Château de Saint-Malo

Saint-Malo, France

Château de Saint-Malo was built between 1424 and 1690, first by Jean V, the Duke of Brittany. The Duke Francois II built the first tower in 1475. In 1590 during the Wars of Religion the castle was occupied by local people, who wanted to prevent local governor to gave the city to Protestant king Henry IV.

The château was modified in the 17th century according the design of famous fortress architect Sebastian Vauban. In the 19th century it functioned as barracks. Today it is a museum, covering a number of themes including the long maritime history of St-Malo, 19th century writers of which Chateaubriand is the most well known, WWII occupation and the destruction and reconstruction of the town.

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Address

Porte Saint-Thomas, Saint-Malo, France
See all sites in Saint-Malo

Details

Founded: 1424
Category: Castles and fortifications in France

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Saint-Malo Cathedral (0,3 km)
Fort National (0,4 km)
Solidor Tower (1,9 km)
Grand Bé (0,8 km)
Petit Bé (1,2 km)
Château de la Briantais (3,7 km)
Aleth Cathedral Ruins (1,7 km)
Château de Montmarin (5,7 km)
Fort de la Conchée (3,9 km)


St. Sauveur Basilica (22 km)
St. Malo Church (21,9 km)
Fort-la-Latte (19,3 km)
Dol Cathedral (22,6 km)
Château de Dinan (22,4 km)
Château de la Hunaudaye (30,6 km)
Château de Combourg (33,6 km)
Château du Guildo (15,9 km)
Château de la Ballue (42,5 km)

User Reviews

Max Pain (12 months ago)
Nice place to stay if you travelling by car. - Hotel restaurant was closed for 2 days... Staff (it’s actually same lady who doing everything - reception, helping with luggage, cooking, serving...) not really great and willing to make you stay pleasant..
Sasha Turilin (13 months ago)
Nice and cheese old castle, good restaurant, really quiet, I can recommend it
Russell Newton (2 years ago)
Hard to find. I tried two SatNav and both had trouble. Was frustrating start to my visit after a long drive. Rooms are nice good size and comfortable. Dinner was decent but slightly expensive.
Matthew Fister (2 years ago)
We had a great time!! Nice and cozy, quiet and well appointed! We spent one night in late March. Ate dinner at the restaurant and it was superb!! Wish we could have stayed a weekend!
Ron Underwood (6 years ago)
Nice place. Rooms very nice. Stayed in 104. Owners and/or staff were great. Very easy from st. Malo by car. Very close. I would stay here again.
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Het Steen

Het Steen is a medieval fortress in the old city centre of Antwerp. Built after the Viking incursions in the early Middle Ages as the first stone fortress of Antwerp, Het Steen is Antwerp's oldest building and used to be its oldest urban centre.

Previously known as Antwerpen Burcht (fortress), Het Steen gained its current name in around 1520, after significant rebuilding under Charles V. The fortress made it possible to control the access to the Scheldt, the river on whose bank it stands. It was used as a prison between 1303 and 1827. The largest part of the fortress, including dozens of historic houses and the oldest church of the city, was demolished in the 19th century when the quays were straightened to stop the silting up of the Scheldt. The remaining building, heavily changed, contains a shipping museum, with some old canal barges displayed on the quay outside.

In 1890 Het Steen became the museum of archeology and in 1952 an annex was added to house the museum of Antwerp maritime history, which in 2011 moved to the nearby Museum Aan de Stroom. Here you’ll also find a war memorial to the Canadian soldiers in WWII.

There are some beautiful plaques on the back side of the Steen Castle at Antwerp. Canadian visitors will especially want to see the plaques thanking the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry for their part in the liberation of Antwerp, in 1944.

At the entrance to Het Steen is a bas-relief of Semini, above the archway, around 2nd century. Semini is the Scandinavian God of youth and fertility (with symbolic phallus). A historical plaque near Het Steen explains that women of the town appealed to Semini when they desired children; the god was reviled by later religious clergy. Inhabitants of Antwerp previously referred to themselves as 'children of Semini'.

At the entrance bridge to the castle is a statue of a giant and two humans. It depicts the giant Lange Wapper who used to terrorise the inhabitants of the city in medieval times.

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