Колыбель пиратов и мореплавателей Cradle of Pirates and Sailors

Rating 8110

Saint-Malo is a very popular Breton city with tourists. It was built as a fortress to guard the mouth of the Rance River and has served as a refuge for fearsome pirates for centuries. There have been no pirates for a long time, but it was flooded with crowds of tourists and merchants, which slightly spoils the impression of what you see and prevents you from enjoying the contemplation of the fortress itself. Unfortunately, in 1944 the fortress was badly damaged by bombing, so the whole city inside had to be restored. The fortress itself is better preserved, so you can see a lot of fortification details, walls, ledges, windows with stunning views of the English Channel and walk along part of the fortress wall. We were in autumn, but in summer the sandy beach and the opportunity to swim are added to the pluses of visiting, as well as surfing, wind surfing, yachtsmen, etc. The city inside the fortress is gloomy, there are a lot of shops and cafes, so it’s better to walk along the perimeter along the fortress wall, admiring the views.
Although there are several churches and museums that are also interesting to visit. There are several entrance gates, each with its own name. I want to note that Saint-Malo did not make the impression on me that I expected. Maybe because there were too many people, maybe because there was no tour, or maybe there were too high expectations for reviews and descriptions. In any case, I advise everyone to see this place in order to evaluate it for yourself.