Queen Elizabeth III ordered the minting of a medal with the Latin inscription Adflavit Deus et dissipati sunt ("God blew and they scattered").
France tried twice more to conquer England: during the Seven Years' War (1756-63) and during the Napoleonic Wars (1800-15). Both times the "guests from the continent" gathered a huge fleet, but never invaded the island. A significant role was played here by all the same famous English Channel winds and storms, which, to spite the French, began on the most favorable day for the invasion.
Fisher, First Lord of the British Admiralty, declared shortly before the outbreak of the First World War: "Five keys keep the world shut: Singapore, Cape Town, Alexandria, Gibraltar and Dover." The importance of the English Channel port of Dover remained decisive for the defense of the strait.
On July 25, 1909, Frenchman Louis Blériot crossed the English Channel for the first time in his monoplane, starting at Calais and landing at Dover. The British were made clear that the English Channel was no longer an insurmountable barrier to enemy forces. In addition, Germany began to hastily build submarines, which was an even greater threat to England. The British had to fight on land in order to get close to the German submarine bases, but only in 1918, when the war was drawing to a close, the threat of an invasion of England from under the water was finally eliminated during the famous Zeebrugee Raid and the complete naval blockade of Germany .
During World War II, the theater of operations at sea moved to the Atlantic, as the shallow waters and narrow inlets of the English Channel were too dangerous for large-capacity ships. Having abandoned a direct invasion (Operation Sea Lion), the German troops concentrated on submarine warfare, laying minefields and rocket and artillery shelling of England across the strait.
In May 1940 the British expeditionary corps, who fought on the side of France, along with the remnants of the French army, retreated through Dunkirk under the onslaught of the advancing german army. It was the most ambitious rescue operation in the history of wars: in just a few days, 338,000 soldiers were evacuated during Operation Dainemo.
During 1940-1945, the Germans built the most powerful fortifications on the continental side of the strait, called the Atlantic Wall. Many have survived to this day, becoming tourist attractions. German troops managed to occupy several islands in the strait, but did not advance further. The Atlantic Wall fell in 1944, during the opening of the Second Front and the implementation of Operation Overlord to land Allied troops in Normandy.
After the end of the war and with the beginning of the unification of Europe, the issue of transport links between the British Isles and the continent became acute. Ferry crossings were morally and technologically outdated and could not cope with the transportation of goods, cars and railway cars. About 3.5 million people lived on the banks of the English Channel, in dire need of a modern crossing.
The idea of building a tunnel under the English Channel has a long history. Back in 1802, the French engineer Albert Mathieu-Favier proposed a project for a tunnel for traveling in carriages by the light of oil lamps. There were other projects, and even construction began: twice in 1876 and 1922. But both times the construction was frozen for political reasons.
The new project was launched in 1973. The underground crossing was opened in 1994 and was named the Eurotunnel. This is a double-track railway with a length of about 51 km (39 km under the English Channel). Thanks to the tunnel, it is now possible to get from Paris to London in 2 hours and 15 minutes; in the tunnel itself, the trains are 20-35 min.
general information
The English Channel, together with the Pas de Calais, connects the North Sea with the Atlantic Ocean
The most important ports:
United Kingdom- Portsmouth, Southampton, Dover; France- Le Havre, Calais, Cherbourg, Dunkirk, Dieppe, Boulogne-sur-Mer.
Largest islands: Isle of Wight (Great Britain), (Jersey and Guernsey), under the jurisdiction of Great Britain, off the coast of France.
Peninsulas: Cornwall (UK), Cotentin (France).
Rivers flowing into the strait: Seine, Somme, Orna, Vira (France); Ex, Dort, Tamer, Fal (Great Britain).
Languages: English, French, dialects of the population of the shores of the strait (Gallo, Mor Bretannec, Het Canaal, Ermel Canal, etc.).
Monetary units: pound sterling, euro.
Numbers
Area: 75,000 km2.
Length: 560 km.
Width: from 34 km (between Dover, UK, and Calais, France) to 240 km (between Mont Saint-Michel, France, and Devon, UK).
Average depth at widest section: 120 m
Average depth at the narrowest section: 45 m
Minimum depth on the fairway: 23.5 m
Maximum depth on the fairway: 172 m (underwater low Heards Deep).
Average current speed: 12-13 km/h near the city of Portland. Great Britain, 15-18.5 km/h at Cape Ag France.
Maximum tidal wave height: 15 m (city of Saint-Malo, France).
Average salinity: over 35% ° .
Economy
Shipping.
Minerals: building sand and gravel.
Fishing: turbot (halibut), flounder, stingray, mackerel, whiting, sea eel (conger). Breeding oysters.
Services sector:
tourism, transport.
Climate and weather
Moderate maritime, significant influence of the Atlantic Ocean.
Average air temperature:+4°С in winter, +18°С in summer.
The average temperature of the surface layer of water: January: +6°С; July: +19°С.
Average annual rainfall: 830 mm.
Average annual cloudiness: 7 points.
Average number of foggy days per year: in the west - 34, in the east - 101. Storms in autumn and winter.
Relative humidity: 85-100%.
Attractions
■ Eurotunnel (France - Great Britain);
■ Seven Sisters Cretaceous Reefs (Great Britain);
■ Allied landing site (Normandy, France);
■ Guernsey Island (Channel Islands, UK): Cornet Castle (1206-1256), Victoria Tower (1848), forts, small chapel, mills;
■ The ruins of the "Atlantic wall" (France);
■ Cotentin Peninsula: Cherbourg city, Cape Flamanville (France);
■ Lighthouses of the Brittany Peninsula (France);
■ Needle Rocks (Great Britain).
Curious facts
■ Herds Deep - a depression at the bottom of the English Channel - was used by the British during the First World War to bury chemical weapons. After the Second World War, German weapons were flooded here. Similar operations continued until 1974. In the period 194673. the depression was used to flood radioactive waste.
■ Eurostar trains travel through the Eurotunnel at a speed of 160 km/h.
■ The Channel Islands, part of the two Crown Dependencies of Jersey and Guernsey, are under the jurisdiction of the British Monarchy, but are not part of the UK and are not part of the EU, although they are part of the customs territory of the EU.
■ The island of Sark (Channel Islands) until 2008 retained a feudal system of government - the last in Europe. The island was governed by a council of elders.
■ The giant sea eel, or conger, living in the English Channel, reaches a length of 3 m and weighs more than 100 kg.
■ Alderney Island (Channel Islands) has the only railway on the islands. Built in 1847, 3 km long, open only in summer, on weekends and public holidays.
■ The British swimmer Matthew Webb was the first in the history of mankind to cross the English Channel in 1875 in 21 hours and 45 minutes. The slowest swim across the strait - 28 hours 44 minutes. (Jackie Cobell, UK, 2010)
The English Channel, which separates the coasts of France and Great Britain, has always played very important role in history. Many nations sought to lay claim to this narrow strait, which was reflected in the difference in its names. The ancient Greeks called the water isthmus "Oceanus Britannicus", the Portuguese and Spaniards - the da Mancha channel, the Italians called it La Manica, and in the German lands the strait was called the Ermelkanal. But modern name came from French, in translation from which the name of the strait means "sleeve". Although the inhabitants of the British Isles stubbornly continue to call it the English Channel.
The English Channel (together with the Pas de Calais) connects the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, has a relatively short length - 578 km, and its width ranges from 32 km to 250 km.
History of the English Channel
The English Channel has always been in the center historical events, since control over it gave great advantages: it was the shortest way, both to the Baltic Sea and to the shores of Britain. Navigation along the strait was fraught with many difficulties - the weather here is very changeable, strong winds often blow, thick fogs descend. Combined with the complex nature of the currents and high tides, crossing this waterway has always been a challenge. But the commercial and political significance of the strait outweighed all obstacles.
Despite the insidiousness of the English Channel, many conquerors were able to overcome it. Even in the first century, the ancient Romans crossed the strait, in 1066 the Normans landed on the coast of Britain, and in the 17th century - William of Orange. But still, the water isthmus protected the British well: scientists believe that at the bottom of the strait there are skeletons of tens of thousands of ships from different times and peoples.
Since the mid-16th century, English monarchs have established tight control over the English Channel, using frequent storms and their rebuilt ships to protect against the encroachments of the Spanish and French fleets. The port of Dover played a special role in the defense of the strait.
However, with the advent of airplanes, the strait ceased to be a reliable barrier for enemy troops, and the creation of submarines aggravated the situation even more. The British had to resort to a complete naval blockade of Germany in 1918 to ward off the threat of an invasion of the islands.
German troops returned to the English Channel at the beginning of World War II, despite the impossibility of using large ships there (the strait is too shallow for them). Realizing that a direct invasion was impossible, the Nazis set up many minefields and led fighting in the strait with the help of submarines, and also fired at the coast.
At the beginning of 1940, British troops were evacuated to the islands from the continent during Operation Dainemo, which went down in history as the largest military rescue operation. The Nazis created the strongest fortifications on the continental coast ("Atlantic Wall") and occupied several islands in the strait. These fortifications were recaptured from the Germans during the Allied landings in Normandy in 1944.
After the end of the war, the English Channel began to play a key role in the unification of Great Britain and continental Europe - a huge flow of goods was transported using ferries. There was a need for a new type of transport communication, and in 1973 a project was launched to build an underwater tunnel. Such projects existed before: in 1802, it was proposed by the French engineer A. Mathieu-Favier, and in 1876 and 1922, construction even began, which was stopped due to various political problems.
Construction was carried out from two sides - English and French, and the accuracy of passage in the tunnel was controlled by a laser positioning system. On May 6, 1994, the underground path was opened and named. Now the road from the continent to the island takes 2 hours and 15 minutes, and the train moves under water for about half an hour.
Strait today
Today, the strait still plays a huge role in the life of the peoples inhabiting its shores and islands, keeping their history and traditions.
On the banks of the English Channel, some historical sights have been preserved: the 13th century Cornet castle, forts, the ruins of the Atlantic Wall, Brittany lighthouses. The infamous Heards Deep at the bottom of the strait - in the First world war the British flooded it with chemical weapons.
On the island of Sark in the English Channel, until 2008, there was a feudal system of government, the only one in Europe when the island was ruled by elders.
The English Channel has always been of interest to athletes and researchers. In 1909, the French pilot Blériot flew over the strait for the first time and landed in Dover, and in 1912 his flight was repeated by the first woman, an American G. Quimby. In 1974, a researcher from Wales, B. Thomas, crossed the English Channel in an Indian bull boat, trying to prove the common origin of Welsh and Indian boats.
The conquest of the wayward strait took place not only on vehicles - about 900 people overcame it by swimming, struggling with high waves, currents and wind, being in water with a temperature of no higher than 18 degrees.
The championship in this overcoming belongs to the Briton M. Webb, who swam the English Channel in 21 hours 45 minutes. in 1875. The record for time belongs to the Bulgarian P. Stoychev - he swam across the strait in 6 hours 57 minutes and 50 seconds in 2007.
In women, the record was set by the Czech athlete I. Glavachova in 2006, swimming across the strait in 7 hours 25 minutes and 15 seconds, and for the first time a woman ventured into such a swim in 1912 (American G. Ederle).
The famous strait continues to inspire new records and achievements of athletes and engineers, and it is likely that many more realized ideas and implemented projects will be associated with it.
English Channel - VIDEO
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(in principle, a very useful site for those who are going to France, a lot of advice, starting from the map of the Paris metro and ending with how it is more economical to visit Disneyland).
Trip to Normandy takes a full day (separately, also a full day, a trip to Mont Saint-Michel) and is accompanied by a driver guide. Perhaps the only drawback was that we did not get to the rocks of Etretat, but the impressions were enough without them.
How to get from Paris to the English Channel: from the North Station by train to the cities closest to the strait. The schedule can be viewed at (link to the train schedule to Deauville, but you can type the city you need in the search, for example, Le Havre or Le Touquet).
Favorite beach of European aristocrats in Deauville
Deauville Beach (с) Sergey Anashkevitch
Deauville is one of the most prestigious European resorts, a favorite vacation spot for movie stars, aristocrats and wealthy pensioners. The most famous place in Deauville is the beach with elite cabanas, many of which are inscribed with the names of the stars who actually changed clothes here. By the way, this beach is the birthplace of the swimsuit: the fearless Coco Chanel appeared for the first time in an open bathing suit on vacation in Deauville and opened her first store here.
Tip: Prices in Deauville are very expensive, they are artificially high on purpose so that only the elite rest here, therefore, if you are not a movie star, but just a traveler who has looked into Deauville, then we advise you to dine in the city across the road - Trouville, where all those who work in Deauville's tourist establishments.
How to get from Paris to Deauville: again, by train from the North Station, having looked in advance
The most delicious in the world - Normandy oysters
Oysters are the hallmark of Normandy. They are large, meaty and very tasty. This is not the only place where they are grown, there are also oyster farms on the Adriatic and mediterranean seas, but it was Normandy oysters that became world famous.
Oysters come in different sizes (1,2,3) and different types. The most popular: Fin de Claire, Bellon, Black Noir. Finn de Claire is considered the most delicious.
You can eat fresh oysters in almost any restaurant you come across in Normandy or buy them at the market, the largest selection on the market in Trouville. In addition to oysters, there is a huge selection of seafood.
Sun-drenched harbor of Honfleur
Honfleur
Honfleur is a small port town. Small but just amazing. It seems that Sunday morning has frozen in him forever, he is so serene, idle and quiet. Cider, Calvados, caramel, homemade ice cream are sold here at every step.
There are many ancient buildings in the town, and the most unusual of them is the wooden church of St. Catherine.
How to get from Paris to Honfleur: We get to Deauville by train, from it by bus to Honfleur. Second option: by train to Le Havre, from there by bus to Honfleur. Schedule:
Norman cider
apple cider
If oysters are a must-eat in Normandy, then cider is a must-drink. Golden, bottled like a delicate Norman Sun, cider is a mild alcoholic drink made without the use of yeast. Traditionally it is made from apples, but we liked pear cider even more, it is so fragrant and unusual.
The majesty of Rouen Cathedral
Facade of Rouen Cathedral
Rouen is the capital of Normandy and perhaps the French city with the largest number of cathedrals, they literally stand several houses away from here.
The most majestic of course is Rouen Cathedral. He is almost 900 years old, he has repeatedly suffered from natural disasters and wars (during the Second World War, part of the cathedral was destroyed during the bombing), but this giant, the highest Cathedral in France (151 meters), continues to rise above the city.
It is in this cathedral, in a sarcophagus, that the heart of Richard is buried. Lion Heart(Here is such a tautology).
How to get from Paris to Rouen: From the St.Lazare station, the train schedule can be viewed at (journey time - 1.5 hours)
How to get from Paris to Chateau Gaillard: By train from Rouen, and from Rouen by taxi to the castle.
By car: Since there is no direct transport to this place, it is better to rent a car and drive to the castle on your own. Coordinates:
The silence of the narrow streets of Rouen
Rouen
The most beautiful (in some places quiet, in some not so) streets are located in the area between the Market Square and Rouen Cathedral, in the block to the right of the street. In addition, you can go down the Rue Joan of Arc to the Seine and walk along the embankment.
Etretat rocks
Cliffs of Etretat (c) Fabio Nodari
This is the most famous miraculous sight of Normandy. A chalk rock that looks like an elephant lowering its trunk to drink water from the English Channel is located on the Alabaster Coast, not far from the small town of Etretat. The rock-elephant is called Arch la Mannport, and besides it there are many others: Rock-Needle, Rock D'Amon, Rock D'Aval. In addition, you can soak up the Alabaster Beach between the rocks.
How to get from Paris to Etretat: From the St. Lazare station to Le Havre, then by bus 24. You can see the bus schedule of bus 24
Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel
The French modestly call this place the "Eighth Wonder of the World." The abbey is located on an island in the Bay of Saint-Michel, at the exit to the open Atlantic Ocean. Mont Saint-Michel is located 2 kilometers from the mainland and is unique not only for its elegant Romanesque architecture, but also for the fact that, depending on the time of day, the waters of the ocean either recede, exposing the land between the island and the mainland, then reappear, completely enveloping the abbey .
How to get from Paris to Mont Saint-Michel: From the train station to Rennes, then by bus (runs from Rennes railway station) to the abbey.