There are seven main monasteries dedicated to Saint Archangel Michael, forming a mystical line across Europe known as The Sacred Line of Saint Michael. The monasteries are located in 5 countries: The United Kingdom, France, Italy, Greece and Israel.

Skellig Michael Island:  in Ireland

St Michael’s Mount:  in Cornwall, United Kingdom.

Mont-Saint-Michel:  in Normandy, France.

Sacra di San Michele: Piedmont, Italy.

Sanctuaire Saint-Michel-Archange:  in Monte Sant’Angelo, Italy.

Panormitis Monastery: in the Greek island of Symi.

Dome of the Stella Maris Monastery:  on Mount Carmel, Israel.

I left London early in the morning and took a bus to Penzance. I arrived in the evening, about two hours late. The delay prevented me from visiting some of the attractions I had planned to see that day, but I managed to visit them the following afternoon.

Penzance is a lovely place to explore. I was surprised to see children swimming at high tide in a paved area that, at low tide, looks like a square. It completely confused me at first — according to the map, the square was supposed to be on my right, but in reality, it was covered by water at that time!

Penzance has good accommodation and food at affordable prices, if you love sea food and fish, that’s the place.

The next day I left Penzance in the morning. It is a 3 km walk to Saint Michael’s Mountain. I thought it will take me half an hour, I was wrong. It took me around tow hours as I was looking for crystals and sea shells on the beach. I collected some nice row obsidian, agates and jade.  Also, walking on the beach is more difficult then on the asphalt.  The locals seem to love beach too, they were walking dogs and looking for “treasures”.

The access to the mountain is on boat on high tide or on foot on low tide. It is advisable to prebook your tickets for boat, castell, printed guide and gardens. Don’t worry about the exact time on your tickets. There are plenty of boats, I queued 5 minutes at pick time.

Climbing to the castell, I consider the most difficult part of the trip,  but it worth the effort.  It is said that a giant was causing great disruption on the mainland. He was tricked by a local and plunged into a hole, the actual well covered nowadays. Further up from the well, the way passes the watchover wall then enters the castell. This was of a vital importance in the medieval times for the fortresses defense.

Going trough the castell the path will enter terraces that open in front of the church. On the way some lovey landscape of the shore will reveal. Penzance, Longrock and Marazion, displaying lovely colours in the morning sun, could be admired from the high of the mountain.

        The mountain has been a destination for pilgrims for a very long time, and many visitors still experience a sense of spiritual uplift when they come to this special place. Services are still held on Christmas Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and every Sunday from Whit Sunday until the end of September. There is also a special service on St Michael’s Day, 29 September and marriage services only for people very close to the mountain.

The interior of the church is very simple. It houses a lantern cross believed to date from the 15th century, carved from Cornish stone from near Padstow. The lantern cross has four panels representing the Crucifixion, the Virgin and Child, a king, and a priest.​

Alongside the lantern cross, the church contains alabaster icons, stained glass windows, and an organ, all of which contribute to the building’s quiet but powerful spiritual atmosphere.

Coming down from the castle, you can walk through the gardens, where there are a number of Mediterranean plants. The view from the gardens is very beautiful. The mountain rises beneath the castle, and the stonework of the fortress can be clearly seen from among the trees and paths.

The gardens open onto a large lawn where you can relax and admire the sea. From here there is a wide, panoramic view, making it a very pleasant place to rest and take in the landscape. Overall, the combination of castle, mountain, gardens, and sea creates a very impressive and memorable scene.

I walked back to the shore from the mountain while the tide was low, with many people walking up and down the beach. It was fascinating to see the boats lying on the seabed as if they were sunbathing, their big hulls resting in the open air. You do not often have the chance to see boats from underneath like that.

All around there were seaweeds, and the smell was very characteristic of the sea, strong and unmistakable. Along the shore there are many restaurants and pleasant places where you can eat traditional local food, which is both tasty and affordable. However, visitors need to be careful of the seagulls, which can be very aggressive and may steal your food, so it is wise to watch them closely while you eat.

If you are seeking a spiritual experience, try to spend as much time as possible on the mountain. Take time to notice the textures of the stone, the plants, the interior of the church and the views from the terraces.

Allow yourself to feel, breathe and live the place: eat on the mountain, eat on the shore, and consciously “take” some of the energy of this place back home with you. All of this can help you feel a stronger personal connection with Archangel Michael, for whom this sanctuary has been a pilgrimage site for centuries.