# Saint-Pierre

Saint Pierre is an island and the capital of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.

## Understand

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

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.

### By plane
#### Airport

* 46.763056-56.1741671 Saint-Pierre Airport (Aéroport de Saint-Pierre FSP ). is a small airport.

#### Airlines

* Air Saint-Pierre, ☏ +508-41-00-00, toll-free: +1-877-277-7765. The main airline for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. (updated Apr 2022) 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

* 46.77848-56.171912 SPM Ferries. Ferry between Saint-Pierre and Fortune, Newfoundland. The ferry takes approximately 90 minutes depending on weather conditions. (updated Sep 2019)

## Get around

The downtown area can be easily explored on foot.

## See

* 46.7814-56.16611 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.
* 46.7813-56.16882 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.
* 46.7791-56.17213 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.
* 46.7755-56.18314 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.
* 46.7823-56.16875 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.
* 46.783-56.17366 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. (updated Jun 2017)
* 46.7811-56.17227 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. (updated Jun 2017)
* 46.7803-56.17128 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). (updated Jul 2017)
* 46.7819-56.17269 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. (updated Jul 2017)
* 46.7785-56.175110 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. (updated Jul 2017)
* 46.7789-56.179611 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. (updated Jul 2017)
* 46.7783-56.179912 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. (updated Jul 2017)
* 46.7775-56.178113 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. (updated Dec 2020)
* 46.7942-56.15914 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!). (updated Jul 2017)
* 46.7916-56.164515 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. (updated Jul 2017)
* 46.786-56.164216 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. (updated Jul 2017)
* 46.7657-56.241117 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. (updated Jul 2017)
* 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. (updated Jul 2017)

## Do

* 46.7796-56.1731 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. (updated Jun 2017)
* 46.777-56.17732 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.
* 46.7846-56.14993 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. (updated Jun 2017)

## Buy

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

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.
* 46.7802-56.17341 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.
* 46.7779-56.18212 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.
* 46.7805-56.17243 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. (updated Jun 2017)
* 46.7805-56.17574 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. (updated Jun 2017)
* 46.7781-56.17475 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. (updated Jun 2017)

## Sleep

* 46.786-56.17441 Auberge Quatre Temps, 14, rue du Temple, ☏ +508 41 43 01, contact@quatretemps.com. 6 rooms, 2 studios, breakfast. from €84 in summer. (updated Jun 2017)
* 46.7854-56.17412 Auberge Saint-Pierre, 16, rue Georges Daguerre, ☏ +508 41 40 86, bernard.arrossamena@cheznoo.net. 10 rooms. From €88 (winter) or €136 (summer). (updated Jun 2017)
* 46.7782-56.17463 Hôtel Robert, 10 rue du 11 Novembre, ☏ +508 41 24 19, toll-free: +1-800-563-2006, neptune@cheznoo.net. 43 rooms. From €80.
* 46.77404-56.171284 Terrasses du Port, Boulevard Port-en-Bessin Saint Pierre, ☏ +508 41 17 00, hotel@tdpspm.com. Has on-site restaurant. €147+. (updated Dec 2022)

### B&B

* Pension Bernard & Josette Dodeman, 15, rue Paul Bert, ☏ +508 41 30 60, jdodeman@cheznoo.net. 3 rooms. from €65. (updated Jun 2017)
* Chez Hélène, 15, rue Beaussant, ☏ +508 41 31 08. 9 rooms. from €45. (updated Jun 2017)

## Go next

* Miquelon
* Newfoundland
* Quebec