AVRANCHES is the nearest large town to Mont St-Michel, and it has always had close connections with the abbey. The Mont's original church was founded by a bishop of Avranches, spurred on by the Archangel Michael, who supposedly became so impatient with the lack of progress that he prodded a hole in the bishop's skull - still to be seen in Avranches' St-Gervais basilica . Robert of Torigny, a subsequent abbot of St-Michel, played host in the town on several occasions to Henry II of England, the most memorable being when Henry was obliged, barefoot and bareheaded, to do public penance for the murder of Thomas à Becket, on May 22, 1172. The arena for this act of contrition was Avranches cathedral, designed, most inexpertly, by de Torigny himself: the cathedral swiftly "crumbled and fell for want of proper support", and all that marks the site today is a fenced-off platform - the plate-forme . A more vivid evocation of the area's medieval splendours comes from the illuminated manuscripts from the Mont, on display in the town museum (April & May daily except Tues 9.30am-noon & 2-6pm; June-Sept daily 9.30am-noon & 2-6pm; 15F/?2.20).

The gare SNCF is far below the town centre. In high summer, one bus per day runs to Mont St-Michel from the tourist office on place Général-de-Gaulle (July & Aug daily 9am-8pm; rest of year Mon-Fri 10am-12.30pm & 2-7pm; tel 02.33.58.00.22). Market day is Thursday, and piped disco music on the streets goes on all summer. The nicest hotel has to be the gloriously old-fashioned Croix d'Or , near the Patton monument at 83 rue de la Constitution (tel 02.33.58.04.88; 220-300F/?34-46; closed Jan), which boasts beautiful hydrangea-filled gardens and absolutely the best restaurant in town. Reasonable alternatives include Le Jardin des Plantes , 10 place Carnot (tel 02.33.58.03.68; 160-220F/?24-34), where the restaurant is more basic but very good value.