"The Walled Town" Saint-Malo by hquittner

The old walled town of St.-Malo has been lovingly restored by its residences to lookmlike the opulent stone residences of yore inside a strong fortress. Of course the invincibility with Germans in control made it a prime target in WWII, but you cannot tell this except when you visit the ex-cathedral. It flourishes today having amalgated with its beach rich suburbs Parame and St. Servan (total pop.47K). I-season the traffic and tourist load is aplenty, making it the most visited town in Brittany. We have visited on two occasions, each time for a half-day, once in and once out of season (August and May). The contrast is extreme.

Near Porte St. Vincent

Some people use St.-Malo as a base from which to visit Mont St.-Michel, but we only recommend that if you are spending a beach week and need a little diversion. (We have aged past beach diversions). The crowds walking and parking indicate that short visits are in the majority. The Ramparts and the castle-museums are the main attractions. The views from the Tower are exciting. The ex-cathedral contains much for people interested in that stuff (like us), both continuous renovations over the centuries and the post-war restorations. The town is full of places to eat (we did not, either time) and shop. The courtyard of the castle in August was set up for evening entertainment of some sort.

View of Port Plaisance from Castle Tower

We were so pleased with St.-Malo on our early in the year visit during our Brittany tour, tha t we decided to detour en route to Mont St-Michel with our 10 year old grandchild. so that he could see yet another fortress as well as relate to the French explorers of Canada, about whom he had just studied. The museum did not thrill him, but the fortress was something else. The tide was the second item that impressed him. (It impresses us too)!

• Pros:A Pleasant Walk Along the Beaches Without Sand
• Cons:There is no way to stay at the shore out of season.
• In a nutshell:Just different and interesting