Many people made large fortunes from privateering from the 16th to the 19th centuries, and in the vicinity of Saint-Malo are five lavish houses that the ship-owners left behind.
All are open to the public to different degrees in summer, and they’re known as “Malouinières”, which derives from the name of the city.
One of the most accessible is Puits Sauvage, which has been in the same family for more than 200 years.
On a self-guided tour you’ll cross the dainty French parterre and see stables, dovecotes, oratory, bakery and a gigantic glass roof that measures 260 square metres and sustains a marvellous cactus garden.
