Saint-Malo Favorites

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Favorite thing: On Sundays shops in many parts of France might be closed. I was in St Malo on Easter Sunday and it seemed many shops in the old city were open in the morning. In addition, some grocery stores, bakeries and other small shops outside the the old part of city were open at least on Sunday morning till noon (9am-12 noon).

There is at least one grocery store in the old city that advertises being open on Sunday mornings (Dimanche matinee).

Favorite thing: During the Middle Ages Saint-Malo was a fortified island at the mouth of the Rance River, controlling not only the estuary but the open sea beyond. Modern Saint-Malo traces its origins to a monastic settlement founded by Saint Aaron and Saint Brendan early in the 6th century. Its name is derived from a man said to have been a follower of Brendan, Saint Malo.

Fondest memory: This was our school photo taken in front of the statue of Jacques Cartier. It was a beautiful warm October afternoon that day. The statue was located on top of the walkway overlooking the beach and the ocean below.

As Canadian French Immersion students, it was a thrill that we were in the home town of this famous French explorer. Jacques Cartier was the first European to visit what would later become Québec. His first visit was in 1534! The land that he claimed for France in the 16th century would later become Canada's largest province and the only province in Canada where the majority speaks French.

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Favorite thing: We just happened to look out our hotel window and spot the scenes below with the dog, who waited patiently for some time to try and get into the restaurant/snack bar. His patience went unrewarded in the end.

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Favorite thing: The lovely old walled city of St-Malo was originally an island, becoming linked to the mainland by a sandy isthmus back in the 13th century.

The old city is called Intra Muros, meaning 'within the walls'. In 1944, around 80% of it was destroyed during the war. It has since be restored to its former glory.

Fondest memory: The walled city is filled with narrow cobbled streets and pretty squares, making it a magnet for tourists in the summer. Go out of season and you can enjoy a wander around the town without having to push through the crowds.

Visit the impressive Cathedrale St-Vincent, relax in Place des Freres Lammenais or perhaps take a walk along the ramparts (city walls) and enjoy the view.

Favorite thing: I saw this double rainbow one day in St. Malo - the first time I had ever seen a double and the brighter one was more brilliant than any I had seen (it was better in person than in the photo). I also saw another rainbow photo on VT member Sunshine64's page so you might want to check it out as well. Anyway my conclusion is that these wonderful rainbows are common here. Rain or shine the beach especially at sunrise and sunset can offer some spectacular sights.

Favorite thing: A friend at work told me about Saint Malo, otherwise I would never have known it existed. There isn't much about it in any of the tour books about it being a very popular bathing resort, so don?t expect to find a hotel room there during Europe?s vacation time, they are non-existent. This town of 50,000 swells to 200,000 during the summer months, the closest lodging we could find was in Rennes. Even though there were no rooms in Saint Malo, but it was worth commuting by train from Rennes to visit this beautiful resort town on the Brittany coast.

Fondest memory: St. Malo by far has the best beach in France and I can see why it's such a popular destination; not only do you have the emerald waters but an enormous sandy beach with tide pools and a medieval town to explore.

Favorite thing: Once you have seen the medieval beauty of Saint Malo, and if you can afford the time to relax, enjoy a stroll along the beach. From here, you will also catch a great view of the city. This is from the beach towards the east of the city.