St-Malo, 417 km (259 miles, 4 hours) west of Paris on the Brittany coast of France (map), is a historic walled town bordered by golden sand beaches.

In summer it's thronged with visitors who come to stroll the circuit of its medieval ramparts, lie in dazed glory on its fine sand beaches, or while away an evening dining on seafood or nibbling Bretonne crêpes and sipping apple cidre.

It's a delightful place.

Within the medieval walls (Intra-Muros, designating the historic district) are narrow streets lined with solid granite buildings that, on second look, do not appear to be as ancient as the city or its walls—and, in fact, they aren't. A disastrous fire in 1661 reduced much of the town to ashes, and aerial bombardment during World War II (1 to 14 August 1944) destroyed 80% of the buildings within the walls.

All has been rebuilt, the historic structures as they were, the other buildings much as they appeared, but St-Malo is no Honfleur or Rouen.

Don't come here looking for medieval atmosphere except for the ramparts along the city walls. Rather, come for the delightful seaside atmosphere, the beaches, the sunsets, and boat cruises along the Breton coast.

St-Malo is packed solid in high summer (July, August, and the first few days of September), very busy April through June and September through mid-November, especially on weekends; and sleepy from mid-November through March.

If you plan to visit in high summer, be sure to make your hotel reservations well in advance, and be prepared to park your car in a distant lot and take a shuttle bus to Intra-Muros.

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