Normandy, Brittany & the Best of the North_ With Paris (Fodor's) - Fodor's [45]
Beaufort.
$$–$$$ | A gracious welcome and infinite sea views are first to greet you at this beachfront hotel, handsomely accented with a terra-cotta facade and stylish mansard roof. Tastefully decorated in pale earth tones, the guest rooms are bright, comfortable, and meant to harmonize with the sea and sky just outside your window or private terrace, should you be lucky enough to nab one of the six on offer. Bathrooms are petite but modern and well equipped. Although meals are limited to a bountiful continental breakfast, a lovely café-bar area, overlooking an expanse of beach and sea, offers wines, teas, and coffees throughout the day. For sports lovers, the famed La Digue promenade just in front is ideal for an early morning jog along the beach. Pros: few minutes’ ride to the intra-muros Old Town and walking distance from good restaurants and shops. Cons: rooms are on the small side and not all face the water. | 25 Chaussée du Sillon | 35400 | 02–99–40–99–99 | www.hotel-beaufort.com | 22 rooms | In-room: a/c, refrigerator, Wi-Fi. In-hotel: bar, parking (paid) | AE, DC, MC, V | BP.
Elizabeth.
$–$$ | Done up with impressive style, this 17th-century town house, built into the ancient city walls and near the Porte St-Louise, is a little gem of sophistication in touristy St-Malo. The lobby welcomes with large sash windows, 400-year-old wood beams, and comfy mod furniture. Downstairs, breakfast is served in a majestic cellar with ancient stone walls and beams; upstairs, five floors of guest rooms in “Les Armateurs” attempt to channel the spirit of the fabled privateer Robert Surcouf with the use of Breton antiques. The most spacious rooms are on the top floor: No. 509 has a fine view of the harbor, No. 510 of the intra-muros Old Town. Next door, “Les Skippers” is a smaller abode with north-facing rooms with handsome but more modern decors. Pros: central; good value. Cons: hard to park; big difference between bland rooms and stylish suites. | 2 rue des Cordiers, | 35400 | 02–99–56–24–98 | www.st-malo-hotel-elizabeth.com | 17 rooms | In-room: no a/c, refrigerator, Wi-Fi. In-hotel: some pets allowed | MC, V | BP.
NIGHTLIFE AND THE ARTS IN ST-MALO
Bar de l’Univers (12 pl. Chateaubriand | 35400) is a nice spot to enjoy sipping a drink in a pirate’s-lair setting. La Belle Époque (11 rue de Dinan | 35400) is a popular hangout for all ages until the wee hours. L’Éscalier (La Buzardière, Rue de la Tour-du-Bonheur | 35400) is the place for dancing the night away.In summer, performances are held at the Théâtre Chateaubriand (6 rue du Grout-de-St-Georges | 35400 | 02–99–40–98–05). Bastille Day (July 14) sees the Fête du Clos Poulet, a town festival with traditional dancing. July and August bring a monthlong religious music festival, the Festival de la Musique Sacrée.
SHOPPING IN ST-MALO
A lively outdoor market is held in the streets of Old St-Malo every Tuesday and Friday.
DINARD
13 km (8 mi) west of St-Malo via Rance Bridge.
Dinard is the most elegant resort town on this stretch of the Brittany coast. Its picture-book perch on the Rance Estuary opposite the walled town of St-Malo lured the English aristocracy here in droves toward the end of the 19th century. What started out as a small fishing port soon became a seaside mecca of lavish Belle Époque villas (more than 400 still dot the town and shoreline), grand hotels, and a bustling casino.
Getting Here and Around
No trains head here, so you have to train to St-Malo, then transfer to a bus (frequent departures, €3) for the 15-minute ride to Dinard. From April to September a ferryboat links the two towns (10 minutes, €6). Buses arrive here from Rennes and other towns in Brittany.
Visitor Information
Dinard Tourist Office (2 bd. Féart | 35800 | 02–99–46–94–12 | www.ot-dinard.com).
EXPLORING DINARD
While a number of modern establishments punctuate the landscape, Dinard still retains something of an