Historical travel text: this page adapts an older Klein-Singen.de article.
Saint-Malo, on the Côte d’Émeraude in north-eastern Brittany, was one of France’s most important ports by the end of the seventeenth century. During the first half of the eighteenth century the town expanded considerably.
The fortifications still visible today are closely associated with Simon Garangeau, a pupil of Vauban. The city’s name is linked to the monk Maclou — Malo in Breton tradition — who came from Wales.
Saint-Malo’s wealth grew through maritime trade, privateering and long-distance voyages. The city is also connected with Jacques Cartier, who sailed from Saint-Malo and explored the Gulf of St Lawrence and the river leading into what became Canada.
The walled old town, Intra-Muros, remains the visual centre. Its massive ramparts, harbour, tidal landscape and offshore forts make the city one of the most distinctive places on the northern Breton coast.