MONT-SAINT-MICHEL

Set in the mesmerising bay where Normandy and Brittany meet, Mont-Saint-Michel is France's third-most-visited tourist attraction with good reason. Is it an island or not an island? Its uniqueness centers largely around the fact that it is both, depending on the time of day and whether the tide is high or low. The difference between high and low tide can be up to 60 feet.

Mont-Saint-Michel dons a deceptive peacefulness at low tide, surrounded by mudflats and calm-looking tidal pools. Don't let it fool you. There are pockets of quicksand within those mudflats (only go out there with a guide), and the tides can be treacherous with the sudden rushing of their return--over three feet per second or, as Victor Hugo described it, "at the speed of a galloping horse." Many unsuspecting tourists have found themselves in peril as a result. 

Though better known for the views of the mont and its 1,000-year-old abbey, it was the views from the mont and sights on it that were what captivated this visitor.