Hotels in Saint Malo, France

Saint Malo (Brittany) Pop: 55,000 (winter season) 200,000 (tourist season)

An Atlantic coast city also at the mouth of the Rance River, the walled city of Saint Malo, also known as the “City of Corsairs,” has historical links to the 6th century A.D. when a monastery was established.

Saint Malo’s swashbuckling past includes a period of time in the 16th century when it was under the control of an aggressive band of buccaneers.

Then, Saint Malo’s rallying cry was “not French, not Breton, but Malouins,” or the variant, “Neither French nor Breton, but a Corsair am I.”

One of its native children, Jacques Cartier, is viewed as the discoverer of Canada. Another native son is Francois-Rene de Chateaubriand, a noted author known by every French student.

Reputedly, Saint Malo is the top tourism site in Bretagne.

Attractions in Saint Malo:

Cathedral of St. Vincent
Grand Bay Fort
La Ville Intra-Muros-walled city
Maritime museum
France’s largest marina
The tomb of Chateaubriand
Etonnants Voyageurs Cultural Festival-annual maritime fete
Open-air aquarium-Le Petite Aquarium
Exotarium