It is a well-known fact that when your expectations about a particular place are low, you end up being extremely excited about that place. That’s what happened to me in Saint-Malo. The city was supposed to be a stop for a couple of days because from this place it was convenient to reach Mont Saint-Michel, the landmark of Brittany and whole France. I’m embarrassed to admit that another reason was that my knowledge about Saint-Malo was very poor and I didn’t expect much. So, I had to educate myself while I was there.
Mont Saint-Michel
A bit of history
Saint-Malo is a French city and port located on the English Channel coast. It was founded in the 1st century BC and nowadays is most known for its active participation in World War II. Saint-Malo was heavily bombarded in 1944 and rebuilt by 1960. By a wonderful coincidence shortly after I was back from this trip a friend of mine recommended me to read All the Light We Cannot See, a historical novel about World War II, Saint-Malo and a blind French girl. I enjoyed the book a lot, it filled in the gaps in my knowledge about the history of Saint-Malo and I had great pleasure visualizing the places mentioned in the book.
Saint-Malo
Little adventure
Saint-Malo itself is very picturesque: the inner city is surrounded by huge walls which make you feel like living inside a real fortress. Right outside the walls there are peaceful beaches that look so different at low and high tide. At low tide you can access the nearby islands by foot. But be careful and learn the schedule of high tide in advance. I didn't do that and was caught by approaching high tide right when I was on my way back from the island. That was a thrilling experience! First of all, the rising water looks quite scary, especially for those who can’t swim (me!). Secondly, I had a train to Paris in a couple of hours and getting stuck on an island would ruin all my plans. It was a happy end story: I rushed to the shore, my sneakers were totally wet but I reached the mainland on time and was welcomed with applause by the tourists on the beach. That was a true lifetime experience!
Low tide
Gastronomy
The area of Saint-Malo is of course famous for its fresh seafood. But not only. Brittany in general and Saint-Malo in particular is famous for its salted butter. If you ask Google to name you the best butter in the world, it will be Beurre Bordier from Saint-Malo. Another famous salted product from Saint-Malo is salted caramel. I swear just this caramel is already a solid reason to come back to Saint-Malo.
Talking about salt, the region is also famous for thalassotherapy, the use of seawater, mud and seaweed as a form of therapy.
Plans to return
I really regret that I stayed in this fascinating part of Brittany only for a couple of days. Just wandering the streets of Saint-Malo, breathing its salty air, listening to the waves and seagulls would be enough to have a fantastic holiday. But if you add some nice sightseeing places, like Grand Aquarium, The Cathedral of St. Vincent, forts, and amazing food – I don’t know what else can you ask for!
Cathedral of St. Vincent
Streets of Saint-Malo