Rue Saint-Malo is known to be the oldest street in the city, as majority of Brest was destroyed in the second world war. The 'rue' is lined with 17th- and 18th-century houses and overlooked by terraced gardens. It ends in the staircase of the Madeleine which leads to the Ateliers des Capucins.
Saint-Malo is a port city in Brittany (not far from Mont Saint-Michel). Tall granite walls surround the old town, which was once a stronghold for privateers (pirates approved by the king). The Saint-Malo Cathedral, in the center of the old town, is built in Romanesque and Gothic styles and features stained-glass windows depicting city history.