A 40 minute ferry trip from St. Helier harbour in Jersey is the Breton port of St. Malo.
A medieval walled city with restaurant-lined squares and narrow, cobbled streets, its wealth was built in the 17th and 18th centuries by privateers, or pirates,licensed by the French kings- who plundered passing shipping for gold,wine and slaves.
FERRIES TO ST MALO:
Book ferry tickets to St Malo from Jersey or from St Malo to Jersey [HERE]
EAT:
Duchesse Anne, tel 0299408533
Nestled in the ramparts at the Place Guy La Chambre entrance, Duchess Anne is probably the best restaurant in St. Malo its certainly the prettiest. The seafood is superb especially its famous turbot Florentine.
Also try the local speciality, Breton crêpes( pancakes) at Chez Gaby on rue Dinan. Ti Nevez in the old city is also also good.
DRINK:
Coffee and croissants at the Brasserie des Voyages on Place Chateaubriand.
"Cidre bouché", a local apple cider that’s so good it's bottled in a Champagne bottle and corked. The locals drink it with crêpes.
SEE:
Le Mont St Michel, the spectacular monastery built on a tiny islet that is cut off at high tide.
Walk around the 14th-century granite ramparts -about 2km- overlooking the sea. The views are magnificent over the Bay of Saint-Michel where the fastest tides in Europe change the seascape dramatically before your eyes.
DO:
Visit Musee d'Histoire de la Ville, at the Porte St.Vincent gate. An impressive museum with information about local pirates and famous residents like Jacques Cartier who in 1534 took possession of Canada in the name of the king of France.The more energetic can climb the watchtowers and enjoy a panoramic view of the city.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ST. MALO
Visit saint-malo.com
Visit HERE to view virtual tours of St. Malo.
