Château de Saint-Malo

The origins of the Château de Saint-Malo trace back to the initiative of the Dukes of Brittany, who, from the 15th century onwards, added fortifications to the existing city wall. This complex, built upon the foundations of an earlier structure, formed the sole access to the island city from the mainland. In the 16th century, the city wall and the castle were combined into a defensive system. Later in the 17th century, the fortress builder Vauban strengthened the complex, and in 1695, King Louis XIV further expanded the castle by leveling the towers and connecting them with an artillery platform. A chapel and barracks followed shortly thereafter. After the revolutionary period, the castle was used by an engineering garrison, which was stationed there until 1921. As early as 1886, initial parts of the castle were designated as historical monuments.

The Château de Saint-Malo is situated in the city of Saint-Malo in the department of Ille-et-Vilaine, in the Brittany region of France. It stands at an elevation of approximately 17 meters above sea level.

The fortress houses the city museum, which illuminates the history of Saint-Malo and the beginnings of tourism, as well as the Ethnographic Museum, dedicated to daily life and deep-sea fishing. A part of the former barracks also serves as the city hall.