Saint-Malo, France

Located on the northeast coast of Brittany, Saint-Malo has long been an important French port and today keeps busy receiving ferries arriving from the UK. This walled city is ringed with mighty ramparts and towers built to protect its inhabitants from intruders long ago, and a walk along the ramparts makes for a pleasant tour. The most famous attraction and one of the most popular in France is nearby Mont St. Michel, a rocky tidal island that has been one of the top pilgrimage sites for Christians through the ages. Its crowning glory is a Romanesque abbey built in the 11th century that clings to the mountaintop, and the entire island is a UNESCO World Heritage site.