(ethereal music)
- [Narrator] High above a small town in France
sits a beautiful chapel.
It's a long way to the top.
But you know what they say:
the bigger the climb, the closer to God.
(contemporary music)
Chapel Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe,
otherwise known as Saint Micheal of the Needle,
is located in Le Puy-En-Velay,
a town roughly six hours away from Paris.
Built atop an extinct volcanic plug that is believed
to have formed over two million years ago,
this church rises nearly 300 feet from the ground
and is dedicated to the Archangel Michael.
The church was commissioned by a bishop in the year 951
who wanted to commemorate his 1,000 mile journey back
from the Pyrenees Mountain Range.
On average, the site receives just over 65,000
visitors each year.
And at 268 steps, the climb to the top is long.
But the view is quite a reward
with a 360-degree look at the town including
the surrounding volcanic formations.
(electronic pinging)