France's stunning Mont-Saint-Michel, the coastal abbey set atop a tidal island, was erected in 708 to warn unbelievers of the terrible power of the Christian God.

Enthusiasts seeking to revitalise ancient pilgrim trails to the "Mont" say faith should no longer be an issue for those footing it to the site.

"All sorts of people are using the pilgrim routes today. There are of course those who do it for reasons of faith, but we also see agnostics and atheists. The routes are a place where people can meet and talk," Juliane Hervieu of "The Routes to Mont-Saint-Michel" group told AFP.

"We are open to all walkers, whatever their beliefs," added the
group's president Marie-Paul Labey .

For 75 year old Englishman John Cawley, enjoying his ninth walk from
Winchester in Britain to the Mont in as many years, there is no such thing as a typical trail walker.

"From the faith point of view, personally I would say I am searching. But you really can come for all sorts of reasons. You meet people from all classes and backgrounds. It's a great way to make friends and its a very cheap way to see some absolutely wonderful countryside," he breathlessly told AFP via his mobile telephone as he completed a final day's march to the Mont.

Cawley, an active member of the UK Ramblers' Association, added that a couple of years ago he walked the Way of Saint James from Le Puy en Valay in southern France to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain for, "20 euros (30 dollars) a day with enough left over for a beer in the evening."

Of course many of the three million plus visitors who every year make their way to the most popular French tourist destination outside of Paris do not go for religious reasons at all. The magnificent Gothic Abbey perched high on its rocky island in one of the most beautiful bays in the country is worth the visit for the view alone. And the vast majority of tourists now drive to the Mont in cars or coaches, rather than arriving on foot.

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