As you descend from the ramparts through the Porte Saint-Louis, your gaze is suddenly drawn to a silhouette emerging from another era. In the Vauban Basin, moored neatly against the Quai Saint-Louis, a wooden galleon with slender masts and laughing gun ports seems to be waiting for the signal to sail: the Wodnik Bar.

Built in the 1950s in Poland, this ship is a replica inspired by 18th-century Spanish galleons. Its name, Wodnik—"Aquarius" in Polish—speaks of long-distance voyages and the call of distant horizons. Spotted and then acquired by a couple from Saint-Malo with a passion for the sea, it crossed Europe to reach the corsair city in 2022. Since then, this old-world vessel has become a unique place: a floating bar with a singular charm, where you can come and share a drink on deck while admiring the ramparts and the silhouettes of the Saint-Malo towers.

With its 27 meters of length, its waxed wooden decks, and its shrouds sizzling in the breeze, the Wodnik gives the illusion that it could cast off at any moment. It has even been used as a film set for films, such as the Spanish series Piratas. And when night falls and the string lights come on along the rail, you find yourself dreaming: corsairs, boardings, sea spray, and cannons echo in your imagination.

In Saint-Malo, a city born of the sea and facing the open sea, the Wodnik Bar is not just an unusual place; it's a living nod to maritime history, an invitation to travel without leaving the quayside, carried by the simple rolling of dreams.

Historical Note — Wodnik Bar

• Original name: Wodnik (Polish for "Aquarius")
• Type: Two-masted ship inspired by 18th-century Spanish galleons
• Built: 1950s in Poland
• Initial career: Exhibition and cruise ship in the Baltic Sea
• Special features: Historical wooden replica, 27 meters long
• Arrival in Saint-Malo: 2022, after a river and sea voyage from Eastern Europe
• New life: Transformed into a floating bar at the Bassin Vauban
• Highlight: Served as a set for the Spanish television series Piratas