Saint-Pierre
- For other places with the same name, see Saint-Pierre (disambiguation).
Saint Pierre is an island and the capital of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.
Understand
[edit]
Although it is much smaller than Miquelon, it is much more heavily populated (about 5,400 in 2017). The residents are primarily of Basque, Breton, Normand and Acadian heritage.
There are several small islands near the main island, including L'Île-aux-Marins ("Island of the Sailors"), which used to be inhabited.
Get in
[edit]There are two principal methods of getting to Saint-Pierre: ferry or flight. Everyone arriving in Saint-Pierre must pass through Customs. Passports are required for all travellers.
Map of Saint-Pierre
By plane
[edit]Airport
[edit]
Airlines
[edit]- Air Saint-Pierre, ☏ +508-41-00-00, toll-free: +1-877-277-7765. The main airline for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. Operates regularly scheduled flights from Miquelon and these Canadian cities: St. John's (Newfoundland) (45 minutes), Montréal (Québec) (2.75 hours), Halifax (Nova Scotia) (1.25 hours).
By ferry
[edit]Get around
[edit]The downtown area can be easily explored on foot.
See
[edit]
- 1 Pointe aux Canons Lighthouse (Le phare), Harbour. A navigational beacon for ships large and small, this automated lighthouse is not open to the general public but is located at the end of an accessible jetty for picture-takers and scenic drawing. When at the lighthouse, look for the upright cannon which dates back to the Crimean War. free.
- 2 Pointe aux Canons Battery, Harbour. The Pointe aux Canons Battery (consisting of 5 cannons) is located just before the jetty to the lighthouse on the site of a much older fort that defended the Saint-Pierre & Miquelon islands during the British raids of 1690-1713. free.
- 3 La Poste de Saint-Pierre (Saint-Pierre Post Office), Place du Général de Gaulle. The Alsatian style of architecture was brought to Saint-Pierre in the early decades of the 20th century. Shaped like a praying monk, the Saint-Pierre Post Office clock tower looks over the General de Gaulle square. free.
- 4 Cimetière Saint-Pierre (Saint-Pierre Cemetery), Avenue du Commandant Roger Birot. This is Saint-Pierre's fourth cemetery. Located on a gentle slope, thousands of monuments are built above ground in a style unique in North America. The cemetery is open at all times. free.
- 5 Les Salines (fishing stations), Harbour. Les Salines fishing stations were built by the Saint-Pierre & Miquelon Government and once housed salt, salted fish and fishing gear. Today, they are used to store artisanal fishing gear. Les Salines are a colourful legacy of the old fishing culture and economic life. free.
- 6 Fronton Zazpiak Bat. Constructed in 1906, the fronton Zazpiak Bat is a court for playing the traditional Basque sport of pelota. Many residents of Saint-Pierre are of Basque descent.
- 7 Cathédrale de Saint-Pierre. This former cathedral was rebuilt in a Basque style between 1905-1907, after a major fire which started at the old 1852-era cathedral destroyed much of the town in 1902. The church tower was rebuilt in 1975 using Alsace sandstone and rhyolite from the island. A change to Catholic diocese boundaries (in which the former Apostolic Vicariate of Îles Saint-Pierre et Miquelon was merged to faraway La Rochelle, France) lost this church its status as a cathedral in March 2018.
- 8 Le Square Joffre (Monument Marins Disparus), Rue Borda & Place du Lieutenant Colonel Pigeaud (1 block south of the cathedral near the harbour). This small, attractive park contains a granite monument erected in 1964 to honour seamen lost at sea (à nos marins disparus).
- 9 La communauté des soeurs de St Joseph de Cluny (convent). Until 1998, the convent's nuns performed nursing and teaching in Saint-Pierre. The convent was built 2004 replacing an earlier structure demolished in 2001.
- 10 La Forge Bailly (maritime foundary), Rue Saint-Jean & Rue du Commerce. This maritime foundary was built in 1879 using French techniques from the Middle Ages.
- 11 Le Calvaire (cross), Rue du Calvaire (near Rue Beaussant & Rue des Miquelonnais). Local artisans carved a large wooden cross with the body of Christ. It was placed on a hill in a small park. There are panoramic views from the park. Ideally, you should approach via Rue Colbert as the cross faces that street.
- 12 Le Fort Lorraine, Rue du Calvaire & Rue Beaussant (at SW corner of Le Calvaire). Fort Lorraine was an observation post constructed by the Free French forces after they captured the archipelago from the Vichy government in 1941. This park offers panoramic views.
- 13 Le Monument aux Morts (war memorial), Rue Amiral Muselier (behind Musée de l'Arche). Monument to soldiers from Saint-Pierre who died in World War I and II. Across the street on the south side behind Musée de l'Arche there a Croix de Lorraine with a plaque inscribed with a speech by Charles de Gaulle.
- 14 Débarcadère croisière (Cruise ship wharf), N1 (about 2 km NE of the post office). The cruise dock is more interesting if a ship is docked there. A greeting is painted on the wharf facing the ship saying Bienvenue en France! (Welcome to France!).
- 15 Waterfall from Etang Thélot, N1 (about 2 km NE of the post office). This roadside waterfall is where a creek flows from a pond (Etang Thélot) into the sea.
- 16 Zone portuaire (Container ship wharf), N1. While you cannot enter the port zone, from the coastal road N1 you can see any container ship that may be docked at the container wharf. The facility accommodates only one container ship at a time.
- 17 Cap à Brossard (at the western end of Route de la Cléopâtre). At Cap à Brossard one can see waves crashing against a rocky shore. Houses line Route de la Cléopâtre from the town of Saint-Pierre.
- Residential streets. The many residential streets in town are lined with colourfully painted wooden houses. Most of these houses have a distinctive characteristic called a tambour which is a room about the size of a telephone booth to shelter persons at the house entrance. Generally, these tambours are built on the narrow public sidewalk forcing pedestrians to walk on the road. These booths are called tambours (literally drums) because when one knocks on the door within the tambour, there is a drum-like acoustic effect.
Do
[edit]- 1 Musée Héritage, rue Maitre Georges Lefèvre, ☏ +508 41 58 88. M-F 14:00 - 18:00, Sa 10:00 - 12:00, 14:00 - 17:00. Saint-Pierre's newest museum has many religious and medical artifacts from the 19th and 20th centuries. A wonderful exhibit on Prohibition is also highly recommended. Musée Héritage is privately owned and operated. €7.
- 2 Musée de l'Arche, rue du 11 Novembre, ☏ +508 41 04 35. Summer season: 10:00 - 12:00, 13:30 - 17:00. The State Museum is operated by the local government of Saint-Pierre & Miquelon and houses the islands archives. Temporary and permanents exhibits showcase the islands' history and culture. Among the many items on display, is the famous guillotine used during the 1889 execution (The Néel Affair - Inspiration for the Widow of St Pierre). €7.
- 3 Musée Archipélitude, Ile Aux Marins, ☏ +508 41 25 76. May-June: Tu W F-Su 10:00 - 17:30; July-October: daily 09:00 - 17:30. Located on the island of Île-aux-Marins, this museum contains a unique collection related to life on the islands and the fishing industry. €5.
Buy
[edit]There are several shops along or near the south ends of Rue du Maréchal Foch and Rue Maître Georges Lefèvre. However, not all shops in Saint-Pierre are clustered at this location. Sometimes a shop is located inconspicuously away from the centre of town.
Shops tend to close for lunch at mid-day (typically 12:00-13:30), and this also pertains to the post office and the tourist office.
Eat
[edit]There are few restaurants in Saint-Pierre. It is strongly encouraged that you make reservations for supper time. Any hotel/B&B or the tourism office can assist you in making reservations.
- 1 Le Feu de Braise, 14, rue Albert Briand, ☏ +508 41 91 60, cia.sarl@wanadoo.fr. Traditional French cuisine, a large variety of dishes and pizzas, take-out food.
- Quatre Temps, 14, rue du Temple, ☏ +508 41 43 01, contact@quatretemps.com.
- 2 Pizzeria Chez Alain, rue du Fort Lorraine, ☏ +508 41 27 28.
- Le Skréo, 4 rue Ducouédic, ☏ +508 41 77 50. W-M. Fried chicken, salads, hamburgers, seafood, American sandwiches, take-out food.
- 3 Les Délices de Joséphine, 10 rue du Général Leclerc, ☏ +508 41 20 27. M-F 11:30-18:00; closed: Oct-Apr. French tea room offering pastries and light meals, part of "Nuits St. Pierre" four-room boutique hotel. €12-20.
- 4 La Ruche, 5 rue Marcel Bonin, ☏ +508 41 40 31. M-F 07:30-11:30, 13:15-17:30; Su 09:00-12:00, 14:00-16:30. Bakery and tea room. €5.
- 5 Crêperie Restaurant du Vieux Port, 10 Rue du 11 Novembre, ☏ +508 41 27 00. Winter: 12:00-13:30, 19:00-21:30; summer: 07:00-22:00. Breton crepes, French cuisine and burgers. Bookings can be made from the Hotel Robert front desk. €6-25.
Drink
[edit]Sleep
[edit]- 1 Auberge Quatre Temps, 14, rue du Temple, ☏ +508 41 43 01, contact@quatretemps.com. 6 rooms, 2 studios, breakfast. from €84 in summer.
- 2 Auberge Saint-Pierre, 16, rue Georges Daguerre, ☏ +508 41 40 86, bernard.arrossamena@cheznoo.net. 10 rooms. From €88 (winter) or €136 (summer).
- 3 Hôtel Robert, 10 rue du 11 Novembre, ☏ +508 41 24 19, toll-free: +1-800-563-2006, neptune@cheznoo.net. 43 rooms. From €80.
- 4 Terrasses du Port, Boulevard Port-en-Bessin Saint Pierre, ☏ +508 41 17 00, hotel@tdpspm.com. Has on-site restaurant. €147+.
B&B
[edit]- Pension Bernard & Josette Dodeman, 15, rue Paul Bert, ☏ +508 41 30 60, jdodeman@cheznoo.net. 3 rooms. from €65.
- Chez Hélène, 15, rue Beaussant, ☏ +508 41 31 08. 9 rooms. from €45.