Treasure n°3 Polder nuggets

Developed from the 19th century onwards, the polders of Mont-Saint-Michel Bay are fertile land conquered from the sea thanks to an ingenious system of dykes. Today, they offer a unique landscape, shaped by agriculture and livestock farming, in harmony with the maritime environment. These vast geometric expanses bear witness to human adaptation to the power of the tides and are an integral part of the bay’s identity.

1. Polders

The polders of Mont-Saint-Michel Bay form a unique agricultural landscape in France, 3000 ha of land conquered from the sea, mainly in the 19th century, are now used for vegetable and cereal crops. More specifically, polders are marshes that have been dried out by the construction of dykes, then made arable by desalination.

And to find out more, it’s here!

2. DOP “Prés-salés du Mont Saint-Michel” lamb

The DOP “Prés-salés du Mont Saint-Michel” lambs have found a quality canteen in the polders, rich in its many assets. Here they can frolic with a view of Mont Saint-Michel!

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3. Le Balcon de la Baie

At Roz-sur-Couesnon, a mountain-like massif is worth the diversions, where a garden offers a unique panorama of the different landscapes of the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel. From here, you can appreciate all the richness of the Bay, with its variations in landscapes, colours and contrasts. The grid pattern and isolation of the farms sheltered by the dykes, the polders that stretch all the way to Mont Saint-Michel and where the sheep graze.

Go on a discovery!

4. Le Télégraphe de Chappe

Discovering the telegraph is a must: this transmission station on the Paris-Brest line was built in 1799 to enable messages from the administration, army and judiciary to be sent by telegraph. It is the only restored telegraph in Brittany with a working mechanism.

Take the polder tour by bike.

5. The church of Saint-Georges de Gréhaigne

Arriving in the centre of this small market town, we discover, dominating the polders, a pretty granite church, dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. Dedicated to Saint Georges, the glass roof dates from the 16th century. The interior, beautifully restored, reveals a ceiling in the shape of an upturned ship’s hull. Surrounded by its parish enclosure, it has a pretty bell tower that is said to move in high winds!