Walk Round the Intra-Muros Ramparts

What it is

The ramparts enclose intra-muros, the old town of Saint-Malo. They measure 1,754 metres, reach 16 metres in height in some stretches and have nine gates. On top runs a free wall walk: you go almost all the way round with the sea on one side and the granite rooftops on the other. It is the first thing to do in the city and the thing that best explains why Saint-Malo is the way it is.

A little history

Construction began in the mid-12th century, when the bishopric moved from Alet to Saint-Malo. At the end of the 17th century, Vauban commissioned the engineer Siméon Garangeau to turn the city into a citadel of the sea: between 1708 and 1742 three-quarters of the enclosure were rebuilt, with bastions for artillery in place of the old towers, and the city grew from 16 to 24 hectares. Of the medieval wall there remain the 15th-century Grand'Porte, part of the castle and the Petits Murs, between the Bidouane tower and the Hollande bastion.

In August 1944 bombing destroyed a good part of intra-muros, but the ramparts held. They have been a listed historic monument since 1886.

The route

Allow an hour at an easy pace, with stops. You can start at any gate; this is a clockwise circuit from the Porte Saint-Vincent, the main entrance:

1. Porte Saint-Vincent and Grand'Porte. Climb the steps next to the gate. From here you see the port and the basin, and right away the Grand'Porte, with its two towers.
2. Porte de Dinan. At its foot is the cale de Dinan, from which the Bus de Mer to Dinard leaves. On the other side of the estuary you can see Dinard.
3. Hollande bastion, Porte Saint-Pierre and Porte des Bés. In front of you, Bon Secours beach, its seawater pool and the islets of the Grand Bé and the Petit Bé.
4. Bidouane tower and Fort à la Reine. The north stretch looks out to the open sea and the islands of the bay.
5. Porte Saint-Thomas. Below, the Grande Plage and the Fort National. Next to it is the castle, with the Qui-Qu'en-Grogne tower, which interrupts the walk: you go down to the street and go round it to close the circuit at Saint-Vincent.

When to go

You can climb up at any time and in any season. At low tide you see the beaches enormous and people walking to the islands; at high tide, the sea reaches the foot of the wall, and at autumn and winter spring tides the waves leap over the Sillon. At sunset there are fewer people and the light falls on the Grand Bé. In July and August, in the afternoon, the Porte Saint-Vincent stretch fills up: start from another gate.

Getting there and parking

Do not drive in. Leave the car at the Paul Féval park and ride: for €3.30 a day, the ticket includes the bus to intra-muros for five people. From the station, bus line 2 drops you at intra-muros.

Accessibility, children and dog

The walk is cobbled and is accessed by steps at the gates, with no lifts. With a pushchair it is heavy going: better a baby carrier. In a wheelchair it is not practicable. With children, hold their hands on the crowded stretches.

Guided visit

If you want to understand the privateer city, the Saint-Malo tourist office runs guided visits of intra-muros. Check dates and prices on its website.

For lunch on the way down, intra-muros is full of crêperies; the Crêperie Le Tournesol and Le Comptoir Breizh Café are inside the wall.