France

Saint-Malo

constanta svg text

Buttery

Tidal

Cobblestoned

Polygon Icon
This is some text inside of a div block.
Saint-Malo, France ❘ MathieuRivrin/Getty Images
Les Rochers Sculptés ❘ Arterra Picture Library/Alamy
Maison du Beurre ❘ Georg Berg/Alamy
Seawater pool in Saint-Malo ❘ SFL Travel/Alamy
Grave of François-René de Chateaubriand ❘ Hector Christiaen/Alamy
No items found.

Ramparts protect an ancient city on the sea, just a few hours from Paris.

The ramparts were built in the 12th century to protect its residents from Vikings, and became an asset of a different sort when the city was beloved by a budding population of pirates.

Saint-Malo, on the northern coast of France, is defined by the tide. When the ocean surges forward, the water fills a simple stone swimming pool on one of the city’s most scenic beaches. Locals take in the view from a diving board before jumping in. When the tides race out, you can walk to the island of Grand Bé. This uninhabited sliver holds the grave of François-René de Chateaubriand, a Romantic writer from the city who died in 1848. If you time your visit correctly, you can also visit Le Petit Bé, a smaller island that hosts a ruined fort offering a remarkable view of the medieval walled city.

The ramparts surrounding Saint-Malo’s historic center were built in the 12th century to protect its residents from Vikings. The fortifications became an asset of a different sort when the city was beloved by a budding population of pirates. The corsairs, who were sanctioned by the king of France, built the city’s wealth by pillaging ships passing through the English Channel. During World War II, the ramparts were partially destroyed, along with the rest of the city, but rebuilt faithfully, brick by brick, to the original design. Today they give Saint-Malo an appealingly ancient feel.

Ramparts in Saint-Malo ❘ laurent0001/Shutterstock

You can walk the length of the ramparts in about an hour, and then dip into the old city and follow its narrow cobblestone streets to La Maison du Beurre Bordier. At this shop, France’s most prized butter, Bourdier, is pounded, shaped, and served up for sampling. The beurre d’algues is flecked with Breton seaweed, best enjoyed on a baguette overlooking the sea. Continue your dairy pilgrimage at Le Gourverneur by ordering a kouign-amann, the buttery Breton pastry invented in nearby Douarnenez in 1860. Afterward, hike the hills above town, stopping off at the rock sculptures of Abbe Foure, who dedicated himself to chiseling more than 300 sculptures from stone after a stroke paralyzed half his body. Hiking routes abound in this stretch of Brittany, offering quiet views of the sea.

Just two and a half hours from Paris by train, Saint-Malo makes a perfect secondary destination once you’ve made your way through the capital. The city is a well-positioned jumping off point for exploring the Brittany coast. It’s about a 45-minute drive to Normandy and famed Mont Saint-Michel, the tidal island with an abbey at its peak. Plus, on the way there, you’ll pass Alligator Bay, the largest community of crocodiles and alligators in Europe.

KEEP WANDERING

Additional resources to learn more about Saint-Malo

Le Comptoir Breizh Café

Lavishly topped Breton galettes.
Learn More

History of the Ramparts

The story behind the walls.
Learn More

Mont Saint-Michel

A medieval town mounted on a conical island.
Learn More

Musée des Terre Nuevas

Museum of local sailing history.
Learn More

Maison du Beurre Bourdier

A dive into France’s best butter.
Learn More
Use the arrows to explore outside the Atlas.
Coming Soon BG

Coming soon...

0

days

0

hours

0

minutes

0

seconds

Get ready for an adventure! Delta Airlines and Atlas Obscura will soon unveil the top 24 destinations for 2024. Stay tuned!

Sabah
Market in Kota Kinabalu ❘ Peter Adams/Getty Images
Malaysia

Sabah

Cosmopolitan

Lush

Savory

Polygon Icon
Kigali
Market in Kigali ❘ Kalahari Stuart/Alamy
Rwanda

Kigali

Reinvented

Supportive

Spicy

Polygon Icon
Boardman Scenic Corridor
Natural Bridges ❘ Francesco Vaninetti Photo/Getty Images
Oregon

Boardman Scenic Corridor

Secret

Fried

Immersive

Polygon Icon
Los Ríos
Darwin frog ❘ Courtesy Reserva Biológica Huilo Huilo
Chile

Los Ríos

Volcanic

Arboreal

Serpentine

Polygon Icon
Taipei
Three cup chicken ❘ Dietmar Rauscher/Alamy
Taiwan

Taipei

Steamy

Sleek

Sacral

Polygon Icon
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City Pride Pridefest parade ❘ Chon Kit Leong/Alamy
Oklahoma

Oklahoma City

Inclusive

Reborn

Proud

Polygon Icon
Tsingy de Bemaraha
Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park ❘ imageBROKER/Konrad Wothe/Getty Images
Madagascar

Tsingy de Bemaraha

Sharp

Rare

Earthy

Polygon Icon
Tallinn
St. Catherine's Passage ❘ Benkrut/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Estonia

Tallinn

Medieval

Creative

Brutalist

Polygon Icon
North Island
Glowworm Cathedral at Waipu Cave ❘ Marcel Strelow/Getty Images/iStockphoto
New Zealand

North Island

Whakamere

Geothermal

Conscious

Polygon Icon
Pune
Wada Pav street food ❘ Ajay Kampani/Getty Images
India

Pune

Collegiate

Bustling

Engulfed

Polygon Icon
Namibia
Abandoned houses near Luderitz ❘ maydays/Getty Images

Namibia

Sere

Haunting

Easy

Polygon Icon
Aguascalientes
Jardín de San Marcos ❘ FERNANDO MACIAS ROMO/Shutterstock
Mexico

Aguascalientes

Macabre

Artsy

Braised

Polygon Icon
Iquitos
Squirrel monkey ❘ Szabi Nemeth/500px/Getty Images
Peru

Iquitos

Evolving

Complex

Insular

Polygon Icon
Sado Island
Senkaku Bay ❘ SOURCENEXT/Alamy
Japan

Sado Island

Isolated

Dramatic

Crafty

Polygon Icon
Mesabi Iron Range
Soudan-Vermilion State Park ❘ Jacob Boomsma/Shutterstock
Minnesota

Mesabi Iron Range

Ferrous

Friendly

Full

Polygon Icon
Constanța
Abandoned casino in Constanța ❘ Kevin C Moore/Getty Images
Romania

Constanța

Slithering

Sunny

Classical

Polygon Icon
Castlemaine
Bromley Collection Museum at Old Castlemaine Gaol ❘ Courtesy Bromley Collection Museum
Australia

Castlemaine

Resilient

Dreamy

Syncretic

Polygon Icon
North Coast
Ring of Brodgar ❘ theasis/Getty Images
Scotland

North Coast

Lithic

Isolated

Maritime

Polygon Icon
Tozeur
Berber rugs in Ouled el-Hadef ❘ Craig Pershouse/Getty Images
Tunisia

Tozeur

Illusory

Galactic

Sticky

Polygon Icon
Newfoundland
Gros Morne National Park ❘ David Purchase Imagery/Shutterstock
Canada

Newfoundland

Windy

Pristine

Crusty

Polygon Icon
Khujand
Old Friday Mosque ❘ Richard Mortel/Flickr/CC BY 2.0 Deed
Tajikistan

Khujand

Intricate

Soviet

Pungent

Polygon Icon
Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo, France ❘ MathieuRivrin/Getty Images
France

Saint-Malo

Buttery

Tidal

Cobblestoned

Polygon Icon
Asturias
Picos de Europa ❘ Anton Petrus/Getty Images
Spain

Asturias

Well Aged

Aerated

intimate

Polygon Icon
Chapada Diamantina
Chapada Diamantina ❘ Rosino/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 2.0 Deed
Brazil

Chapada Diamantina

Stony

Tumbling

Refreshing

Polygon Icon
Use the arrows or scroll through the cards to explore.
Navigate the list by continent.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
WHERE TO

WAndeR

2024
CTA ImageCTA Image