La Chapelle Sainte Anne | Saint-Malo – Mont-Saint-Michel Bay

Come and admire the 4 cardinal points in the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel!

As you arrive,

a divine silence envelops you, your eyes lost in the richness of the landscape. Located in Saint-Broladre, at the eastern end of the Duchesse Anne dyke is the Chapelle Sainte-Anne!

A chapel sitting before the waves, admiring as you do the magnificent Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, letting yourself be lulled by the birdsong in a place classified Grand Site National de la Baie du Mont-Saint-Michel and also in UNESCO. You’ll notice the simplicity of this chapel in such a rich environment!

At the foot of Sainte-Anne Chapel, from left to right, the Duchesse Anne dyke that runs from Saint-Méloir-des-Ondes to Saint-Broladre. Construction of this dyke began in the 11th century, in connection with the origins of the chapel, which was built in the Middle Ages.
This chapel is dedicated to Saint Anne. Invoked here to ensure the protection of the marshes from tidal invasion.

Small chapel with a room and an altar facing the entrance. The campanile with a small bell tower is set on a double-pitched roof. On the building, one can read an inscription which indicates that the chapel was rebuilt by the alms of Brother Abbot Barbot rector of Saint-Broladre and his parishioners in 1684, the construction is completed in 1687, date inscribed on the bell tower. It was built on the site of a former chapel, said to have been built of wood, dating from the 11th century.

In 1818, this chapel was returned to the commune of Saint-Broladre. This date marked the re-establishment of worship, the resumption of processions as well as the restoration of the building. It is a renowned place of devotion.

The chapel is the witness to a long tradition and is a rendezvous for many of the faithful on the occasion of the pardon of Saint Anne. Mass is celebrated, followed by a procession along the dyke with its wooden statue. The pardon de sainte Anne used to bring together between 5,000 and 6,000 people.

Now every summer, on the fourth Sunday in July, it still welcomes large numbers of faithful.

The plus is that this chapel becomes a place of exhibition in summer. The ideal place for inspiration and artistic creation, the association des Amis de la Chapelle Sainte-Anne have understood this! Green, sand, grey, blue, …. A whole palette of colours!

So enter …

to see inside the 19th century altarpiece that decorates the room which shows devotion and is part of the liturgical ritual. There is also a painting listing the names of survivors of the Second World War camps. If you look up, you can see a beautiful wooden vault panelled with a semicircular arch. This type of roofing is common in Brittany for chapels.

Take time to admire

As you leave the chapel, take the time to stop, you will be dazzled by one of the most beautiful views of the Bay. Behind it stood a small building, now gone, which served as a customs relay between the eastern and western parts of the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel. This relay was used to monitorthe salt extraction transactions.

You will also be able to see a geodetic marker which is used to set up cartography and find out longitude, latitude and altitude.

Admire the different landscapes that make up this bay: the herbus, natural grassland covered by the sea during high tides, the polders, the dike and of course Mont Saint-Michel. The bay is home to thousands of migratory birds, a haven for salt meadow sheep, a playground for dragonflies and amphibians, and a place of amusement for anglers, who find oysters, cockles, razor clams and prawns. All the traditional images are there. You can see the bay changing…

This diversions is a must if you want to understand the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel and our traditions.

An invitation to hike …

Open to all lovers of the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, this is the starting point for so many things! Here we are welcomed by the birds, here everything can begin: cycling, horse riding, fishing on foot, contemplation… So many possibilities are open to us!

Find all our nature expeditions.