12 Fortified Port Cities Where History Meets the Ocean Waves

3. Saint-Malo, France: Corsair City of Granite

Rising from a granite island on the Brittany coast, Saint-Malo’s ramparts have braved ferocious Atlantic tides and English attacks for centuries. This was the lair of formidable French corsairs (privateers) who amassed fortunes raiding enemy ships. The ingenious "Sillon" causeway connects it to the mainland, while its formidable walls, rebuilt after WWII, still enclose a tight-knit city of historic charm. Walking the remparts at high tide, with waves crashing below, is to feel the raw, untamed spirit of this legendary seafaring stronghold.