Saint-Malo Brittany City of Corsairs

Swashbuckling adventure, romantic walks, and delicious Breton fare. Gillian Thornton soaks up the maritime atmosphere of Saint-Malo Brittany – city of corsairs.

With its imposing ramparts and towering waterside properties, few ports pack quite such a picturesque punch as Saint-Malo on Brittany’s north coast. Today the marina is packed with gleaming pleasure craft, but in centuries past, dozens of tall ships jostled for space along the crowded quaysides.

Strategically located on the eastern side of the Rance estuary, Saint-Malo was named after a 6^th century monk, the early settlement quickly fortified against potential invaders. But it was in the 16^th century that the town became famous for its wealthy ship owners or armateurs, its daring privateers, and skilled craftsmen. Within a few decades, Saint-Malo was the busiest seaport in France.

The historic walled city of corsairs

Arrive by sea and it’s an easy walk from the harbour to the historic walled town – the Intra Muros – which today combines with the neighbouring communes of Saint-Servan and Paramé to form Grand Saint-Malo, a town of some 50,000 people. Pitch up by car and you’ll find public car parks just outside the ramparts which largely leaves the Intra Muros to pedestrians.

Before you head inside the city walls, stop off at the tourist office just outside the town’s main entrance, Porte Saint-Vincent, for an annotated map. The earliest fortified town was an island at high tide, the gate accessed by drawbridge and guarded by a fortress that now serves as the Town Hall. Eagle-eyed visitors might notice that the town flag – an ermine wearing a scarf – is allowed to fly above that of the Republic, thanks to the city’s contribution to the national economy under Napoleon.

Step inside the main gate and the painted facades of Place Chateaubriand come in bright contrast to the sober stone around them. Romantic author François-René de Chateaubriand was born in 1768 in a house adjacent to the Hôtel France et Chateaubriand. He died in 1848 after an active political and literary life and rests beneath a simple stone cross on the Ile de Bé just offshore.

Jacques Cartier – the Canadian connection

A nearby street is named after another famous malouin, Jacques Cartier, born here in 1491. The son of a fisherman, Cartier’s naval career saw him promoted by François I and today he is hailed as the discoverer of Canada, landing first in Newfoundland and then in the St Lawrence estuary.

Cartier lies today in Saint-Vincent Cathedral, along with René Duguay-Trouin, a malouin corsair – or privateer – who served under Louis XIV and, in 1711, took possession of Rio de Janeiro. Unlike pirates who plundered foreign ships for their own gain, corsairs were licensed by the king to attack enemy ships in times of war. In peace time, many prospered as ship owners and merchants.

Saint-Vincent Cathedral is one of Saint-Malo’s treasures, not just for the adventurers who rest there but for its magnificent stained-glass windows. And yet it was almost lost for good in 1944 when some 80% of Saint-Malo was destroyed by Allied bombing, including parts of the cathedral. Happily, post-war town planners rebuilt the city to its former glory using recovered stone wherever possible and today, the joins are almost seamless.

All the light we cannot see

If, like me, you enjoyed reading All the Light We Cannot See by American author Antony Doerr, you will remember the blind French refugee girl from Paris who comes to live with family during the German occupation of the city and is befriended by a young German soldier. Download a walking trail (French only) from the website to follow in Marie-Laure’s footsteps. Just remember to keep your eyes open!

A city made for walking – and eating

The Intra-Muros area is all very foot-friendly. You’re never far from the city walls and the cathedral spire is an excellent reference point for those who just like to wander at will. Just outside the cathedral, I came across the Enclos de la Résistance, a memorial garden and granite megalith honouring the city’s Resistance volunteers. Behind it, stands an arched 17^th century gallery, part of an old Benedictine monastery discovered in the ruins of the bombardments.

Look out too for the round tower that marks the house of Duchesse Anne, now a private home but once temporary lodgings for Anne of Brittany whilst she supervised construction of the castle. And maybe visit the imposing Hôtel Magon de La Lande, the former townhouse of a wealthy corsair, for a taste of the 18^th century good life.

Wherever you go, you can’t help but notice the edible temptations of this maritime city, whether you are shopping for souvenirs or taking a refreshment break. La Maison du Beurre in rue de l’Orme is a malouin institution run by master butter maker and cheese refiner Jean-Yves Bordier, proprietor too of Le Bistro Autour du Beurre.

High speed snack? I enjoyed a traditional buckwheat pancake or galette with savoury filling at Crêperie Chantal in Place des Herbes. And if you can’t resist a locally made ice cream, head to Sanchez in rue de la Vielle Boucherie for flavours that include liquorice, tiramisu, and gingerbread, as well as more conventional flavours.

Historic remains

Around and about

Sooner or later you’ll find yourself back at the city ramparts, so nip up one of the staircases around the 2km loop for one of the most spectacular seaside strolls you’ll ever do. The broad ramparts offer glorious views over Saint-Malo’s four sea forts, two of which can be visited on foot at low tide – Fort National and Fort du Petit Bé. Admire the homes of the armateurs beside the ferry harbour and look out for the sundial on the chimney of a house on Rue de Dinan that marks the home of Robert Surcouf, ‘King of the Privateers’, who harassed British ships off India as well as Europe.

Surcouf’s statue points out to sea from the ramparts whilst Jacques Cartier is immortalised in stone on the Bastion de la Hollande, one of the best places to view the sunset. Few hotels within the Intra Muros have sea views however, so I recommend heading outside the walls along the Plage du Sillon where I found my perfect French seaside hotel.

Part of a small portfolio of boutique Breton hotels, Ar Iniz (‘small islands’ in Breton) has a front row seat on everything – the huge expanse of golden sand, that spectacular sunset, and a broad promenade that passes a flamboyant selection of Belle Epoque villas.

If you can tear yourself away from the view, you’re less than half an hour by car from the small resort of Cancale, famous for its tasting kiosks beside the oyster beds (read more about Cancale in issue No. 36 of our Free to read The Good Life France Magazine). Maybe visit La Ville Bague in Saint-Coulomb, one of several mansions or malounières commissioned by the maritime gentry as summer homes in the countryside beyond the Intra Muros. Then return along the scenic coastal route via tranquil unspoilt beaches.

I end my day of exploration with a chilled glass of rosé on the terrace at Ar Iniz before relaxing over a six-course tasting menu that includes local mussels, sea bream and pork fillet, all in manageable portions with sublime flavour combinations. And when at last I’m feeling comfortably full, I fall asleep to the sound of the waves right outside the window. Perfect day, or what?

By Gillian Thornton, one of the UK’s leading travel writers and a regular writer for The Good Life France Magazine and website.

Gillian travelled overnight from Portsmouth to Saint-Malo with www.brittany-ferries.co.uk and stayed at Ar Iniz: www.arcollectionhotels.com. For visitor information, see www.saint-malo-tourisme.co.uk