This place looks unreal! I thought they couldn't possibly have just built it on the sand without the whole place washing out to sea, and sure enough, they didn't. According to Wikipedia:
Now a rocky tidal island, the mount occupied dry land in prehistoric times. As sea levels rose, erosion reshaped the coastal landscape, and several outcrops of granite emerged in the bay, having resisted the wear and tear of the ocean better than the surrounding rocks. These included Lillemer, Mont Dol, Tombelaine (the island just to the north), and Mont Tombe, later called Mont-Saint-Michel.
Also, apparently the place only has 23 residents? It once had a population of over a thousand, but that was only between 1841 and 1861, and since then the number has hovered around 230 until then 1950s, when it slowly declined to the current number. Since it's described as a commune, I guess not just anyone can decide to move there? Vistifranceguide.com seems to confirm that:
Contrary to popular belief, Mont-Saint-Michel is not entirely uninhabited. While the island does not have a permanent residential population, there are a few individuals who call Mont-Saint-Michel their home. These residents are primarily monks and nuns who live in the abbey and surrounding buildings, dedicated to maintaining the religious and cultural heritage of the island.
In addition to the monks and nuns, there are also a small number of employees who work in the various shops, restaurants, and hotels on the island. These individuals typically live in nearby towns and villages, commuting to Mont-Saint-Michel for work on a daily basis.
Seems like a waste to leave all those beautiful buildings uninhabited.
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