What is it
St Malo is a walled town in Brittany on the English channel. Many of the buildings and the town wall are built of dark grey granite stone, which dominates the appearance of the town. It actually reminds me of Quebec City a lot. The town traces its history to the 6th century, although most of what you see is much newer. During the second world war, the allies heavily bombarded the city, which had been used as a garrison for the Germans.
How to get there
You can get to St Malo by fast ferry if you’re coming from Jersey or Guernsey. Alternatively, you could, like me, rent a car and travel there from Rennes. It’s about 85 minutes to St Malo, and the route there takes you through some lovely green landscapes with softly undulating hills.
At St Malo there are plenty of car parks outside the city wall. Even so, if you come after 11 in the morning, you may not find a parking space straight away and might have to queue.
What is there to see
You can walk right around the city on the bastions, which overlook the beaches on three sides. You can stroll through the narrow streets of the old town and do some shopping, while you stuff your face with some of the many delicacies this part of France has to offer. Or you can just go down to the beach and enjoy the breeze. And if it’s always as windy as it was when I visited, I’m quite sure you could do some pretty decent wind surfing.
What else…
St Malo is a very touristy place, even without all the Asian and American tourists that would normaly be visiting. Even so, it’s really is worth a visit, especially if you’re lucky with the weather like I was during my visit.